Tingling and ketosis?

I've switched to low carbs 2 days ago. Since yesterday I've been feeling this tingling (can't think of a better word) all over my body, like little ants crawling under my skin. Is this related to ketosis? I don't have any other symptoms so I don't know whether I'm in ketosis or not.
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Replies

  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
    I had a friend who felt tingling sensations in her hands and feet after starting a new strength training routine.

    You didn't make any change in supplements or exercise; just reduction of carbs? Are you sleeping solidly through the night?

    No reason for alarm at this point, just continue to monitor and make sure you are eating enough calories and getting proper sleep. Should remedy itself in a few days, if not call your doctor and inquire.
  • Magnamus
    Magnamus Posts: 66 Member
    I don't believe you supposed to feel "tingling" when in ketosis.

    First I recommend making your diary public.

    On assumptions I'll say:
    Tingling is usually associated with cardiovascular anomalies, you might want to consult your doctor and switch your diet back to a balanced one.

    If your profile picture is a true picture of yourself, then I don't understand why you're doing a low carbs diet. You look great already. I would also suggest changing your perspective on "low carb" to "high lean protein" if your dieting.

    I'm not an expert by any means but the tingling may also come from under eating.
  • miainwonderland
    miainwonderland Posts: 10 Member
    I haven't switched my exercise routine (I swim for an hour every day and that's about it), and I eat around 2 000 calories a day (It adds up pretty fast with all the olive oil, butter and cheese), so I don't think I'm undereating. I really thought this was linked to ketosis... If it doesn't stop after a few days I'll go see a doctor :/
  • danielg810
    danielg810 Posts: 76 Member
    it could be a lifting injury if you lifted too heavy w/o stretching, i kno beta-alanine can do that too but never had that heppen to me in keto, id see a doc
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    The last time I had tingling I was in the process of nearly bleeding to death. You might want to get checked out!
  • I get the same tingling when I don't eat carbs at a meal. It only happens in this case. I document all my food intake and have found it only happens at this time and goes away when I eat carbs. I don't feel anything else except tingling.
  • Madamava
    Madamava Posts: 1
    Hi there, the tingling sensation is a good sign - it means you are buring fat :-) Ignore all of the negative comments.

    ps you may notice the tingling more in areas where you have fat to shift, this is because what you are feeling is literally the fat burning off your body!

    Good luck
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Hi there, the tingling sensation is a good sign - it means you are buring fat :-) Ignore all of the negative comments.

    ps you may notice the tingling more in areas where you have fat to shift, this is because what you are feeling is literally the fat burning off your body!

    Good luck

    I don't even do a keto diet. Just a regular calorie deficit, and I get this tingling sensation too. Not all the time, but usually on days when I have had a really good workout.

    I don't know if there is scientific evidence for it or not, but I always believed it was fat burning as well.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Hi there, the tingling sensation is a good sign - it means you are buring fat :-) Ignore all of the negative comments.

    ps you may notice the tingling more in areas where you have fat to shift, this is because what you are feeling is literally the fat burning off your body!

    Good luck

    I hope to God you're trolling.

    Be a little open-minded. Not everyone's experiences are going to be the same, and you have never been obese.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    Hi there, the tingling sensation is a good sign - it means you are buring fat :-) Ignore all of the negative comments.

    ps you may notice the tingling more in areas where you have fat to shift, this is because what you are feeling is literally the fat burning off your body!

    Good luck

    :noway: :noway: :noway:

    Yes ignore the poster who said they nearly bled to death, what does she know
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    OP - If this tingling sensation is alarming to you, then perhaps you should consult your doctor.
  • msjames1999
    msjames1999 Posts: 528 Member
    OP - If this tingling sensation is alarming to you, then perhaps you should consult your doctor.

    I agree. Maybe you should consult your doctor.
  • Tingling sensations, I call it sizzling, on the tops of hands, feet, and sometimes the front of one's legs, are fat burning from ketosis. It only happens to me when I eat almost zero carbs at a meal, like say, a lot of chicken and nothing, or chicken and lettuce with raw onion, with homemade italian dressing made from oil and vinegar with no sugar. If you don't believe me and you ARE someone with the tingling, try eating a baked chicken with carbs for one meal, and with no carbs (and none for a few hours before, or eat this for breakfast) and you'll see that it's the low to non carbing that causes it. I've done this for years, the sizzling fat burning won't hurt you, however, low carb/high fat dieting can hurt you and has hurt me. It can hurt your gall bladder, cause blood clots, and kidney stones. I've had all of these, but I couldn't resist the allure of ultra low carbing because it works. don't be dumb like me, diet by using low calories and lots of bulk, like huge servings of vegetables and salads, I mean huge.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited November 2015
    I have never heard, or noticed, tingling being discussed in association with ketosis in any articles or books i have read, nor in any discussions in the keto or low carb groups. I suppose it is possible i just missed it or ignored it since I have never experienced that in my five months in ketosis.

    If you want more opinions, but from people who do ketogenic diets, try the keto or Low Carber Daily groups.

    To me it sounds like a neuropathy of some sort. I would do some research on your symptoms and consider discussing it with your doctor.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    I've switched to low carbs 2 days ago. Since yesterday I've been feeling this tingling (can't think of a better word) all over my body, like little ants crawling under my skin. Is this related to ketosis? I don't have any other symptoms so I don't know whether I'm in ketosis or not.

    @miainwonderland welcome to these MFP forums.

    Keep in mind your body has not started burning fat as its main source of fuel yet. We are built to use carbs or fats for fuel but it takes some time to become keto adapted. Take your time because there is a learning curve and you will learn there are carbs and lots of carbs in food due to added sugars if it has been processed.

