Very Low Carb and depression - how long?

castadiva

Hi, hoping to hear from others who have experienced the symptoms of depression whilst using a very low carb diet ie. say under 100g, as an upper limit (I realise this may be pretty high for some, but not for me!). I find that within 4-5 days of starting a programme of this sort, I become lethargic, very weepy, unmotivated (in everything, not just diet), highly sensitive and generally very low in mood - 'numb' is the best description I can come up with (well, numb to anything that isn't deeply miserable, or even mildly sad, which provokes floods of tears). By day 7 or 8, I'm in a very (VERY) bad place, mentally and emotionally.

Have others encountered this side-effect and continued? If so, how long did this last for?

The last time I tried V Low Carb eating coincided with an unfortunate series of events (though I have noted the same previously), and the symptoms/side effects became too much to handle, so I conceded defeat, but would be interested to know if this is common, and if it goes away if one battles through. I have an endocrine issue - not PCOS, but similar symptoms - that suggests a low carb approach might be productive, in case anyone is wondering why I'm still keen to try it.

Jeneba

Sorry you are feeling under the weather. I haven't tried a low carb diet - as a vegetarian, my options are limited. But I have found that if I eat too few calories and don't get a lot of sleep, I get pretty light-headed.

Feel better!

pa_jorg

Wondering if you've discussed this with your doctor? Sounds more serious than just going low carb. Perhaps it's related to the endocrine issue or something else, but worth getting checked out before you continue this cycle.

:flowerforyou:

126siany

If you know that this sort of meal plan makes you utterly miserable, then why do it again?:sad:

leggup

Why are you going low carb? There really is no need, especially if you're miserable.

Mr_Bad_Example

You'll probably be depressed as long as you are going very low carb.

caitypants86

I've been limiting my carbs to around 50g or so per day for about a week now, and I feel fantastic... lighter, more energetic, stomach cramps are gone, etc. I would say you should see your doctor... I know that the first few days doing low carb are supposed to be tough, but your symptoms sound a bit extreme and worrisome.

AnnaPixie

I have the same depressing sypmptoms when I go low carb. I've tried it several times and after 3 or 4 days I'm miserable/angry/irritable. I've also got PCOS.

I understand that the best thing for PCOS is low carb too, however, it obviously doesnt suit you and I so I've decided that it's not the answer....entirely. You CAN go lowER carb and just monitor it. I've found 120/130g is okay. As you're much taller maybe you should try 140/150g?

I've not heard of anyone overcoming the issue - I dont know if your body can just get used to it. Maybe we are just predisposed to NEED a certain amount of carbs for healthy brain function?

BekShark

Got the very same on a super low carb diet and then regular urges to binge on loads of carbs. I found that a moderate slow low GI carb diet of about 150 per day was better fo me when working out heavily. It stopped the brain drain and gave me more fuel to workout. After a hard workout, I would usually be back in ketosis.

sbarella

If you know that this sort of meal plan makes you utterly miserable, then why do it again?:sad:

My thoughts exactly.

17ChargerGirl17

I'm a very low carber (20-25 a day low) and I feel great doing it. My brain function is just fine and I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I choose to do it because it is easy for me and I feel great.
If you are that miserable, you certainly should not do it. You have to be fine with eating a lot of eggs, lean protein and veggies without eating rice, pasta or fruit.
Low carb isn't the diet for everyone, so maybe you should rethink this option.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

ladymiseryali

That can be normal. What I suggest you doing is adding more magnesium to your diet, through supplements. That can definitely help.

VeryKatie

If you know that this sort of meal plan makes you utterly miserable, then why do it again?:sad:

My thoughts exactly.

Read to the end of her post.

sassyjae21

For those of you who keep asking why she is doing it/again.

I have an endocrine issue - not PCOS, but similar symptoms - that suggests a low carb approach might be productive, in case anyone is wondering why I'm still keen to try it.

