Keto "hot flash"

christineellis

I heard someone mention a couple of weeks ago about having a Keto "hot flash" in the middle of the night. What does that mean and is it a common occurrence? I have regular hot flashes, due to my age (48), but was wondering if the Keto diet makes them worse?

Thanks in advance all!

deksgrl

Eating low carb has about cured my hot flashes. I sleep through the night now most nights. I think the hot flash they were mentioning was after bullet proof coffee.

JodehFoster

Only time I get anything remotely like a hot fash is when I go to bed on a full stomach, or eat near bedtime...mostly due to body heat from digestion.

I'm 45 & can't wait for the real thing! #sarcasm

wabmester

I know I don't belong in this thread, but I was curious about hot flashes, so I googled.

Wow! Another medical mystery! They're apparently not caused by estrogen changes as most people think, but they're due to a narrowing of the "thermoneutral zone" and increased sympathetic nervous activity.

I'm now chasing the SNA down a rabbit hole, since it also seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of hypertension. Cool!

BTW, I've never heard of them being induced by keto, but increased SNA is a known side-effect of both carb and calorie restriction, so it could be a factor. Try increasing either calories or carbs if you want to experiment.

deksgrl

Increasing carbs gives me hot flashes, no thank you. lol!

ladipoet

Eating unfermented soy products also contributes to the cycles of hot flashes.

KnitOrMiss

I have a thermogenic reaction, a warming, akin to a hot flash, with consumption of coconut oil, Kombucha, and occasionally broth.... Generally not uncomfortable unless my environment creates a reaction, and just interesting... I tend to think of it as a metabolism boost and welcome it.

KarlaYP

I went through some hot flashes from hades while adapting. Literally broke out in sweats! Would last a couple of minutes and then fade. Happened several times a day for maybe three days. Once I became fully adapted it's been better than ever! I'm actually about to begin to decrease the dose on mine to see if I can get by with less. This woe has helped with so many other things, I have to try!

christineellis

Karlottap wrote: »

I'm actually about to begin to decrease the dose on mine to see if I can get by with less.

Karla, Decrease your estrogen or progesterone dosages, or what? My doc had given me the patches and progesterone pills and I have decided to not use them. I feel to edgy and grumpy on hormones...

@wabmester Very interesting research! Sympathetic Nervous Activity, hmmm. Hubby doesn't think I am very sympathetic these days - nervous, yes. I sleep with a fan blowing on me and still wake up hot, ugh. Not always hot "flashes" per se, just hot.

KarlaYP

That's estrogen, but I also take estrogen combined with testosterone. I'm going to begin cutting down the dose to see if I can get by with less. I don't believe I will be able to do without it completely.

KarlaYP

I don't have any ovaries. It wasn't a nice time during the two weeks post op when he made me go without the estrogen (that was in hopes of killing off the endometriosis, but didn't work). I would think the feeling hot is from the increase to your metabolism from this woe. Don't have any scientific evidence for that opinion though.

deksgrl

I wonder why mine went away then?

KarlaYP

Maybe after an adjustment period it does have to heat up as much to get going? If that makes sense? I would imagine @Christine's will eventually improve too.

Sabine_Stroehm

ladipoet wrote: »

Eating unfermented soy products also contributes to the cycles of hot flashes.

For me, soy products HELP with hot flashes. I would assumes it would depend, in part, on your hormonal status.

Sabine_Stroehm

deksgrl wrote: »

I wonder why mine went away then?

this fascinates me as well. Last fall, when my sister was looking for "WOE" I tried low carb with/for her. I had wicked hot flashes and night sweats. I remember PMing baconslave about meat sweats!

This year, I decided to lower carbs (as you probably know) to assist with menopause and hot flashes and night sweats are greatly diminished. (granted I've also started progesterone).
But yeah, for me, last time there were major hot flashes (more than actual menopause!) this time, NONE.weird stuff.

(Granted I'm going about it very differently this time: way way way more plant based fat)

nvmomketo

I've had hypothyroidism for many years. Even with really good treatment, my body temp stayed low though. It rarely went much above 98, which is better than below 97 of past years.

Now though? I'm never cold. My temp was even a nice 98.6 the other day.... Huh. I never though about the "why" of it before. So LCHF could be doing that,eh? Interesting.