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Low Carb & Fainting

S

SweetHeart

Well-Known Member
Messages
511
A while back I posted because I was feeling wavy davy when I stood up quickly. It was suggested that I was lacking sodium so I started to grab a salty snack and I believed that helped. But things are getting worse.

However, my blood tests came back 'normal' for sodium and this week has been a nightmare. I have fainted heavily once whilst trying to garden today and come frighteningly close numerous times. I'm not diabetic - leave that to the husband - but my BGs are in the low to high 4's. My blood pressure is slightly elevated as I'm stressed at present. I'm on about 30 to 40g carbs per day and the weight loss is steady but excruciatingly slow. I can't seem to get below 10st no matter what I do, and that's still too heavy for someone of my stature - 5ft2".

I'm constantly anaemic due to menorrhagia but my iron levels are improving slowly on the low carb (all those green veggies & eggs) and I suffer from hypothyroidism but I think I'm now on the correct level of medication. I also take Moringa Leaf, Multivits with Iron and Damiana. Otherwise, there isn't an immediately obvious health reason for the fainting and spinning head.

I've posted the details above as I must be doing something wrong with my diet. But what am I doing wrong? Not enough carbs? Not balanced properly? Not enough exercise?

Any ideas, please?

Ju
 
Hi Ju,

I would be tempted to see your GP as fainting can be due to LOW blood pressure yet you say you have high BP. Are you on BP medication? does you Bp need to be looked at? I am also aware that aneamia can cause fainting too (as you have said you are.) Just a thought! I used to faint alot as a teen and young adult and was told that it was due to low BP. Seems to have improved as I have got older.

Hope you get it sorted and take care

Lucy xxx
 
Thanks Lucy - I've been to see the doc more times recently that I ever have in my (almost) 46 years.....

I was just re-reading the 4% thread and LindainSomerset's thread and I'm wondering if I'm getting enough fat to convert into energy? A typical day's fat would be double cream on my berries for breakfast and in my coffee, a dollop in scrambled eggs along with frankfurters or pepperami for lunch, maybe a cream sauce for dinner. Also, I might have a hot cocoa made with double cream and a wee bit evaporated milk for froth.

I have to confess to eating lean meat. I cannot stomach fatty meats - goes back to my childhood and being forced to eat meat that was nearly all fat (yeah, I know, it was good for me after all) so unless I eat salami all of my meat is pretty lean. The family will happily tuck into crispy chicken skin etc but I can't. Suggestions to get more fat into me, please? (and that still sounds wrong!)

Yesterday the MH forced chocolate down my throat to give me a boost after fainting. Good quality stuff too, and it was so cloying...yuck...can't believe I was addicted to it a few months back.

I really don't want to up my carbs as I'm so pleased with my weight loss and it has been so slow that putting weight back on would be soul destroying. BUT I don't want to be feeling ill and fainting either. Surely, weighing less and eating healthily, I should be feeling fighting fit and better than I have done in years? Could not eating enough fat be the cause of my very slow weigh loss when most folks seem to be dropping the pounds at every turn?

Ju
 
Hi Ju,

Loss can vary between individuals, so try not to worry about that. It's hard, I know! :(

As for the fainting - it's not something that I've ever suffered from, so I can't be of direct help, but some ideas:

How often are you eating? Maybe you could snack between meals, or eat 5 small meals instead of 3 bigger ones?

Have you worked out the calorie content of what you get through in a day? Is it possible you're not eating enough?

Snacks - cheese or a few nuts perhaps? cold meat? Both cheese and nuts contain good fats, though I find too many nuts stops my weight loss :( .

You could try checking your BG levels with your husband's meter when you feel very faint. Or get some glucose tablets and try chewing 2 when you feel very faint, to see if that makes any difference. If it does, that could imply it's to do with your BG levels.

Maybe ask your GP if they have a 24-hour BP monitor that you could use for a day, to see just what your BP is doing. It's a weird sensation - it takes your BP every 30 mins through 24 hours, so you may lose some sleep, but worth it.

Whatever you do, don't ignore it!

Viv 8)
 
Viv,

I've never counted calories...might have to start that.

This morning I almost drowned my berries in double cream, and although I had a very slightly wavy head a few times, I've managed to do my gardening jobs without the floor coming up to meet me. I most definitely do not want to ignore this; it's scary and annoyingly debilitating.

I will try eating more often - I know I'm guilty of missing meals when I'm busy. Quite often I'm simply not hungry. In mitigation, I did have a gingerbread 'person' this morning which was about 30g carbs all by itself! I'm going to have a big thick Scandi type ryvita for lunch, with salad, eggs & cheese, slathered in butter.

Ju
 
You shouldn't need to count calories all the time, on lchf, but it might be worth doing it for a full day just to see how many you're actually eating.

I eat my gingerbread 'people' from the toes upwards - I like to watch them scream :twisted: . Jelly babies, on the other hand - heads off in one!

I haven't had either for years . . . sigh!

Viv 8)
 
Hi SH I've had a light head the last 4 weeks and it seems to coincide with me starting metformin. At first it was only after a brisk walk but the last week or so it's been happening a lot of the time. My BS seems fine (a little high but definately not low) and my blood pressure has been ok the last few weeks when it's been checked so I don't really know.

