New to Keto, so so sick! Tips to reduce Keto Flu Symptoms?

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ShawnaMay04
ShawnaMay04 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
I just started the Ketogenic diet and I am beyond sick. I'm talking nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, the whole nine yards. I know Keto flu is a thing but this is ridiculous. I was under the impression it was a few days of not feeling great but I haven't heard of anyone getting all out sick like this...am I doing something wrong?? I've only been doing keto for 2 days but I can't keep going like this.

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  • Pegasus442018
    Pegasus442018 Posts: 3 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Salt can help and lots and lots of water your electrolytes are probably low, also make sure you are getting as close as you can to your daily fat and calorie intake, exercise can help get you into ketosis faster but I know it's hard to exercise when you feel horrible. Hope this helps. Good luck
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Did you get the flu shot this year?
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    ShawnaMay04 wrote: »
    I just started the Ketogenic diet and I am beyond sick. I'm talking nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, the whole nine yards. I know Keto flu is a thing but this is ridiculous. I was under the impression it was a few days of not feeling great but I haven't heard of anyone getting all out sick like this...am I doing something wrong?? I've only been doing keto for 2 days but I can't keep going like this.

    Your symptoms don’t sound like keto flu! What have you eaten the last 2 days?

    I’d probably make an appointment for the doctor.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    @ShawnaMay04 Keto flu is just an electrolyte imbalance. When you drop carbs, insulin drops and you lose water and sodium. If you don't replace the sodium, you get sick with headaches, fatigue, moodiness, nausea, bm issues, muscle weakness, etc. If you replace the lost sodium, it removes the symptoms within hours.

    Most keto'ers need 3000 to 5000+ mg of sodium a day. There's 2300 mg sodium in a teaspoon of salt, so you may need at least 2 teaspoons of salt a day. Most get their sodium by salting their food liberally, drinking a couple of cups of salty broth/boullion, take salt tablets, make a salty "keto-ade" with Mio, or just eat a half teaspoon of salt a couple of times a day with a chaser of water.

    Try salt today. If that's the problem, you'll figure it out quickly. Good luck.
  • fiftyshadesofneigh
    fiftyshadesofneigh Posts: 6 Member
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    And you absolutely MUST replace those electrolytes. People dieting to the extreme and not paying attention to the details ("oh I don't like salt so never added it") have actually died. You're experiencing these palpitations because your heart is actually starved beyond it's ability to function normally and not replacing them quickly can result in heart failure. It also can lead to seizures and brain swelling. Look up sodium deficiency and better educate yourself please.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
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    Sounds like you may have an illness that coincided with the timing of your diet. But, if you do have keto flu, your electrolytes are definitely off. Vomiting would only make that worse, plus make you more dehydrated.

    Emergen-C makes a sugar-free Electrolyte Replenisher. Just like their other stuff, you add a packet to a glass of water. Or, if you can't find that, drink some sugar-free Gatorade. Try one of those, and definitely get checked out by your doctor.

    Hope you feel better soon!
  • All1971
    All1971 Posts: 89 Member
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    another vote for this not sounding like keto flu, especially after only 2 days - go see a doctor.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,545 Member
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    ShawnaMay04 wrote: »
    I just started the Ketogenic diet and I am beyond sick. I'm talking nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, the whole nine yards. I know Keto flu is a thing but this is ridiculous. I was under the impression it was a few days of not feeling great but I haven't heard of anyone getting all out sick like this...am I doing something wrong?? I've only been doing keto for 2 days but I can't keep going like this.

    Do you have other known health issues? You know that there are diseases that get exasperated if you lose sodium and other electrolytes? And yes, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, palpitations could potentially be a sign of that. So go to your gp, and really, eat properly again.
  • Back_4_more
    Back_4_more Posts: 92 Member
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    I get a similar reaction when I go no carb. Everytime I try KETO I have a harder time staying on it. I have better luck w/ a 40/30/30 macro and recently lost 40lbs in 3 month on that
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    stephaniek511 wrote: »
    Kim_S_G wrote: »
    There is no need to "keep going like this". As long as you are in a caloric deficit, you will lose weight. A Keto diet is not necessary - it only works because it produces a caloric deficit.

    Couldn't agree more! I used Keto to jumpstart my weight loss. By day 4 I was in such a brain fog, dizzy, upset stomach...and went straight to the vending machine and got a Snickers bar because I couldn't "think" at work. Ate half of it and felt considerably better in about 15 minutes. I then started focusing on calories and have been steadily loosing weight without putting myself through something that didn't work and seemed unhealthy *for me* (I say for me because I know lots of people do just fine with Keto...it just didn't work for me). Good luck!

    Sounds like electrolytes imbalance.

    Glucose raises insulin which signals the kidneys to hold onto sodium. Eating more carbs would help you hold onto sodium. Eating more salt works too.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited June 2018
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    OP, did you ever figure out what it was. Sounded like salmonella symptoms.

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