Ketosis symptoms

Hi all. Recently I am having some strange body symptoms and wandering if that may be caused by transferring into ketosis. For last week and half my hands are cold. On Thursday last week I had really bad experience with my heart (pounding so hard that I thought I will loose consciousness - lasted approx. 40 min to 1 hour). I still feel week in my heart and generally in my muscles. Yesterday after short dynamic exercise (lasting maybe 5 seconds) my heart started to beat hard and fast which was strange and never happend before so intensively. For approx two weeks I am feeling kind of close to cramp impression in my muscles. On my last lab test there were already ketone bodies 3 weeks ago 15mg/dl. My cholesterol is high and this I am afraid of. Although ratio recently changed to better 77 mg/dl of HDL to 201 mg/dl of LDL from 40 to 150. Anyway I feel strange and for a few days not better. I am eating quite a lot of fat. In a fact I eat recently only meat, fish, butter and lard. After yesterdays stew made of chicken, carrots, celery, parsley and salt, after drinking it warm I felt heavy in my heart. I do not know what is going on because sometimes recently I feel like close to some panic attack. What shall I take a look on? My medical practitioner does not have idea about ketosis. Anyway I was already sent by her to make blood tests which were basically OK. Today I am going for the 3rd time to check cholesterol level. Aha. One more thing. I have lost within last few months something like 12 kg (from 85 to 73) and I am 6'2''. Hmmm. My medical practitioner said that it looks like only fat which remained in my body is now only in my brain :D. I do not know what to think about that. Also there is thing to mention that there is a lot of changes in my life: started using FIR blanket from April, removing systematically gluten and carbs close to April also but still have not got rid of that ( I ate a cookie on Saturday damn it), but anyway do not eat bread, pastas, potatoes, grains - no carbs like that. Very few fruits which are now almost zero. Only once or twice per week blueberries (not intentionally but just it hapens so). I take approx. 2 teaspoons of vit C daily and also use Spirulina (now increased to two tablespoons daily). I have used by few months now Candex and also underwent three chelation cycles with DMSA and last cycle was finished on 31st of Oct. Any hints what to check in addition to some routine controll from medical care system? I hope that this kind of "ask for a hint" will not be treated as violation of french law. If You can not comment on that I understand. I am curious if anyone has gone through similiar experiences. Regards, Mikel.

Mikel said:

Hi all. Recently I am having some strange body symptoms and wandering if that may be caused by transferring into ketosis. [..] I do not know what is going on because sometimes recently I feel like close to some panic attack. What shall I take a look on?

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Hi Mikel
Have you read the literature on low carb diets? Specifically, have you read "Life without bread" and/or "Primal Body, Primal Mind"?? I ask because you appear to be missing a lot of information (and safety advice) covered in those books.
The Life Without Bread thread covers a lot of your questions. For example potassium (potassium citrate) helps with cramps (again the books/thread go into the why of this - please note taking too much potassium is also bad for you).
I'm not sure why you are focused on blood cholesterol levels whilst doing this (why the blood works), do you have an underlying health problem that you have been told in the past is related to high cholesterol?? If you have some specific health concern then you really should be proceeding with caution and not going ahead without the correct knowledge.

I think going low carb, gluten free, detoxing, fighting candida and chelating all at once is the cause of your problems....simply I would not do all those in one go because it would overload my body!!
Chelation/detoxing put an enormous strain on the bodies systems, and if you are not yet healthy (have only recently cut out gluten) then your system is under extra strain from this too. Going low carb also puts your system under strain. Chelation will remove some good minerals from the body, which you need to transition to low carb.

If your body was a car, you have switched from filling it with diesel to petrol without giving it time to adapt, hit the gas peddle and then decided to change the oil while the engine is running full speed!
Your efforts are commendable, but please slow down (stop chelation/anti candida/FIR/detox) and get up to speed on the reading before proceeding futher. You will most likely do yourself serious injury if you do not.

I agree with what RedFox said. You should get all the information, and be cautious with making such major changes. The DMSA is likely contributing to your symptoms while you were transitioning to a low carb/high fat diet.

Also, it sounds like you aren't 100% gluten-free. The cookie you mentioned, did it contain gluten? Even a tiny bit of gluten will take 6 months for the body to get rid of and to eliminate the inflammation from it. Also are you casein-free (dairy/milk products)? Be very careful with not following a wise course in making these diet changes. It's the gluten, casein, and carbs that will cause problems if you don't eliminate them properly while eating a high saturated fat diet.

Hi Mikel,

Your symptoms, to me, sound like you're deficient in magnesium. I don't see it in your post--are you supplementing with it?

_http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=75

That talks about symptoms of deficiency, though soils are so depleted that getting enough solely from diet is likely impossible. As well, their RDI of 400mg/day may not be sufficient, as it seems the ideal quantity is having a 1:1 ratio with calcium, so it depends on how much calcium you're getting in your diet, and how deficient you currently are.

As RedFox pointed out, it appears that Mikel may have taken too many steps too soon without the necessary reading.

