Very Low Carb and depression - how long?

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.

Athijade

As someone with diagnosed depression, I can tell you that diet has an huge impact on the stability of my symptoms. I learned the hard way that low carb does not work for me. Yes, I lost weight on it, but my depression got worse. I don't know why, but that is simply how my body reacted. As such, I can not go low carb due to that (not that I would anyway because why give up carbs when I can still lose weight with them).

Holla4mom

I'm not an expert but I've researched this issue a little bit for my own self. I enjoy eating low carb foods and I drop weight quickly when I do. However, it absolutely did not agree with my body/ brain health (i.e. my PMS/ anxiety issues).

I found out complex carbohydrates are tied in with seratonin levels in the brain. (It's one reason we reach for "comfort foods" when we are down.) I found complex carbs provided the same good feelings but because they are whole grains it was a sustainable good feeling for me that didn't result in a major insulin crash.

To this day, I would love to give up brown rice and oatmeal and lose weight faster, but when I do, there is no living with me! So, I would say talk to your nutritionist and doctor and perhaps slowly add in the grains that help you feel the best. The B vitamins in oatmeal/ brown rice are the most helpful to me so that is what I make room for with my calories.

michikade

I found out complex carbohydrates are tied in with seratonin levels in the brain. (It's one reason we reach for "comfort foods" when we are down.) I found complex carbs provided the same good feelings but because they are whole grains it was a sustainable good feeling for me that didn't result in a major insulin crash.

This was kind of what I was going to say too - and a pre-existing tendency for depression can make this correlation even easier to feel.

However, 4-5 days may not be long enough to get past your body's craving additional carbs. I would say try it for a couple weeks but there may be no living with you for that long (no offense) --- I know if I go too long with way too few carbs (like in the 40 g / day range) I get pretty crabby and stay that way, and I'm not even one to eat a bunch of 'em.

I eat around 115 g / day in carbs naturally (as in, even when I'm not consciously eating), which is around your goal level. I get mine in fruits, veggies, occasional whole grains. I know there's a body adjustment level and I suppose those that are big bread-and-pasta people would feel the difference more but one would think 100 or so g / day would be something one could adjust to fairly easily, assuming they're eating enough overall (so the other calories are coming from protein sources and fats).

castadiva

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.

100g/day was the upper limit - most days I was averaging between 40 and 60g gross. The symptoms appeared after a few days of this sort of eating and disappeared as soon as I reverted to eating more normally, so I'm fairly sure of the correlation. Thanks, though.

castadiva

I found out complex carbohydrates are tied in with seratonin levels in the brain. (It's one reason we reach for "comfort foods" when we are down.) I found complex carbs provided the same good feelings but because they are whole grains it was a sustainable good feeling for me that didn't result in a major insulin crash.

This was kind of what I was going to say too - and a pre-existing tendency for depression can make this correlation even easier to feel.

However, 4-5 days may not be long enough to get past your body's craving additional carbs. I would say try it for a couple weeks but there may be no living with you for that long (no offense) --- I know if I go too long with way too few carbs (like in the 40 g / day range) I get pretty crabby and stay that way, and I'm not even one to eat a bunch of 'em.

I eat around 115 g / day in carbs naturally (as in, even when I'm not consciously eating), which is around your goal level. I get mine in fruits, veggies, occasional whole grains. I know there's a body adjustment level and I suppose those that are big bread-and-pasta people would feel the difference more but one would think 100 or so g / day would be something one could adjust to fairly easily, assuming they're eating enough overall (so the other calories are coming from protein sources and fats).

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.

I realise my OP probably wasn't very clear - 100g/day was the upper absolute limit - most days I was averaging between 40 and 60g gross. The symptoms appeared after a few days of this sort of eating and disappeared as soon as I reverted to eating more normally, so I'm fairly sure of the correlation. I was not taking Metformin at the time - I'm determined not to become reliant on it - and my 'resting/non low-carb-focused' average is usually around the 150g mark.

4-5 days wouldn't be long enough, I agree, but when I started having very atypical (I have no history of depression) thoughts of a type that put me in danger, around day 8, or thereabouts, and there was nothing else to account for my downward mental spiral, I realised I had to stop. I started this thread because I wanted to see if anyone else had experienced similar symptoms, and pushed on through, with a positive outcome, but that doesn't seem to be the case, so I guess it's back to the drawing board!

ladymiseryali

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.

Um, I've been keto-ing for over a year now. I'm not dead yet and I feel awesome.....well, not right now because I have an ulcer that is healing, but other than the ulcer, I've been awesome. I guess I'm just a special snowflake, huh? I didn't do keto for a shortcut. I decided to give it a try because the high carb and low fat way I was doing it WAS NOT WORKING. My body looks better, feels better and is better now. So really, unless you have peer-reviewed studies to back up your claims, you should refrain from calling people dumb, just because they DARE to eat differently than you do. You're being rude and an *kitten*.

Mr_Knight

I realise my OP probably wasn't very clear - 100g/day was the upper absolute limit - most days I was averaging between 40 and 60g gross. The symptoms appeared after a few days of this sort of eating and disappeared as soon as I reverted to eating more normally, so I'm fairly sure of the correlation.

Then it would appear that you have your answer.

Stilllosing26

I would really consider you not cutting out/going "low carb". Instead, replace the bad refined, and white grains/pasta's/cereals, with whole grains! Whole grains are things like bran, oats, oat bran, quinoa, wild/brown rice, and sprouted breads. You NEED the fiber in these foods to survive, and ward off things like constipation! I am vegan, and I need the carbohydrates from fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and I don't know what one earth I'd do without them!

Spnneil06

I do low carb and don't feel any depression! Very energetic and seeing fantastic results. Maybe there is something more! Hope you figure it out!

FIT_Goat

You NEED the fiber in these foods to survive, and ward off things like constipation!

LIES... COMPLETE LIES. You do not need fiber to survive. And, zero-fiber diets have been shown to ease constipation, not cause it (Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435786/ )