That said, you need to speak with your Doctor or Dietitian to see if the benefits outweigh the cost. I would be more inclined to deal with the endocrine issues depending on the seriousness of your problems.

y1fsm8s

The lethargic feeling will subside. It is just your body adjusting to a new lifestyle. Give it a few days, if you still feel that way stop the diet or go talk to a doctor. I do a keto diet and only consume max 20g carbs per day. Worth a shot

126siany

If you know that this sort of meal plan makes you utterly miserable, then why do it again?:sad:

My thoughts exactly.

Read to the end of her post.

Did before I posted. Still doesn't seem worth it.

tameko2

You'll probably be depressed as long as you are going very low carb.

^^ Might be this, honestly.

I feel like crap when I eat low carb. Miserable, starving, crap. Some people's bodies just don't do well with it. So - maybe stop?

If you have a condition like insulin resistance you can manage it by eating your carbs with fiber and fat - you don't need to stick below a certain number.

Russellb97

My friends, if your diet plan is causing you to feel depressed you need to change it up. The journey of weight loss should be exciting and enjoyable. If your miserable it's not working regardless if the scale is moving.

If you hate it you probably won't see it through and you definitely won't continue when you move into maintenance. And whats the point of losing weight if you are just going to gain it back?

I believe that reducing carbs intake does help with weight-loss but it's not a necessity. You can lose weight weight on a low cal- high carb diet. It's just easier for most if you decrease carbs to increase protein and natural fats because of hormones, TEF and satiety.

I'm sorry you feel depressed but I'm telling you from personal experience that it doesn't have to be this way.

castadiva

Thanks to all who had helpful comments and suggestions - I'll try the magnesium and look at the fiber and fat element Tameko suggested. Useful to know you react similarly, Anna - that's really what I wanted to know: have others experienced something similar and did it go away? I shall also bring it up with my doctor next time I see her. It may be possible to get a referral to a specialist who will tackle the issue more comprehensively, as simple low-carb really doesn't seem to suit me in terms of my body chemistry.

yarwell

It's a phase many people pass through, extra salt intake is required, avoid excessive water consumption, increase fat content of diet to replace carbs, avoid lean / low fat / diet stuff in general.

jakicooke

I really feel for you - I did atkins many many years ago (probably not correctly I was probably eating less than 40g of carbs a day) I stayed on extremely low carbs for a good few months - I did lose a lot of weight I ended up extremely unhappy, very depressed and just generally unwell.

I know it can and does work for many many people but for me its a total no go.

changing ourselves is tough but you don't need to make yourself ill doing it - try something else please

aarnwine2013

If it is making you that unhappy talk to your doctor about other options. I eat low carb due to health issues and I love it. I've been on this lifestyle since March.

I felt bad the first two days and then I feel great now. I've also not had issues with my workouts yet. I say yet because as my body changes, my needs may also change.

My advice is to speak with your doctor about options. You have to find what works with you and what you can do long term.

Good luck!

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

Make sure you are not doing a low carb, low fat diet. Also sodium, potassium and magnesium are very important in low carb diet. I try to get at least 5 g of sodium per day.

sljohnson1207

I can't see your diary, so can't really see if what you are doing is actually lower carb. If you are trying to do lower carb and low fat at the same time, your symptoms during adaptation could be severe.

Also, you may be dehydrating yourself and losing electrolytes. It's only been a week, and it's entirely possibly your extreme symptoms are related to not doing it correctly, or the hormonal issue.

I know with Hashimoto for instance, the thyroid function can swing wildly, and what works one week/month may not work the next. In that case getting medication exactly right is very important.

See your endocrinologist about this ASAP. Take your food logs, exercise logs, and mood logs.

And good luck! I hope you figure out what works best for your body very soon.

rebeccaplatt21

Why are you going low carb? There really is no need, especially if you're miserable.

if you read the OP, she is doing low carb because she has an issue similar to PCOS which does tend to fair better with low carb!