Mikel, you may want to review for us here in a bit more detail what pertinent books and threads you have read. As has been stressed many times, it is very important that you have all the data prior to proceeding with any new regime.

I'm gonna have to agree with the Magnesium deficiency possibility. I know from personal experience that when my Magnesium is low I get those symptoms. I used to think I had an anxiety disorder, and my heart rate even shot up to 180 at one point. I take Magnesium Citrate, but if I forget for a few days, I start getting the symptoms all over again.

Also, go a step at a time, too much at one time is not such a good idea. Personally, I like to master one change before I implement a new one.

Yes, it does appear to me that you may have a magnesium deficiency. I take about 1200 mg in powder form and about 3000 mg of vitamin c (powder form), plus a good multivitamin everyday. I eat lots of fat, meat and some carbs. Haven't eliminated every trace of gluten yet.

Samuel said:

Yes, it does appear to me that you may have a magnesium deficiency. I take about 1200 mg in powder form and about 3000 mg of vitamin c (powder form), plus a good multivitamin everyday. I eat lots of fat, meat and some carbs. Haven't eliminated every trace of gluten yet.

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Aside from Mikel doing too many things at once, hence overloading his body, there are other things that could cause problems while doing the low-carb diet. For one, our bodies need much more salt on this diet, along with potassium. Changing slowly to this diet is also a must. Taking Acetyl-L-Carnitine is also recommended.

But most importantly is READING ALL OF THE MATERIAL. Just jumping in without the knowledge of what you are doing is dangerous.

Mikel, I had similar symptoms two summers ago. I figured that I may have been losing electrolytes. I was overdoing on sauna and exercise; the symptoms resolved once I scaled back. You are going full hog on low carb, and also using chelation and FIR blanket; that could deplete the body if not done carefully enough.

I emphatically agree with the others that all the changes should be done one step at a time, and only after becoming fully informed.

My dear All,
Thank You for Your time and energy. Thanks for all that comments. I am "ambitious idiot". I was/ am affraid that I will not manage on time. All right I had intuition :) to stop chelation and thought that I am to harsh on my body. According to suggested cycle from dsmachelation page it was 3 days dmsa and than 15 days relax and next then again. I will now wait until I feel strong and make another cycle then. That is very likely that I have chelated "useful" minerals and electrolites from my body. Cramps indeed gives that sign.

Hildegardo! Thank You. I am reading although acting quicker than reading. Currently I am reading Primal Body Primal Mind. I have also listened all podcasts from Nora's page about different aspects of health. Will read more and also will read now carefully "Life without bread" thread.

Nienna Eluch. Thank You for the warning. Acetyl L carnitine will read about and supplement if necessary. As it comes to salt it is strange but I have a thirst for salty dishes. My wife recently noticed that I am salting a lot (which meant for her: do not salt that much :)). Potasium I have already started searching highest potasium natural sources.

Samuel & Seraphina: I take Magnesium. In a fact I stoped taking it approx. 2 weeks ago and maybe this one made me close to breakdown? Whatever. I am on magnesium again.

1984: I read: Candida - Silent Epidemic; Anti-Candida, Inflammation, Heavy Metals Detox and Diet; Fasting, Gluten, MSG, Soy, Blood Type Diet; and a lot more... but I need to read that again. I even do not remember exactly what I have read. From books I am almost finished with "Lights Out", in progress of "Primal body...". Spent much more time with Castaneda recently. I am going to work with "Primal Body..." and then I see that there is a thread which was neglected by me: Detoxification: Heavy Metals, Mercury and how to get rid of them. You know it is funny/ frightening that it is so easy to be ignorant. So easy to belive that I am immortal. Today I felt that I may die. And I realised fear of dying and also that I want to survive. Then it also came to my mind that everything is a gift and that my life and this world was a gift. I started to give acknoweldments in my thoughts to my parents although I do not felt close to them for very long time (maybe life). I do not feel close to them now neither but it is here and now I am because they were and that was important. It is also strange and I am recalling Castaneda now that it is so crazy eazy to belive in my unlimited existence on this Earth. And this existence is so ... fragile. And is so easy to ruin this with ignorance. All right.

Foxx: thank for the link. Useful. Calcium I think that could be low. I eat lettuce, parsley, paprika (not spicy), carrots, celery - in small amounts in comparison to meat. I do not eat / drink diary. I do not know how defficient I am as it comes to calcium. Blood test shall reveal something right?

Seekin Truth: Yeap. Am not free from gluten. I eat gluten things once per few weeks but still it happens. Last time with this cookie it was realy stuipid. We have visited my wife's grandmother and bought her some sweets - pierniczki w czekoladzie :). I was not eating but then I felt that I need one. And whole gluten cleansing starts again.

