Did I go too drastic?

[danziger]

I’m keen to eat as few carbs as possible because although my blood sugar is well controlled, I’d like to come off linagliptin and lose weight to reduce my blood pressure (I’m on 4 meds since being hospitalised for it), Covid risk, and general inflammation issues.

I can’t exercise due to disability so my approach needs to be diet only. I lost about 6 pounds at the start of low carb and since then have been putting on and taking off the same 2lbs. Looked at a few online calculators and they said under 20g carbs a day would be ideal.

About three weeks ago, I went from around 30g to roughly 10-20g a day and since then, I’ve had horrific constipation — including two episodes lasting about 48 hours each where I had repeated bowel spasms followed by immense difficulty “going”, pain, lots of bleeding, had to take (unpaid) time off work as couldn’t sit up, etc. (Tried stool softeners which seemed to make it even worse.) (Yes, my life IS very glamorous.)

Was already drinking loads of water, adding fat and Lo Salt to meals, eating broccoli and cauliflower so not sure what else I could have done.

Have added a few more carbs back (25-30g a day) and am on the road to feeling better, but feel stuck now.

It seems like if I go below 20g I’ll have this experience a third time which I can’t cope with, but if I stay as I am I won’t lose weight or get the health benefits of keto.

I guess I could cut fat to try to lose weight which worked (unintentionally) prior to gallbladder surgery but that was miserable and I craved food all the time.

Did I cut carbs too quickly, or is keto just not for me? I really wanted to be one of those miracle success stories, but it’s been more like a horror movie…

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @danziger
I can't talk from experience since I have never targeted below 20hgms of carbs per day and I eat lots and lots of low carb veg, but when I got a short bout of constipation I found just adding a little more olive oil to my salads and on my hard boiled eggs did the trick. I think it works especially well since it is considered to be a 'good fat' supposedly (by a majority - though there are some who warn against it).
If you are eating little insoluble fibre then it's only natural you will have less coming out the other end.
My carnivore friends claim no constipation, just fewer (small and painless) bowel movements.

 

[lucylocket61]

Some of us can't cope without plenty of fibre. I have around 80-100g of carbs a day. Upping fats will help too.

It can be that we have to balance our overall health when making decisions about treatment options.

 

[lucylocket61]

I’m keen to eat as few carbs as possible because although my blood sugar is well controlled, I’d like to come off linagliptin and lose weight to reduce my blood pressure (I’m on 4 meds since being hospitalised for it), Covid risk, and general inflammation issues.

I can’t exercise due to disability so my approach needs to be diet only. I lost about 6 pounds at the start of low carb and since then have been putting on and taking off the same 2lbs. Looked at a few online calculators and they said under 20g carbs a day would be ideal.

About three weeks ago, I went from around 30g to roughly 10-20g a day and since then, I’ve had horrific constipation — including two episodes lasting about 48 hours each where I had repeated bowel spasms followed by immense difficulty “going”, pain, lots of bleeding, had to take (unpaid) time off work as couldn’t sit up, etc. (Tried stool softeners which seemed to make it even worse.) (Yes, my life IS very glamorous.)

Was already drinking loads of water, adding fat and Lo Salt to meals, eating broccoli and cauliflower so not sure what else I could have done.

Have added a few more carbs back (25-30g a day) and am on the road to feeling better, but feel stuck now.

It seems like if I go below 20g I’ll have this experience a third time which I can’t cope with, but if I stay as I am I won’t lose weight or get the health benefits of keto.

I guess I could cut fat to try to lose weight which worked (unintentionally) prior to gallbladder surgery but that was miserable and I craved food all the time.

Did I cut carbs too quickly, or is keto just not for me? I really wanted to be one of those miracle success stories, but it’s been more like a horror movie…

Ps. Your description sounds like really bad digestive issues. Is this something entirely new, or has a long standing bad issue got worse?

 

[andromache]

I’m keen to eat as few carbs as possible because although my blood sugar is well controlled, I’d like to come off linagliptin and lose weight to reduce my blood pressure (I’m on 4 meds since being hospitalised for it), Covid risk, and general inflammation issues.

I can’t exercise due to disability so my approach needs to be diet only. I lost about 6 pounds at the start of low carb and since then have been putting on and taking off the same 2lbs. Looked at a few online calculators and they said under 20g carbs a day would be ideal.

About three weeks ago, I went from around 30g to roughly 10-20g a day and since then, I’ve had horrific constipation — including two episodes lasting about 48 hours each where I had repeated bowel spasms followed by immense difficulty “going”, pain, lots of bleeding, had to take (unpaid) time off work as couldn’t sit up, etc. (Tried stool softeners which seemed to make it even worse.) (Yes, my life IS very glamorous.)

Was already drinking loads of water, adding fat and Lo Salt to meals, eating broccoli and cauliflower so not sure what else I could have done.

Have added a few more carbs back (25-30g a day) and am on the road to feeling better, but feel stuck now.

It seems like if I go below 20g I’ll have this experience a third time which I can’t cope with, but if I stay as I am I won’t lose weight or get the health benefits of keto.