The only thing is I had a heart attack back in April and since then have been taking a lot of medication to bring by BP down and my resting heart rate is about 66 now hich is about 15 lower than before so I don't know if that could be making me feel ill :sick:
 
SweetHeart said:
I've posted the details above as I must be doing something wrong with my diet. But what am I doing wrong? Not enough carbs? Not balanced properly? Not enough exercise?
Click to expand...


Could be totally unrelated to your diet, for your own peace of mind I would go back to see your gp again and explain things to them.
 
SweetHeart said:
I've never counted calories...might have to start that.
Click to expand...

Ju, I started out with just counting carbs but then started counting calories to as I was shocked by how little calories I was eating even though I was on a high fat diet. Might be worth working things out for a bit. If you are fainting if you stand up quickly or similar someone told me that could indicate low BP. Don't know if that's true or if it would apply.
 
Xyz,

My BP is usually in my boots, today's lowest was 118/71. The highest was 176/97...but I know what caused that. BP has been higher of late because of my depression, but the darkness lifting now and I'm starting to feel human again.

I upped my fat today - really enjoyed the huge butter-covered ryvita job (8g carbs for the 5" square rye cracker and shedloads of whitest butter) and I have felt like I had more energy. I was never a big fat eater (apart from my Revels addiction and chips) so I hadn't thought about increasing my fat intake in order to give my body the fuel it needs.

The problem with going to the doctor is the low carbing. That was the first thing the doctor blamed because we need to eat lots of carbs and I'm not eating enough quite obviously. Start eating lots of carbs and you won't feel faint!

Ju
 
SweetHeart said:
Xyz,

My BP is usually in my boots, today's lowest was 118/71. The highest was 176/97...but I know what caused that. BP has been higher of late because of my depression, but the darkness lifting now and I'm starting to feel human again.

I upped my fat today - really enjoyed the huge butter-covered ryvita job (8g carbs for the 5" square rye cracker and shedloads of whitest butter) and I have felt like I had more energy. I was never a big fat eater (apart from my Revels addiction and chips) so I hadn't thought about increasing my fat intake in order to give my body the fuel it needs.

The problem with going to the doctor is the low carbing. That was the first thing the doctor blamed because we need to eat lots of carbs and I'm not eating enough quite obviously. Start eating lots of carbs and you won't feel faint!

Ju
Click to expand...

Ju,

I agree with Xyzzy re the low BP and I know Ive said it before.....It is worth considering. Also you say that you have depression, without sounding nosey if you are on medication for that could that be affecting you? Have you read the leaflet for side effects?

Again just a thought!

Lucy xxx
 
No meds for the depression. They wouldn't help solve the root cause, just mask it, so I manage it myself. I think I do pretty well mostly. My BP has always been fairly low and the doctors are happy with it. Lately it has been a little higher than the recommended 'norm'. A few times I've done my BP when I've felt faint and immediately after actually fainting, and it was higher rather than lower.

It would be great to be able to discuss low carbing with the doctor, but even our wonderful new doctor frowns upon our diet. She has admitted that we are obviously doing well on it but she cannot condone it. Ideally, it would be good if we could talk about the fainting and how to stop it whilst respecting our decision to low carb.

Having read the other threads about eating good fats, I do think that I unwittingly starved myself of the vital energy I needed because I was low on essential fats. I think I'm eating enough protein and I know I'm eating loads of veggies and quite a good amount of berries. I shall try to count my calories tomorrow, but my APs are arriving and will need the red carpet treatment so I won't have much time.

Ju
 
Good luck Ju,

Hope you get it sorted. Another thought are you feeeling faint or dizzy. When I have felt faint I get a blackness coming and hear a buzzing the next thing I know is I have fainted ( and the 1st time wet myself :oops: )

I have also had Labrynthitis and was dizzy when lying down and getting up (or in the bath) for a few months. When I went to my GP he said it was Labrynthitis which is caused by a virus. A week later there was an article in the local pare saying that there had been a spate of this in the area.

Its probably nothing of the sort but just trying to help,

Take care

Lucy xxx
 
Lucy,

Just googled Labrynthitis and those symptoms are all appropriate; I've always had balance problems but grew out of them as I got older and I'm now simply clumsy as opposed to the falling about all over the place as I did as a child. I have had quite bad tinnitus for a few years now and I know it's affecting my hearing as I can no longer sing (no idea if I'm hitting the correct note) my spacial awareness is rubbish and my co-ordination isn't very good. I guess I could have had Labrynthitis as a child - I was forever suffering tonsillitis - and maybe my brain is forgetting to compensate for any balance system injury. I'm due at the doctors soon, so I'm going to ask about it. I also have a spasmodic stapedius muscle in my right ear which gives me hell regularly. It could all be connected.

Ju
 
Hi Ju,

It may well be. It can be quite alarming. Mine was'nt as severe as some people have it, but went to the Drs because it had been going on for a few months. He said it would go in time and it did.

Hope you get it sorted.

Lucy xxx :)
 
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