Red Fox: I certainly shall read whole "Life without bread" and not to feel satisified with just a pieces of that.
Blood work for cholesterol I have made to find out if there is any threat to my heart. I felt some strange symptoms before but it escaped from diagnose. Few years ago I had bad time in work and worked to hard to long and to stressful and when I falling asleep I felt sometimes that my heart is going to stop. But blood tests and cardiogram were ok. Last year, two months after removal of my appendix I was on two "heavy" parties. One was with a lot of dancing and drinking and one was week after that when we went to visit our friends in Ireland. We drank and smoke tobacco terribly and on fourth day I felt like my heart is going to "strike". I was realy affraid because never had experienced such a thing before. I felt like my heart is going to jump out, and it was so unusual that I thought that I am going to die. Those experiences one year ago brought me to health issues and I started to get to know more and more about the food. From total ignorant I started to deviate into other extremum. I was never in hospital before and appendix although sounds stuipid for me was going to keel me if not help from other people given that time. It was good experience. And then this threat for life after party. I think that I have already started to do something that time. Yeap, there I was exagerating with EE breathing that time. And possibly overloaded my system for the first time that hard.

Thank You All of You for contributing to my life. I am going to sleep now. Bye. Mikel

Mod's note: Added paragraphs to ease the reading.

I meant to mention in my short note that there was a good article on SOTT a few days ago about magnesium deficiency. Here's the link: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/237466-Magnesium-Deficiency-The-Source-of-Most-Modern-Chronic-Illness

Mod's note: Edited to activate the link since SOTT is a very good source of info. ;)

Hi,
All right!
After almost three weeks from Your good points and suggestions I have increased carbs according to Dr Lutz suggestions. By the way I have almost finished reading "Life without bread" and this is REALLY important book! Thanks for that hint.
Now I am eating daily not more than approximately 50g of carbs. Feel much much better now. Systematically I have increased amount of fat especially lard and fatty pork meat (bacon). I basically feel much better after lard than after butter. When I exercised yesterday I have not felt strange and this is good. On 10th of Nov 2011 I had something like attack which was my first experience in life and I thought that my end is near :). When I searched the symptoms and analysed blood test and cardiogram from that day and opinion of doctors I think that must have been attack of hypoglycemia. It happend shortly after dynamic exercise and then a cigarette. My crazy approach with no carbs at the beginning was not really good idea.

Anyone who wants to start that diet at the beginning shall REALLY follow recommendations in "Life without bread"!!! It would be good also to find somebody like nutritional specialist who is working according to such kind of diet principles near You. I could not find anyone near me. Anyway trying to get into email contact however with no result yet.

Oh! And that is also important that "Life without bread" is translated into polish "Życie bez pieczywa". I have found also book "Dieta optymalna" by Jan Kwasniewski, which represents similar approach towards diet like "Life without bread".
I have also started to eat more fiber veggies like parsley, celery leafs and lettuce. I increased a bit intake of spirulina. I stopped drinking while eating and now trying to hydrate myself between meals which was suggested by Primal Body Primal Mind and in quantities to satisfy my thirst. I feel things are going better now. I am studying nutrition more thoroughly now.

Thank You.

Thought I would mention a little observation. Ark and I had to go to Paris for some meetings last week. We ended up eating a few things that knocked me out of fat burning ... it was terribly unpleasant. After I was back home, back on my normal fare, mainly meat, within about 24 hours, I could feel the fat burning kicking back in with the accompanying dizziness a few palpitations, and other weird symptoms. After another 24 hours, things cleared up.

So, it seems to me that this shifting gears, so to say, moving from carb metabolism to fat, does have symptomology... and one should take care while undergoing this transition.

Hi again,
...and one more thing I have:

during this "transition period" which was approximately 3 - 4 Weeks in my case, I felt a need for drinking water. I am not sure if that was good but anyway I felt that it helped me a bit. I felt like flushing something from inside. Normally I had symptoms like that:

After a fatty meal with high quantity of butter after approximately one hour I started to feel some sensation around my thymus or central chest part.

After a fatty meal with high quantity of lard / bacon it took approximately 3 - 4 hours to feel that sensation. when I ate a lot it last around 4 hours. In a fact that long it took only once. (two weeks ago I ate around 200 g of bacon plus three eggs and felt like that relatively long but that was one of my first big fat breakfasts and maybe again I have exaggerated).

Sensation was something like having "thick blood" or feeling close to the sensation which I had just before my attack of (probably) hypoglycemia.

When started to eat a bit more than "zero" carbs those sensations gone. Normally now it is enough for me to eat 2 - 3 dried figs daily for example 2 figs morning and one during the day. I have chosen figs because they were only dried organic fruits I have found except plums. Sometimes I also drink green tea with honey in the morning. Maybe in the future I will drop even that but for now I keep those sweets not to overload myself again.

Now I may eat quite a lot of lard. For example yesterday I ate approx. 300 g during the day and felt good / normal without any sensations. My urine is still smelly or smells completely different then before and my "second solid thing" :) is now lets say regulated and it takes approx. 24 hours from meal to excretion and I am not constipated like it happend during last weeks (or too loose which could be also too much vit. C or too much magnesium). I am still observing myself.

Mikel, I ditched fruits of all kinds in favor of some green beans and sweet potatoes for my carbs. Dried fruits can spike your insulin and that is what you want to avoid.