Low carb

[maxjoe121]

Hi I just wandered if a low carb diet can bring on headaches I've had one now since I started , there absolutley banger of ones and I feel generally uugh , just wandered if anyone else has has symptoms

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi I just wandered if a low carb diet can bring on headaches I've had one now since I started , there absolutley banger of ones and I feel generally uugh , just wandered if anyone else has has symptoms

Don't know how long exactly you've been at it, but I get massive headaches too when I drop the carbs. It could be keto flu: an electrolyte imbalance. Carbs retain water, and when you cut the carbs, your body loses a lot of water weight... And with the weeing, you flush out electrolytes as well. If you think this might be true for you (other symptoms could be fatigue, joint aches etc), try adding in some bone broth, coconut milk or electrolyte supplements. I always have the latter around, just in case. Takes a week or two, three, for your body to find a new equilibrium, but it does pass.

Hope you feel better soon!
Jo

 

[MrsA2]

My headaches are much reduced since I went low carb (after the initial ones that is).
Now I find I get them if I'm low on salt (which can happen using real food as processed food has loads of salt in) so a tiny pinch of salt u der my tongue or soem in a glass of water often stops a headache. Make sure you stay well hydrated too

 

[Chris24Main]

Agree with all the replies - in Gary Taubes book "the case for Keto" - he really stresses that there should be an honest conversation about the transition that you inevitably go through when you first cut carbs - it's basically withdrawal, like any form of withdrawal - and as long as you expect it, and understand what's going on, it shouldn't be a shock and you can see it for what it is.

But - ignoring the likelihood of having an initial period of feeling not great does make people feel suspicious "I thought I was going to feel great immediately and now I'm worried that all of this low-carb stuff is making me unwell..."

It's totally natural; so we should talk about it.

But yeah, replace the fluids and electrolytes (mainly salt - you will also find that all your natural "reduce salt consumption" expectations are on their head - I grind up about 1gm of salt - about 20 twists on the salt mill - very fine and take that with some apple cider vinegar and fizzy water every day.

It does pass fairly quickly though -