    While I do not remember the tingling in the same way my first 90 days was full of surprises like that. I have been eating <50 grams of carbs daily for a year now for pain management after I tried keto and it addressed my joint and muscle pains within the first 30 days after I cut out all grains and most all sugars and made up the calorie loss with fats like coconut oil.

    My tingling to this day seems to be at the point of old scars. Anytime we change our way of eating there can be changes take place. Most of us take 2-6 weeks to switch from living mainly on glucose from burn carbs to living mainly on ketones from burning fats.

    My age and poor health status when I started Oct 2014 may have been a factor but after two weeks my cravings for carbs started to fade away and my pain started dropping fast. I did not lose even ONE pound for the first six weeks but did lose some inches of fat during that time.

    While Nutritional Ketosis was not initially started as a way of dieting it does work very well for most who can walk away from a high sugar eating lifestyle. It is awesome for those of us with autoimmune type diseases or who do not want to develop them.

    Best of success which ever route you take. There are many ways to lose weight and keep it off. For those of us who no longer handle carbs well this way of eating can be awesome for us.

  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    sarahthes wrote: »
    The last time I had tingling I was in the process of nearly bleeding to death. You might want to get checked out!

    How did you determine you were bleeding? Lightheadness? Bruising? Actual blood?
    Perhaps these are things that the OP is not seeing.
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
    I'm in Ketosis and I don't feel that! (tingling) Even though I started overnight from 200+ grms of carbs to less than 50 :#
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited November 2015
    Tingling sensations, I call it sizzling, on the tops of hands, feet, and sometimes the front of one's legs, are fat burning from ketosis. It only happens to me when I eat almost zero carbs at a meal, like say, a lot of chicken and nothing, or chicken and lettuce with raw onion, with homemade italian dressing made from oil and vinegar with no sugar. If you don't believe me and you ARE someone with the tingling, try eating a baked chicken with carbs for one meal, and with no carbs (and none for a few hours before, or eat this for breakfast) and you'll see that it's the low to non carbing that causes it. I've done this for years, the sizzling fat burning won't hurt you, however, low carb/high fat dieting can hurt you and has hurt me. It can hurt your gall bladder, cause blood clots, and kidney stones. I've had all of these, but I couldn't resist the allure of ultra low carbing because it works. don't be dumb like me, diet by using low calories and lots of bulk, like huge servings of vegetables and salads, I mean huge.
    A couple of years ago, I was in ketosis for a coupe of months and never experienced this tingling sensation.
    The only time I ever experienced tingling was when my blood pressure was low.

    I agree with this who've said go to a doctor.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    sarahthes wrote: »
    The last time I had tingling I was in the process of nearly bleeding to death. You might want to get checked out!

    How did you determine you were bleeding? Lightheadness? Bruising? Actual blood?
    Perhaps these are things that the OP is not seeing.

    Wow, this is an old thread. I was hemorrhaging after having a baby in the hospital (I also wound up getting 3 units of packed cells transfused). You couldn't miss my bleeding. I was shooting out softball sized clots. However, one can also bleed internally.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Tingling does not mean fat is burning. That's one of the craziest things I have read on mfp
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    Jumping in this zombie thread because it's time to get real. The tingling sensation is not fat burning. It's more likely a symptom of hyperglycemia, dehydration, poor circulation or micronutrient deficiency.

    Anyone experiencing this should go to a doctor.
  • BlendaBrenda
    BlendaBrenda Posts: 75 Member
    Lol at the fat burning.
    I get it too.
    It's electrolyte issues I believe.
    I drink pickle juice and it helps me.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Eat more salt. Drink more water, especially if you're peeing a lot, as ketosis can make you do. If that doesn't take care of it, see your doctor. Just because you've gone low carb recently doesn't mean it's the cause of your tingling.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    Well it's been almost five years so I hope the OP figured it out by now.
  • Josue_da_great
    Josue_da_great Posts: 12 Member
    Try chicken Broth it fixes everything!!!!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,222 Member
    edited May 2017
    czeckvar wrote: »
    It's not "the fat sizzling away" as some **kittened** KITTEN claimed on here. **KITTENS** people if you have an electrolyte in balance long enough you can create a heart arrhythmia. Do yourselves a favor and get medical and dietary advice from doctors and nutritionists

    There, I fixed it for you!
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Tingling can be harmless to serious. I get it when my potassium is low. My body just has potassium issues, so I take prescription supplements. It's worth talking to your doctor.
  • imjinc2k
    imjinc2k Posts: 1 Member
    Deep _tingling_ is probably electrolyte deficiency, especially if it's everywhere. However, I also had a sensation between tingling and unscratchable itching just on the skin around my belly (not deep), while obese and losing very fast last time around. That's the only spot I ended up with loose skin, and I'd already sorted out electrolytes at that point due to cramping early on, so I don't believe it was K-deficiency or "burning fat" in my case, so much as skin cells trying like hell to keep it together. I doubt this would happen after only 2 days from a cold start, but I can imagine a more evenly-distributed obese person experiencing this across most of their body at some point. Sure makes it hard to sleep, at any rate.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Madamava wrote: »
    Hi there, the tingling sensation is a good sign - it means you are buring fat :-) Ignore all of the negative comments.

    ps you may notice the tingling more in areas where you have fat to shift, this is because what you are feeling is literally the fat burning off your body!

    Good luck

    LOL. I've lost plenty of fat and never once had a tingling sensation under my skin. Telling people to ignore odd occurences like this is not sound advice!