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Fatigue and leg cramps

Justkf
Justkf Posts: 208 Member
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Hi-Anyone have one or all of this? I started keto on Feb 13 and have had left leg cramps every night while sleeping. Major fatigue during the work day and now accelerated heart rate at night around bedtime. I am thinking it's magnesium deficiency so I have added in a supplement but it's not really working yet-maybe not enough or source?. I have increased potassium, no change either. Sometimes I feel brain fog (actually a lot) at work. On the weekends I feel amazing energy and go go go. I don't remember feeling this way 15+ years ago on Atkins. Any thoughts or opinions welcome! :)

Replies

  • rlengland2014
    rlengland2014 Posts: 98 Member
    My friends and I all started at the same time; they got cramps and I didn't. What did I do dufferently? Daily bouillon, mg supplements, potassium supplements. I did feel light headed a few mornings and started drinking an electrolyte replacement at night before going to bed. Good luck!
  • Miamiuu
    Miamiuu Posts: 262 Member
    Are you taking a multivitamin? because maybe you are missing something else than the ones you are already taking Also make sure you are drinking a lot of water. I felt low energy all the time while I low carb for 30 days, but 20 days in I had the most awful headache and didnt know what caused. It was recommended on here that I take a multivitamin and to up my carb in take for one day. So I did it started feeling better and was able to complete my 30 day diet. Maybe you need to up your carbs a little for a day.
  • Justkf
    Justkf Posts: 208 Member
    Thanks-I just started a multi the other day. Moments ago I read the reddit posts and have a new plan. I have been low on sodium as an old diet rule. I am going to try the chicken broth with 2 tsp cream and see if that helps.

    I also think the fatigue could be part of the sleep dep when I am jumping out of bed to get rid of the cramps 3x a night!

    It's nice to know this is not just me and common in the LCHF world. I was ready to go to the doctor.
  • AMPitup89
    AMPitup89 Posts: 39 Member
    There is some great info here!

    http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/low-carb-diet-side-effects.html

    I went through a big dizzy spell yesterday and I had to track down this info. I felt your pain!

    I'm feeling better but not quite back where i was. It will likely take a few days of getting my numbers up to feel tip top again.. Look and see how much water, salt (get some high quality salt in!), magnesium, and potassium you are getting. Most people are deficient in magnesium in the US, LC/Keto or not. I usually supplement 200-400mg a day (i'm trying to be more diligent about this). I really neglected my potassium. I keep reading that a healthy intake is 4,700mg!! I'm working on getting my levels up.

    yesterday when I realized what I was doing wrong i gobbled down the highest potassium foods i had with me at work and popped my magnesium supps (are u taking chelated magnesium? Better absorption). Then ran after work went to a health food store and picked up some potassium supplements as well as ate some high Potassium foods for dinner.

    I suggest tracking your magnesium and potassium levels. Personally, I've been relying on mag supplements, mainly because I've read so much that foods that used to be high in magnesium are quite as vitamin and mineral rich.

    The tricky thing about tracking tho is that many food labels ignore potassium and almost always magnesium too. Even my macadamia nuts omit the potassium levels on the label. so when I scan the package for my food log, i don't see the potassium numbers for that. I've had to create new food entries and google the amt of potassium in a serving of what i just had. I'm on a mission to do this with the other items i eat and rely less on scanning for this reason.

    Good luck! Hope you get some relief soon

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