Low carb and depression/anxiety
mountainrun73
Posts: 155 Member
I am curious if anyone here has had depression or anxiety helped by going low carb.
I'd engaged in some of my eating carbage over the past several days, and woke up the last two days feeling rather anxious and depressed. I had a BPC this morning, and now a couple of hours later feel my mood lifting.
I'd engaged in some of my eating carbage over the past several days, and woke up the last two days feeling rather anxious and depressed. I had a BPC this morning, and now a couple of hours later feel my mood lifting.
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It's the reason I'm doing keto. My BMI is 23. I wouldn't hate to lose 10lbs but I'm 43 and happily married so there's no real pressure to do it.
My depression and anxiety have been the bane of my existence. They have plagued me my whole life. At one point, I was taking klonopin, adderall, welbutrin, propranolol, and abilify, all at the same time, all to deal with depression and anxiety together. I quit because it just didn't really help me. It changed me a lot but without easing the depression or the anxiety. And, like I said about the weight, if losing weight were my goal, I'd have stayed on the adderall. I got very skinny on that.
Keto has basically cured me. My sister and my husband both notice how much better I am. It seems surreal to me but it's happening. I'm just happy and calm and enjoying my life now. I can't hardly believe the answer this whole time was LCHF but it was.9 -
I'm bi-polar, diagnosed in the 90's (back when they called it manic-depressive) but for me it was mostly major depressive episodes followed by periods of relative normal. My last depressive episode ended in 2013.
I've been eating low-carb / keto since last August. I find my mood has been mostly stable, with more 'ups' than 'downs'. I wouldn't say for sure whether it's LCHF specifically, or excercise, or generally better health, or a combination of all of the above, that has overall improved my state-of-mind.
In terms of carbs making you feel poorly, that's something a lot of people have reported. I haven't had it happen (yet) myself, but I know my sister has said every time she indulges she feels like *kittens* for a day or two afterwards.2 -
When I started Keto last year I was taking meds for both anxiety and depression due to an awful situation I was going through. I was able to stop taking both of those after about 5 months of Keto and I haven't looked back. My moods are calmer, I feel more stable, I don't have the panic attack feeling anymore, even PMS is relatively uneventful. If I have any cheats then anxiety is the first thing to start back up again.2
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Check out this info about electrolytes. Mainly, sodium needs.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/low-sodium-and-keto-flu-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem#latest0 -
I have suffered with depression since I was 15 and when I am LC and also ZC like I am now, my symptoms disappear completely - I am still on medication but I would love to be able to give up medication completely.
I really believe by giving up the carbs I am able to control the mood swings1 -
I just realized I misread what you wrote. I thought you just started and weren't feeling right the last few days...
still good info above though. Just doesn't really apply like I thought. Lol0 -
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am glad to know I'm not the only one who notices a huge difference with this WOE. I used to take meds for depression and anxiety, and always said that exercise made a bigger difference for me than meds. Now I know how big of an impact diet has on my moods as well. Amazing3
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Mood disorders run in my family. Some of my relatives are on meds but I have always been able to manage mine through diet and lifestyle.
I have definitely noticed a lot more emotional resilience and mood stability since starting keto! I have more energy and a clearer head. I have not slipped into a depressive state, or had anger/moodiness at all in the past month!
It's pretty freaking great.3 -
Prior to switching over to a Keto WOE, I dealt with depression so much so that I was on medication for it. Post-Keto WOE, I'm no longer on medication and although I do occasionally get down or feel sad from time to time, I've never experienced the same intensity of depression that was "normal" for me pre-keto WOE.2
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Another factor to consider is other underlying health conditions. I was misdiagnosed as being Bipolar II (after a half dozen other diagnoses prior to that) - due mainly to an untreated, then under-treated thyroid condition...
Some of the more common thyroid symptoms didn't show up in me AT ALL, and others took a decade to surface, but I can easily track the main eruption of my thyroid issues back to 2001. Technically back closer 1981, if I'm honest...but there was a definite ramp up and explosion of issues that I can track back to the aftermath of some things in 2001.0
