Tetany anyone? And how to deal with it?

#1

I have been on keto for some 5 month and recently have developed tetany, a twitch under my left eye, which could be the sign of calcium deficiency. Just wondering if anyone else had come across this annoying problem and how to get rid of it…
I should add that I take calcium+D3+K1 daily and double cream shake with coffee so it surprises me, the issue seem to have become noticeable as I switched to daily IF.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #2

Yup, I eat tums when I get switchy facial muscles. It helps me within a couple of hours. Tums smooth texture has about 1 gram of carbs per chewable. I usually take three. Hope this helps!

(Bunny) #3

I had this once a very long time ago in pre-keto days, always wondered what it was?

Dr. Berg made a couple videos about this:

Eyelid Twitching? Find out why…

Dr. Berg talks about twitching under the eyelid. This is called tetany and is a low calcium (hypocalcemia) situation. This is usually because of high cortisol, which dumps acids (H+) in the urine making your body MORE alkaline. Many people look at their urine pH and see it too acid and then start alkalizing themselves, when in fact, they are actually losing acids - a common mistake. Apple Cider Vinegar is the best remedy.

Twitch Under Your Right Eyelid? DO THIS

In this video, Dr. Berg talks about a twitching underneath the left eyelid or a condition called Tetany, it is an excitable nerve where the nerve is twitching. Some people use Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) as a remedy to this condition. Twitching could mean that there is something going on in the body that’s not right.

Two Main Causes of Tetany:

  1. Low Calcium
  2. Alkalosis – The blood is a little too alkaline.

Calcium is mobilized in the body, it’s absorbed in the body with an acid pH in the stomach. If you don’t have enough acid in the stomach, that could be one cause of alkalosis and that could be one of the reason why you’re not absorbing the calcium.

Potential Reasons/Cause Why You Have Low Calcium:
• Rarely could be a parathyroid problem.
• Taking too much magnesium – calcium and magnesium should work together and taking too much of one, the other one goes down.
• Too Low in vitamin D – You’re not going to be able to absorb the calcium. Vitamin D helps improve the absorption of calcium by 20x in the small intestine.
• Low Dietary Calcium (Low greens, low dairy)

Normally the pH of the blood is within a very narrow range between - 7.35-7.45. 7 being neutral, and when you go above neutral, it means you’re getting more alkaline and anything below 7 is more acid. With alkalosis, it’s above 7.45.

Symptoms of Alkalosis:
• Spasms
• Cramps
• Tetany

Possible Cause of Alkalosis:
• Low Stomach Acid
• Vomiting / Laxatives
• Low Potassium
• High Cortisol – Stress

Signs of Low Stomach Acid:
• Indigestion
• Bloating
• Acid Reflux
• GERD

#4

Thanks for the links bunny. I have seen Dr Berg’s video and started taking ACV, but unsure how long it takes to take effect. I was wondering about my calcium intake, thought I was doing ok with a double cream milk shake with my coffee twice daily. I noticed it after I started intermittent fasting. I’ll persevere with the ACV and see what happens. Thanks again

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #5

Also, I forgot to mention, I take a D supplement daily also, which is good to have if you’re going for more calcium uptake.

#6

Thank you, I might give it a try. It seems like the opposite to the apple cider vinegar advice, am I getting this completely wrong? :upside_down_face:

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #7

Are you asking me? I don’t have any science citations to show you but I have personal experience with a stem cell harvest that caused low calcium and being instructed to take calcium during and after for the tetany that occurred. Thankfully it’s useful information to me now and I’m just sharing. Let us know what works for you.

#8

Yeah I take calcium +D3+K1 daily, that’s why it just doesn’t make sense

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #9

Oh, well then maybe it’s one of the other reasons, like Bunny said. Hope the ACV works for ya. That stuff tears up my tummy so I have little experience with it.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #10

I vote for magnesium deficiency. I’ve had them my whole life. It happened once after keto and I upped my spinach.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

How’s your salt intake? We need more salt when we don’t eat carbohydrate, and getting enough sodium helps keep the other minerals regulated. Aim for 10-15 grams of table salt (NaCl) a day.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #12

I have been extremely heavy on the salt my entire life. Got the twitches nonetheless. I think they are akin to muscle cramps, which are helped by mag.

#13

Thanks for a useful link Regina. I also take magnesium+b6 supplement daily. I wish there was an easy answer :woozy_face:

#14

This could be the case, I’ll experiment for a few days and see if it settles. Might need to top up my salt now im on only 1 meal a day. Thanks for the hint.

#15

Noticed this in my eye the last few days and wondering how the various remedies worked out for you? I thought it was more eye fatigue for me, but maybe not?

#16

Hiya , it kind of went away on its own after a few weeks. I’ve asked my doctor to check my blood for any abnormalities or deficiencies at the time and all came back fine. Perhaps our body adjusts gradually to the changes, good luck with it anyway …