Hives :(
bop926
Posts: 22 Member
Day three and the Keto Flu has arrived! It brought along a sudden histamine reaction (hives) that showed up on both cheekbones, of all places! Tea tree oil helped immediately, and Zyrtec calmed it down a little more when I got home from work. I hope it doesn't last... I made the mistake of googling the "keto rash" and now I'm nervous!! 
Anyone else have this?
Anyone else have this? 1
Replies
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Hang in there! I had a wicked rash on my legs for a week or two. I think it was closer to two, but I made it much worse by scratching like a flea ridden stray. Don't scratch!!
Coconut oil slathered on the itchy places was immensely helpful. It should pass relatively soon. For the "flu" symptoms, bump up those electrolytes. You likely aren't getting sufficient sodium.0 -
Whoa, never heard of that one happening! Did it clear up with an antihistamine?0
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Keto flu is simply low sodium. If you have an allergic rash, it's not associated with Keto. Could be something you've eaten or contacted or maybe isn't allergy related at all and is associated with the dehydration that comes with low sodium.
It's just another possible symptom of the electrolyte loss.
Get about 5000mg sodium a day right now while your new to Keto and you can probably drop it down a bit later. But increased sodium needs never completely go away due to Keto's diuretic qualities.
With low sodium, your body dumps magnesium. This can also cause dry skin issues. Magnesium and sodium is how my dad has had the best improvement ever with his severe Agent Orange related skin condition which is really just addressing his hydration. So, getting these back in balance will help considerably.
There are magnesium recommendations in the launch pad link about electrolytes. I take as much as 1000mg of magnesium carbonate a day myself.4 -
What protein sources are you eating? Are they different from the protein sources you were previously eating? Alpha Gal is one cause of hives in people eating meat from animals that walk on 4 hooves. I know it sounds weird, but if you are all of a sudden eating a lot of beef or something as part of your new plan, it could be the source of hives.2
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I had a rash near my face during week 2, I think. Whether or not it was related to keto, I don't know. But it was gone in about a week.1
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I've had hives pretty much constantly for the past 16 months, but I have no idea why. I suspect increased histamine levels due to replacing higher-carb foods with cheese and avocado and cured meats, all of which are higher in histamine... or a reaction to a medical device I had implanted about 3 months prior to beginning LCHF. Either way, it's incredibly annoying, especially when I get welts on my face. But it's less annoying than feeling bloated and sluggish all the time, and I haven't had time or energy for experimenting with potential triggers (beyond a dairy-free 2-week period, which did not help). So basically I replied for solidarity's sake. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Hope yours go away quickly!0
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anewlifeat40 wrote: »Whoa, never heard of that one happening! Did it clear up with an antihistamine?
Yes, it calmed down quite a bit with Benadryl1 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »Hang in there! I had a wicked rash on my legs for a week or two. I think it was closer to two, but I made it much worse by scratching like a flea ridden stray. Don't scratch!!
Coconut oil slathered on the itchy places was immensely helpful. It should pass relatively soon. For the "flu" symptoms, bump up those electrolytes. You likely aren't getting sufficient sodium.
I actually use coconut oil on my face every day! Luckily I had Tea Tree oil in my purse (doesn't everybody?) and that gave me some immediate topical relief until the antihistamines kicked in. Thank goodness I didn't have any other "flu" reactions... but if I start feeling crappy I'll definitely bump the electrolytes! Thank you!0 -
Panda_Poptarts wrote: »Hang in there! I had a wicked rash on my legs for a week or two. I think it was closer to two, but I made it much worse by scratching like a flea ridden stray. Don't scratch!!
Coconut oil slathered on the itchy places was immensely helpful. It should pass relatively soon. For the "flu" symptoms, bump up those electrolytes. You likely aren't getting sufficient sodium.
I actually use coconut oil on my face every day! Luckily I had Tea Tree oil in my purse (doesn't everybody?) and that gave me some immediate topical relief until the antihistamines kicked in. Thank goodness I didn't have any other "flu" reactions... but if I start feeling crappy I'll definitely bump the electrolytes! Thank you!
You shouldn't wait to start feeling crappy. Your body IS losing a lot of sodium and it WILL create an imbalance. It's best to be ahead of it to prevent magnesium and potassium losses.1 -
KetoneKaren wrote: »What protein sources are you eating? Are they different from the protein sources you were previously eating? Alpha Gal is one cause of hives in people eating meat from animals that walk on 4 hooves. I know it sounds weird, but if you are all of a sudden eating a lot of beef or something as part of your new plan, it could be the source of hives.
No, I'm not eating anything different at all. I was eating moderately low carb (including low-sugar fruits and veggies, etc) but was not hitting ketosis. I switched to less than 20g per day as recommended (with moderate protein). This was the only change. My ketostix started darkening so I figured I must be having a temporary ketosis reaction...0 -
DianaElena76 wrote: »I've had hives pretty much constantly for the past 16 months, but I have no idea why. I suspect increased histamine levels due to replacing higher-carb foods with cheese and avocado and cured meats, all of which are higher in histamine... or a reaction to a medical device I had implanted about 3 months prior to beginning LCHF. Either way, it's incredibly annoying, especially when I get welts on my face. But it's less annoying than feeling bloated and sluggish all the time, and I haven't had time or energy for experimenting with potential triggers (beyond a dairy-free 2-week period, which did not help). So basically I replied for solidarity's sake. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Hope yours go away quickly!