I have the same depressing sypmptoms when I go low carb. I've tried it several times and after 3 or 4 days I'm miserable/angry/irritable. I've also got PCOS.

I understand that the best thing for PCOS is low carb too, however, it obviously doesnt suit you and I so I've decided that it's not the answer....entirely. You CAN go lowER carb and just monitor it. I've found 120/130g is okay. As you're much taller maybe you should try 140/150g?

I've not heard of anyone overcoming the issue - I dont know if your body can just get used to it. Maybe we are just predisposed to NEED a certain amount of carbs for healthy brain function?

i totally agree with this!!^^ i tried VERY low carb (like 20-50g or less) and found my body/mind could NOT handle it! i became RAGEFULL (that is how i show depression) and since i upped my carbs to 100-130g i am MUCH better. for most, that is still low carb. up your carbs until you feel better and it will most likely still be low carb compared to what most do.

good luck and feel better!

ETA: i also have PCOS and that is why i do Low Carb/High Fat

castadiva

Some interesting stuff here. Sodium and potassium to be looked at, as well as magnesium - will do.

Yarwell - why avoid high water consumption? Because of flushing sodium etc?

Definitely not low-fat - I'm a red meat, full-fat dairy kind of girl - and no 'diet' products in the mix.

sljohnson - I'm not actually doing this at the moment, because my last few experiences with it were so dreadful. Just trying to find out if others have had similar experiences, and whether the symptoms diminished or disappeared if they kept going, in order to assess whether or not I should try again and go all out to push past the effects and come out the other side, where all will presumably be rosy, and I will feel wonderful, as others here have described on VLCarb regimes.

I don't currently have an endocrinologist as such (the last one was a ghastly man, but did at least identify the problem - unfortunately, his 'treatment' recommendation was 'lose weight' - for an endocrine issue which renders this very difficult. Metformin, off license, via my GP has helped to a degree, but not enough to achieve anywhere near my goals - hence why I have tried very low carb) , but I'm going to ask for another referral next time I see my doctor, to see if someone else can come up with something more effective.

Rebeccaplatt - thanks for your feedback. It's good to know that others have experienced this. I may try starting around 140-150 (which isn't much below my normal average anyway) and see how I get on, then maybe scale back gradually and see what level is sustainable without the depression setting in.

sljohnson1207

Some interesting stuff here. Sodium and potassium to be looked at, as well as magnesium - will do.

Yarwell - why avoid high water consumption? Because of flushing sodium etc?

Definitely not low-fat - I'm a red meat, full-fat dairy kind of girl - and no 'diet' products in the mix.

sljohnson - I'm not actually doing this at the moment, because my last few experiences with it were so dreadful. Just trying to find out if others have had similar experiences, and whether the symptoms diminished or disappeared if they kept going, in order to assess whether or not I should try again and go all out to push past the effects and come out the other side, where all will presumably be rosy, and I will feel wonderful, as others here have described on VLCarb regimes.

I don't currently have an endocrinologist as such (the last one was a ghastly man, but did at least identify the problem - unfortunately, his 'treatment' recommendation was 'lose weight' - for an endocrine issue which renders this very difficult. Metformin, off license, via my GP has helped to a degree, but not enough to achieve anywhere near my goals - hence why I have tried very low carb) , but I'm going to ask for another referral next time I see my doctor, to see if someone else can come up with something more effective.

Rebeccaplatt - thanks for your feedback. It's good to know that others have experienced this. I may try starting around 140-150 (which isn't much below my normal average anyway) and see how I get on, then maybe scale back gradually and see what level is sustainable without the depression setting in.

Sorry your Endo was not helpful. It's unfortunate when some doctors tell people to "lose weight" yet don't tell them HOW to lose weight (medical school doesn't cover nutrition very well). They just leave it up to the patient to try and figure out what to do, and when it doesn't work, they just keep on telling them to do something without offering good advice for how to go about it. You may want to ask for a referral to a nutritionist/registered dietitian that specializes in working with people that have a hormonal imbalance and have to take medications long term.

