Help! Excruciating stomache pains while on keto,

Hello everyone. I have been doing the ketogenic diet for two weeks now and have been suffering from excruciating stomach pains after I eat. I cant pin point if it's because of a certain food. Every morning I will have a cup of coffee with mct oils and then after an hour or so I will eat organic eggs, uncured bacon, avocado and maybe some cheddar cheese with no issues. This morning I ate the same meal but suffered excruciating pain in my upper stomach. It felt like stomach virus pain. For about an hour I was in pain then the pain lead to my lower abdomen. I then had diarrhea a few times. After 40 minutes later the pain gradually went away. I've been having these kinds of stomach pains for about a week now and am worried it could be gallstones or an ulcer. I just ate dinner with very high amount of fats and so far no pain. It's not everyday but it's enough to worry me. Is it the keto diet? Is it the fat intake? Please help
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Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    it sounds like a case of diarrhea, and it burned all the way through. Could that be it? Too much MCT oils can do that early on, although it is odd if it took a week to start.

    It could just be a flu.

    It could also be a gall stone issue.

    If it continues, consult a doctor. It doesn't sound like a normal pain if it is excruciating.
  • syi510
    syi510 Posts: 12 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    it sounds like a case of diarrhea, and it burned all the way through. Could that be it? Too much MCT oils can do that early on, although it is odd if it took a week to start.

    I actually did not use mct oils in the first week. Am I using too much mct oil? I consume about 3 tablespoons daily
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    It could be the mct. In some it causes stomach upset at first. Many have to slowly build up to it. 1 tsp or TBS then 2... You aren't taking too much, but it could be too much too fast. KWIM?

    Are you getting the runs? If so, that could be it. Try cutting way back, or stop completely for a while and then reintroduce it slower.


  • JessicaMcB
    JessicaMcB Posts: 1,503 Member
    Are you consuming malitol in sugar free products? That stuff can cause a hell of a lot of burning ime
  • meghanelise8
    meghanelise8 Posts: 65 Member
    I would have your gallbladder checked out since it seems you're having fat intolerance.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Not everyone can tolerate high amounts of fat. If I had the breakfast you just described, chances are I would throw up without ever finishing. In the unlikely event I would manage to consume the whole thing, the rest of the day would be spent in the bathroom. I am completely healthy btw, my body hates animal fat.
    Why would you insist on an eating style that is causing pain?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    Before I lost weight, I always got sick eventually when I ate too much fat. Horrible stomach pains for a few days, diarrhea... No doctor figured out why and my gallbladder was fine. I haven't had any issue since I lost weight and changed my diet (usually I eat 60-70g of fat a day).

    I'd definitely go to the doctor to get your gallbladder checked first, but your body might just not like keto.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Upper stomach pain after high fat meals can be indicative of gall stones. I'd be making an appointment.

    This. Check with your doc. Definitely skip the BP coffee until you see your doc.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    Sounds like gallbladder to me, too--you have many of the risk factors going on... Definitely see a doctor, and you might want to lay off the high fat/high protein in the mean time. When I was having symptoms (and I've heard the same from friends/relatives) I was so afraid of having attacks (because they were so painful) that I stopped eating anything risky and lost weight because of that (bonus?).
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    edited November 2016
    Sounds like my gallbladder pain. It made fats (especially avocados) gnawing pain for hours until it tapered off... then it would go right through me. It took my body a long time to adjust.
    *Edit- I had it removed as the scan showed 0% function.
  • RealRelicVa
    RealRelicVa Posts: 34 Member
    I stopped doing keto because after all the money I spent attempting to stock up on the MCT and grass fed butter for the bulletproof coffee, I HATED the way it made me feel......stomach pain, runs, jitters, headaches. The diet did kill a lot of my appetite, but I knew it was not maintainable.
  • Heartisalonelyhunter
    Heartisalonelyhunter Posts: 786 Member
    edited November 2016
    MCT oil gives me terrible stomach ache. Make your BP coffee with just butter or skip it all together for a while. It's really not necessary.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Go back to "normal" eating that doesn't cause pain.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
    From Web MD:

    MCTs are safe for most people when taken by mouth or given intravenously (by IV). They can cause diarrhea, vomiting, irritability, nausea, stomach discomfort, intestinal gas, essential fatty acid deficiency, and other side effects. Taking MCTs with food might reduce some side effects.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    MCT oil is my go too when i need to unblock... I add 15ml to my first cup of coffee in the morning and it works every time. The trade off however is nausea and stomach cramps for 2-3 hours afterward. I'm fine if i take it later in the day after I've eaten, but on an empty stomach, it's brutal.
  • syi510
    syi510 Posts: 12 Member
    The u all for the tips. So today I had a coffee with mct and felt a slight cramp for about a few hours. I did not eat breakfast since I was scared to eat. I waited 9 hrs after the coffee and ate my usual breakfast(2 eggs bacon avocado, 1 slice of cheddar and added 3 oz of steamed broccoli with evoo) so far no stomach pains what's so ever. It seems that I only get stomach pains and the runs in the mornings if I do eat. I did make an appointment to see a gastroenterologist to check out my tummy in couple of days. Wish me luck guys and gals. I am sad because I think I might have to stop the keto/lchf diet
  • syi510
    syi510 Posts: 12 Member
    Thk u all for the tips**