I guess I could cut fat to try to lose weight which worked (unintentionally) prior to gallbladder surgery but that was miserable and I craved food all the time.

Did I cut carbs too quickly, or is keto just not for me? I really wanted to be one of those miracle success stories, but it’s been more like a horror movie…

Don't give up on the stool softeners like macrogol. A low daily dose is what you want - they take time (days) to work, and they work gradually and with your body. They're more gentle persuasion than TNT, and much better for you and your gut. You can buy macrogol 400 solution OTC (Dulcosofr is the brand) and you can measure out your own dose from there. It's clear liquid and non-disgusting. Once things are moving again, you really don't need much to keep them moving - 10ml daily might do the trick (that is a dose of 5mg macrogol 4000). And no carbs. Or at least if there are any, they're not in a form that can be absorbed by you..

 

[catinahat]

What's the rush, it's taken your whole life to get to where you are now and you have the rest of your life to fix it. Our bodies don't care much for change, if you try and beat it into submission it's just going to fight back.

 

[danziger]

Hi @danziger
I can't talk from experience since I have never targeted below 20hgms of carbs per day and I eat lots and lots of low carb veg, but when I got a short bout of constipation I found just adding a little more olive oil to my salads and on my hard boiled eggs did the trick. I think it works especially well since it is considered to be a 'good fat' supposedly (by a majority - though there are some who warn against it).
If you are eating little insoluble fibre then it's only natural you will have less coming out the other end.
My carnivore friends claim no constipation, just fewer (small and painless) bowel movements.

Thanks, yeah, I was having a tbsp of olive oil before meals, didn’t seem to do much! It’s not that I wasn’t going that bothered me so much as the spasms, feeling that I needed to go but couldn’t and the intense, disabling discomfort that caused. Carnivore does sound like a miracle in that respect, but am scared as to how my body would cope with the adjustment!

 

[danziger]

Ps. Your description sounds like really bad digestive issues. Is this something entirely new, or has a long standing bad issue got worse?

Have always had a sensitive bowel tbf, but usually in the opposite direction. The situation I described was only related to cutting carbs and alleviated by increasing, which I was loathe to do but as you say, sometimes needs must.

 

[danziger]

Don't give up on the stool softeners like macrogol. A low daily dose is what you want - they take time (days) to work, and they work gradually and with your body. They're more gentle persuasion than TNT, and much better for you and your gut. You can buy macrogol 400 solution OTC (Dulcosofr is the brand) and you can measure out your own dose from there. It's clear liquid and non-disgusting. Once things are moving again, you really don't need much to keep them moving - 10ml daily might do the trick (that is a dose of 5mg macrogol 4000). And no carbs. Or at least if there are any, they're not in a form that can be absorbed by you..

That’s useful to know, thank you! I took Dulcoease and it seemed like it made things worse after a day or so but obviously can’t control the dose with capsules.

 

[danziger]

What's the rush, it's taken your whole life to get to where you are now and you have the rest of your life to fix it. Our bodies don't care much for change, if you try and beat it into submission it's just going to fight back.

I guess I didn’t think I was rushing — took me over a year to get to a non-diabetic HbA1C, have been sloooowly cutting carbs in the two years since then, but perhaps this last bit was a bit quick, not helped by my doc making noises about a potential 5th bp med and diabetic review coming up! Perhaps I can work with my body a bit more and see if I can find a better balance. I know slow and steady is often best but it always feels like nothing is happening!

 

[andromache]

That’s useful to know, thank you! I took Dulcoease and it seemed like it made things worse after a day or so but obviously can’t control the dose with capsules.

Dulcoease makes me worse too.

That’s useful to know, thank you! I took Dulcoease and it seemed like it made things worse after a day or so but obviously can’t control the dose with capsules.

Dulcoease is a completely different product and different and harsher type of laxative, and it makes me worse too! It’s Dukcosoft you want, I suggest.

 

[andromache]

That’s useful to know, thank you! I took Dulcoease and it seemed like it made things worse after a day or so but obviously can’t control the dose with capsules.

I hate Dulcoease! It makes me worse too. It’s Dulcosoft you want. Different product and different type of laxative.

 

[TriciaWs]

Because I was used to a high fibre diet before going low carb my body did not cope well even on more carbs than you. I added a teaspoon of chia seeds each day as well as increasing my intake of green veg and that helped.
This plus extra fat post-gallbladder surgery means I am fine - I found after losing my gallbladder that too much fat in a meal just slips though!

 

[danziger]

Because I was used to a high fibre diet before going low carb my body did not cope well even on more carbs than you. I added a teaspoon of chia seeds each day as well as increasing my intake of green veg and that helped.
This plus extra fat post-gallbladder surgery means I am fine - I found after losing my gallbladder that too much fat in a meal just slips though!

Ah, that’s good to know, thank you! I do actually have an unopened packet of chia seeds somewhere, bit daunted by them but will give them a try.

 

[danziger]

I hate Dulcoease! It makes me worse too. It’s Dulcosoft you want. Different product and different type of laxative.

ah great, thank you (and glad it’s not just me!)