Another sodium question…

4031isaiah

Is it possible to be getting too much? I was drinking broth made with chicken, beef or vegetable boullion pretty much from the beginning in order to help stave off the keto flu but I still had headaches anyway.

I posted a question about sodium and it was recommended that I increase my intake. I increased and the headaches continued. I ran out and went a few days without drinking it and realized that my headache went away.

For a few days, my sodium intake was around 2000 mg give or take. So today I thought I should up it and managed to get in closer to 4000 mg.

Guess who has a headache!

I think I'm going to stop deliberately consuming sodium for a while and see how that plays out.

KnitOrMiss

Getting 4000 mg of sodium might cause you to start dumping it and magnesium to balance, especially if you aren't getting enough water or supplementing magnesium.

The four things are in a delicate balance - sodium, water, magnesium, and lastly, potassium. Your body will leech these from your bones, organs, etc., causing headaches and such when the blood is out of balance.

I'd check the other things to find your balance, too, as it's the balance that is important. And if you increase your water, you need to increase sodium and magnesium, etc. Unless you have heavy heat, exertion, or sweating, you probably get enough potassium through food and shouldn't really supplement unless you have a confirmed deficiency, as too much or too little potassium are both deadly...

I don't know what the numbers are for everyone, but for me, I aim for:
80-100 oz of water
4000 + mg sodium
400-800 mg chelated magnesium glycinate
no added potassium unless I'm massively dehydrated, sweating, or overheated...

4031isaiah

I take magnesium citrate daily and only supplemented potassium for the first 2-4 weeks. What I find strange is that my headaches are tied to my sodium intake. When I aim high as so many suggest is when I get the headaches.

I guess my main question would be: if I feel better not making an extra effort to keep up on sodium, is that still ok?

Sunny_Bunny_

How many total carbs do eat? Seems strange for sodium to be the cause of headaches...
you may have an imbalance with potassium...??? Maybe something with aldosterone levels not being typical??? Are you diabetic or have any kidney issues? Do you urinate very frequently?
I'm sorry my questions seem weird, but something seems off with the sodium intake/symptoms... typically, too much just means more pee and thirst and that's it...

4031isaiah

I don't count net carbs and stay under 50 total carbs. I'm usually around 20-25. I thought maybe I was too low so I had an apple in the morning 3 times in the last week. I'm not really sure if it helped but I was happy to see that it didn't stop ketones from showing up on the ketostix.

Other than digestive issues, I have no health problems that I am aware of and have been tested for diabetes, thyroid, celiac etc.

I also don't pee more when I take in more sodium. In fact, it's the exact opposite. I think it causes me to retain fluid. For example, twice now (that I've actually noticed), when I've made a special effort to increase sodium, I wake up a lb or so heavier than the day before.

Sunny_Bunny_

4031isaiah wrote: »

I don't count net carbs and stay under 50 total carbs. I'm usually around 20-25. I thought maybe I was too low so I had an apple in the morning 3 times in the last week. I'm not really sure if it helped but I was happy to see that it didn't stop ketones from showing up on the ketostix.

Other than digestive issues, I have no health problems that I am aware of and have been tested for diabetes, thyroid, celiac etc.

I also don't pee more when I take in more sodium. In fact, it's the exact opposite. I think it causes me to retain fluid. For example, twice now (that I've actually noticed), when I've made a special effort to increase sodium, I wake up a lb or so heavier than the day before.

I would expect getting more when it's needed would not increase urination. It's meant to help you retain fluids. Hydration. So it seems that part works perfectly. Is only suspect more thirst, therefore more urination if you got too much. Too much not being the same as a lot. Being literally more than your body can make use of. Then I'd assume it would trigger thirst to balance things back out.

I'm not sure what you mean by too low on carbs? There is no minimum requirement the body needs. You can never be too low.

I guess the answer to your question is really, if you're feeling good, then do what feels best. Just stay aware of the possibility of sodium need. Some days and circumstances could increase your needs and you may be so used to not needing it that you don't recognize it.

4031isaiah

Ha ha! I guess I don't know what I mean either about the carb thing. I suppose I'm just grasping at straws trying to figure out my body and settle in to a new doable normal.

ripptorn714

I struggle with managing my sodium intake on keto because a lot of my protein snacks are loaded with salt. How much water do you drink at day?

4031isaiah

In the beginning, I was going like gangbusters on the water but lately I've been trying to listen to my body and go according to thirst. When I look back in my food diary, I'm anywhere from 8-12 cups/day.

ripptorn714

That seems like a good amount. Someone told me to drink 1/2 my weight in ounces of water. How are you doing on Keto?

4031isaiah

I've been eating Keto for about 6-7 weeks now and I have been consistently into ketosis since. I know because I use the ketostix on a regular basis.

ripptorn714

I have been in mild ketosis for about 3 weeks. I seem to struggle finding suitable snacks to help between meals. Have you had any issues?

4031isaiah

It took a while to get there but I am at a point now where I don't really snack. In the beginning, I ate fat bombs, macadamia nuts and drank bulletproof tea to carry me between meals.

My body seems to have adjusted to Keto and I find that I don't think about food between meals as much anymore. I think that's one of the major benefits of this WOE. I'm sure you'll get there.

ripptorn714

Are you following your own eating plan or using one prepared by someone else?

4031isaiah

I'm not following an eating plan. I don't do well on diets that require me to stick to a plan. I like to feel like the choice is mine when it comes to what I eat. I just don't eat processed or startchy/carby foods and keep ketostix on hand to make sure I stay in ketosis.

It's been working for me in that regard since the beginning. Keeping my electrolytes balanced has been my most recent challenge. Hence this post

ripptorn714

Thanks for the information!