Thank you!! It's incredibly annoying but I'm hoping it's just temporary. The welts are smaller and significantly calmer today and I don't have any new ones, so let's hope it stays that way!! Best wishes to you as well!
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Several of you guys mentioned sodium/potassium deficits, which I have not really been monitoring. I did pee A LOT more than usual yesterday, so I will keep a closer eye on my levels! No new rashes today, and yesterday's outbreak has calmed down. Hopefully it won't flare up again. It was like being bitten by a dozen mosquitoes at once!! UGH0
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KetoneKaren wrote: »What protein sources are you eating? Are they different from the protein sources you were previously eating? Alpha Gal is one cause of hives in people eating meat from animals that walk on 4 hooves. I know it sounds weird, but if you are all of a sudden eating a lot of beef or something as part of your new plan, it could be the source of hives.
No, I'm not eating anything different at all. I was eating moderately low carb (including low-sugar fruits and veggies, etc) but was not hitting ketosis. I switched to less than 20g per day as recommended (with moderate protein). This was the only change. My ketostix started darkening so I figured I must be having a temporary ketosis reaction...
This statement really supports the sodium connection. Spilling a lot of ketones in the urine takes sodium with it. Since it showed up at the same time that your hydration was taking a nose dive, it just seems like a match to me.
That sodium must be replaced. It's the most common thing that isn't known about going Keto. How important sodium is.1 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »KetoneKaren wrote: »What protein sources are you eating? Are they different from the protein sources you were previously eating? Alpha Gal is one cause of hives in people eating meat from animals that walk on 4 hooves. I know it sounds weird, but if you are all of a sudden eating a lot of beef or something as part of your new plan, it could be the source of hives.
No, I'm not eating anything different at all. I was eating moderately low carb (including low-sugar fruits and veggies, etc) but was not hitting ketosis. I switched to less than 20g per day as recommended (with moderate protein). This was the only change. My ketostix started darkening so I figured I must be having a temporary ketosis reaction...
This statement really supports the sodium connection. Spilling a lot of ketones in the urine takes sodium with it. Since it showed up at the same time that your hydration was taking a nose dive, it just seems like a match to me.
That sodium must be replaced. It's the most common thing that isn't known about going Keto. How important sodium is.
THIS^^^ I did not get hives or a rash, but I had a terrible itch in my thighs that I could not scratch!!! Like deep under the skin surface! Hard to explain... I scratched until my thighs were bruised!!! Once I got it into my head that sodium is a GOOD thing on keto, the itch went away! It's really hard to overcome the notion that sodium is a bad thing, but once you do, it solves a lot of problems3 -
One other possibility... My allergies are triggered by hormone shifts... And if you're insulin resistant with something like PCOS or diabetes, you may be experiencing a hormone shift that's setting off an allergy to a new food or something in your environment. When I was pregnant and breastfeeding I had zero seasonal allergies... Literally a week or so after my baby weaned my Hayfever allergies flared up worse than ever and I've since developed oral allergy syndrome... Just a thought.,,0
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anewlifeat40 wrote: »One other possibility... My allergies are triggered by hormone shifts... And if you're insulin resistant with something like PCOS or diabetes, you may be experiencing a hormone shift that's setting off an allergy to a new food or something in your environment. When I was pregnant and breastfeeding I had zero seasonal allergies... Literally a week or so after my baby weaned my Hayfever allergies flared up worse than ever and I've since developed oral allergy syndrome... Just a thought.,,
I never thought of that... I am insulin resistant but not PCOS or diabetic just yet (that's what I'm trying to ward off, lol)... hmm. I'll have to chew on that for awhile! Thanks for the tip!0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »KetoneKaren wrote: »What protein sources are you eating? Are they different from the protein sources you were previously eating? Alpha Gal is one cause of hives in people eating meat from animals that walk on 4 hooves. I know it sounds weird, but if you are all of a sudden eating a lot of beef or something as part of your new plan, it could be the source of hives.
No, I'm not eating anything different at all. I was eating moderately low carb (including low-sugar fruits and veggies, etc) but was not hitting ketosis. I switched to less than 20g per day as recommended (with moderate protein). This was the only change. My ketostix started darkening so I figured I must be having a temporary ketosis reaction...
This statement really supports the sodium connection. Spilling a lot of ketones in the urine takes sodium with it. Since it showed up at the same time that your hydration was taking a nose dive, it just seems like a match to me.
That sodium must be replaced. It's the most common thing that isn't known about going Keto. How important sodium is.
Ok I went back and adjusted my diary to monitor sodium, potassium, and magnesium according to the recommendations for newbies. Thank you so much, y'all are awesome!!!1
