Swollen, and up 7 pounds in a week! Yikes!

retainingwater

(stacey stegall) #1

I’m sure most, if not all, is water weight. I can tell in my hands - couldn’t get my ring on this morning. Also feel like my eyes look swollen. Any tips/tricks on how to help with the swelling? I drink a lot of water during the day already - should I be putting anything in it to speed up this process?

Also - could be unrelated, but I’ve noticed I’m itching - on my neck, my heels, hands. I’ve heard of a keto rash, but I’m not new to this. Been keto (no cheat days) since mid August - I would think it would be a little late in the game for the keto rash right?


#2

Ouch. That sounds awful.

Do you supplement electrolytes and if so, which ones and in what quantities? Also, how much water are we talking about here regarding your current daily intake?

Is the rash visible?


(stacey stegall) #3

I don’t supplement with electrolytes currently. And I would say I drink about 8-10 bottles (16.9 ounce bottles) a day.

Rash on my neck is slighly noticeable. Of course if I left it along and stopped scratching it, that would help a lot too


(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

Another thought: Check your nutrition labels for “carb creep.” Sometimes products get re-formulated without notice, and something that once was okay is now too high in carbohydrate.

If suggestions from forum members don’t help within a week or so, you may need to consult your physician.


#5

A common symptom of electrolyte imbalance is water retention. Once you are on keto, your body doesn’t hold on to salt like it used to when you were eating carbs. You need to supplement salt and can do so by taking around 2 teaspoons (some people take more) of salt a day - preferably pink salt or sea salt as these have a good range of minerals compared to table salt. You also have to ensure you are having an adequate level of magnesium (400g) and potassium (varies from 1,500 to 4500mg - I recommend starting low and increasing as needed) either through diet or supplementation.

Without electrolyte supplemtation or intake, you may struggle with one symptom or the other on keto.

Also, high water intake can deplete you of electrolytes (this can explain your current water retention as you would have lost sodium and potassium through urination and not supplemented them back into your diet). I recommend only drinking when you are thirsty and not overdoing the water.

The rash could be an allergy to something you recently introduced to your diet ( sweeteners, new products etc). Try seeing if you can identify and eliminate these to see if symptoms improve. It could also be your body adapting to the ketogenic diet. See the video below on what might help with that.

https://youtu.be/Od7LYWhcLFs


#6

This is a lot of water. Excess water (which means different things for different bodies!) will flush out your electrolytes. For extreme examples, you can take a look at what happens to folks running a marathon who over-hydrate (it’s not pretty and can be life-threatening). I doubt you’re anywhere near there but you might want to see if the symptoms line up. Our need for sodium generally goes up when we go keto, so keeping the same water intake while cutting your carbs could mess with your electrolyte levels. I would cut down on the water (at least temporarily) and definitely take some electrolytes.


('Jackie P') #7

Don’t leave this to chance. It could be an allergy or an unrelated heart or kidney problem. I would advise you to go and see your Dr.
I wish you well.:slightly_smiling_face:


(stacey stegall) #8

what type of electrolytes do you suggest?


(Ellen ) #9

When my ankles feel swollen I drink water with some lemon. It seems to help me.


#10

I don’t consider myself an expert in electrolytes! For starters you could look at Brenda Zorn’s KetoAde recipe (available on this forum if you search for it) or look at the Snake Juice recipes online - probably fairly similar ingredients. Or you can just cut down on the water and add a bit of extra salt to your food and see if things go in a good direction. (Sodium can help us hold onto the other electrolytes so often just getting enough salt keeps things in balance).

But I agree with others that you might want to check in with a doctor if you continue to have extreme swelling…