I felt pretty bad this time adapting to ketosis. It took me about 3 weeks to fully get over the symptoms. My carbs were at 20-25 NET carbs (carbs - fiber = net carbs) per day. I drink at least 3 liters of water daily, and had to up my sodium intake (I use Celtic Sea Salt because it contains more minerals than just sodium chloride). I also did only gentle exercising while I adapted. Too much exercise while adapting can lead to severe fatigue.

With a goal of 100-130 Net carbs a day, most people would not enter ketosis, but it is much lower carb than most folks eat in the standard American diet.

My own symptoms during adaptation were general fatigue, urinary frequency (diuretic effect of very low carb), constipation, and some insomnia. All of those resolved.

I wonder if your depression is just your adaptation, and one week is not enough time to adapt to any new lifestyle. Think of it like a medication that you just started taking. One week is usually not enough time to see if any side effects are more trouble than the medication is worth. Generally medications should be tried for several weeks before giving up on them, as the side effects may wear off or become less bothersome.

Also, I wonder if taking the Metformin and going low carb causes your blood sugar to plummet too low. Maybe the dosage is too high at that time.

And one other thing, if you weren't doing it already...when you eat your carbs, make sure you also have protein and fats at the same time. So, instead of apple slices alone, dip them in a little nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.).

Jim1960

I'm so sorry you are having this reaction to a low carb diet. It seems like much of the issues may resolve around your endocrine problems. There is so much we're learning about the relationship between the endocrine system and weight, mood, diet, energy, and so much more. For myself, while I don't have your symptoms, I do have other ones if I'm not careful to examine what I eat. Dropping out carb rich foods can remove many nutrients we need if we're not careful. The easy answer is - well - don't do low carb. But for many endocrine issues CARBS are part of the problem. The most obvious endocrine problem with CARB issues is Diabetes; but that is far from the only one (PCOS being another one). The answer is to find the balance of nutrients that works well with you. That may need to be low-carb; just not the form of low-carb you're currently practicing. You need to look at the kinds of proteins and fats you're eating. They vary tremendously in the kinds of nutrients they provide. Look into supplements. Track other nutrient values in your log. Find and work with a good endocrinologist to help you understand likely causes or influence for your particular issue. Make sure you're eating enough and with enough variety to ensure you're getting the nutrients you need.

benchsquad65

Don't be stupid guys, the human body evolved to have carbohydrates as its primary energy source, and it needs all three protein carbs and fats or it doesn't run right. Quit looking for dumb shortcuts and just stick with the caloric deficit and lose weight.

Mr_Knight

Have others encountered this side-effect and continued? If so, how long did this last for?

For many, it never goes away.

A 100g/day, though, is not a particularly amount of carbs. I'd at least consider being open to other causes of your depression.

Jim1960

Don't be stupid guys, the human body evolved to have carbohydrates as its primary energy source, and it needs all three protein carbs and fats or it doesn't run right. Quit looking for dumb shortcuts and just stick with the caloric deficit and lose weight.

You should take your own advice. Not everyone is made the same; and many people have issues with certain nutrients. The examples are numerous and well known. For many people with certain conditions a simple mix of carbs, proteins, and fats according to the typical average human WILL NOT WORK. The OP said that she had an endocrine issue similar to PCOS and diet can help (or hinder) living with such a condition. This is not dissimilar to people with food allergies. You basically need to do your best to identify where you have issues; adjust your diet to accommodate what you have learned; monitor your results; and make INFORMED adjustments.

Edited to add the following. Oh, and a low-carb diet is not ipso facto a short-cut. For some that might be the case. No one, on any diet regimen should be looking for a short-cut. In that I agree with you. But to characterize a low-carb diet carefully constructed and monitored to tailor the nutrient mix to your nutrition needs as a short-cut is laughable. Many low-carb dieters are among the most disciplined eaters I know. All the ones that I interact with take the long view. It is borderline offensive to call what we do a short-cut.