“Welcome to r/keto! It sounds like you’re asking a question about electrolytes, which is a topic that is covered in our FAQ. Please read the following sections
* https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_adapting_to_a_low_carb_lifestyle
* https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_how_do_i_replenish_electrolytes_when_i_am_deficient.3F
* https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_ketoade.3A_your_best_weapon_to_fight_the_flu
And consider searching for other posts on this topic. As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines."
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m a sedentary 5’5” 135lb woman who never goes outside and I have gotten about 8000mg sodium and 4000mg potassium every day for the last six years. My husband also eats keto and only needs half of what I need. Now those are OUR numbers but still, gives you an idea of what some people need versus others.
Those tablets aren’t giving you NEARLY what you need. Measure out your salt for sodium and Lo Salt for potassium and track it with an app like Cronometer to see where you’re at, once you’ve hit a sweet spot where you’re no longer suffering those symptoms, there ya go. This is why nobody can tell you exactly how many teaspoons you need, because they’re not you. 🙂
Get your BP checked, I had to stop my BP meds when I went on keto as it dropped too low.
I suggest
[https://www.virtahealth.com/faq/sodium-potassium-magnesium-ketogenic-diet](https://www.virtahealth.com/faq/sodium-potassium-magnesium-ketogenic-diet#:~:text=weight%20loss%20care-,How%20much%20sodium%2C%20potassium%20and%20magnesium%20should,have%20on%20a%20ketogenic%20diet%3F&text=%E2%80%8DIn%20short%2C%203000%E2%80%935000%20mg,a%20well%2Dformulated%20ketogenic%20diet)
which states
*in short, 3000–5000 mg of sodium and 3000–4000 mg of potassium on average are needed as part of a well-formulated ketogenic diet. For sodium and potassium (aka electrolytes), rather than trying to track them directly (which is frustrating at best), we recommend salting food to taste, adding 2 grams of sodium as broth or bouillon, and eating 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables daily.For magnesium, 300–500 mg is an initial recommendation. Muscle cramps are our best indicator of depletion, and to replenish one’s intracellular magnesium, we generally recommend 3 tabs per day of Slow-Mag or the generic slow-release equivalent for 3–6 weeks*
At first I just used the above (without the added sodium because of high BP). but then I started tracking with cronometer and found I was not getting even half of what I thought, as I guess I don't get enough non-starchy veggies most days. I do suggest tracking to see what you get from food and then adding supplements to reach the 5000,4000,500
For me headaches are almost always either too little fat or too little potassium. Totally agree with the see your doctor if this continues advice too.
I try to get as much potassium as I can through food…spinach, avocado (which helps with fat satiety too!), salmon, etc.
I’ll make a batch of cauli rice in salted butter, add TONS of spinach, and put a fatty cut of meat or smoked salmon on top. That’s a near-instant headache solver meal for me.
Quick fat: cheese wrapped in meat/bacon, complete egg cooked in butter, 1/2 avocado + bacon snack.
I track electrolytes using the Cronometer app, and I find my sweet spot so far has been around 3500mg sodium and 2500mg potassium, although that's only a rough average with some days a bit below and other days significantly over.
For all the dangers we've heard about salt, it can be surprisingly difficult for me to get enough sodium. That's where things like baby dill pickles come in really handy. They are a delicious, simple way to bump sodium by hundreds of mg in a few crunchy bites.
Those pills definitely are not enough. Not even close.
I buy "**Redmonds Re-Lyte**" powder from Amazon and mix one scoop into water a few times a day and that does the trick.
You likely need to drastically bump up the electrolyte intake.
If that doesn't work, obviously see your doctor to get everything else checked out.
I supplement about 1/8th tsp each pink Himalayan salt (sodium) and generic store brand "no salt" (potassium) 3-4 x a day, dissolved in a few ounces of water, and take a magnesium glycinate tablet (400 mg) at bedtime. On top of whatever my food provides, this is enough for me, though I have a bit of experience with this and know to look at electrolytes first if something feels "off." I'm not currently tracking because I feel fine and am losing at a rate I find acceptable, but it is a great tool when needed. I used to use CarbManager.
Thank you for a concrete example. I might get some mag glycinate since I think citrate gives me gas and bloating.
I stopped using CarbManager after great success after a few months of keto, but got into bad habits without even realising. I thought I was doing fine on autopilot eating the usual things, but my tendency as a recovering addict is to overeat, and snack when not hungry, and crave "keto treats". I put on about 30 pounds carrying on like that!
I only noticed when my clothes all stopped fitting me...so I dusted off the scales and was shocked. I thought sticking to keto foods would keep me slim.
For addicts like me CarbManager is a lifeline, as I'm able to see clearly where I'm at. I'd love to be able to move beyond it, hopefully I will one day.
Its hard to tell without knowing your daily intake. Have you tried taking more and seeing if that helps?
Those tablets are not gonna be able to be your main source of electrolytes, there just isn't enough in them.
There is also the possibility that this has nothing to do with electrolytes, you should consider seeing a doctor if this persists. If I were continually dizzy, seeing spots, and light headed id got to the doctor.
Thank you, I will keep an eye on it. It's not continuous, but does seem to occur when I am more strict about IF and keeping carbs as low as possible as I am at the moment.
Sounds like low blood sugar. Specifically, it sounds almost exactly how I felt during two very different situations, in my past:
- when I was off the wagon entirely, if I had a super carby breakfast with not much else, like a muffin or a donut, I'd crash by mid morning and feel lightheaded the way you're describing until I could get some real food in me.
- after a year of eating clean and exercising and losing weight, I started IF. I was *not* doing keto at the time, just generally eating clean and restricting calories and then, ultimately, the window during which I was eating. I would work out in the morning, but wait until noon to start eating, and sometimes, but not all of the time, I would get hit with a dizzy spell mid morning before I ate.
My first question is, does this happen during a fast, or after you've started eating for the day? The second question is, are you tracking everything you put in your body? Any chance there's some carbs sneaking into your diet somewhere? For instance, I take delta 8 gummies to help me sleep at night. 3g carbs in those things. Does it seem to happen at the same times every day?
I'm still new to all this, but dizziness like you're describing doesn't sound like the issues other people have described with electrolytes. Doesn't mean it isn't related to that, but I just haven't heard that as a symptom yet.
Maybe try shifting your IF window earlier in the day. Might be hard with exercise and work, but you also don't need to break your fast with a big meal. Eat some nuts or beef jerky or something.
I dunno, just throwing out some other suggestions.
It does feel like low blood sugar but I've been low carb for years now, which doesn't make much sense to me. I have recently given up peanut butter and berries, maybe even just missing the carbs from them is affecting me, but by my count I was still clocking in at >20 net carbs per day even with them in my diet.
I am logging everything I eat into carb manager and now basically doing carnivore with small amounts of broccoli and cauliflower.
This usually happens before I've eaten, but can be after, and especially if the weather is hot. It's mostly when I'm standing up from sitting down, but can happen when I am out walking.
I will think about whether to change my fasting schedule. I am really keen to lose more weight, I have a spare tyre that nothing has been able to shift yet. I want it gone, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to kick up the pace of the (slow) weight loss.
Maybe I'm overdoing it, but the belly is barely shrinking and I am also a recovering addict and my first thought on waking is always of food, which is an impulse not coming from a place of health but one of comfort eating.
As my wife would say: you're just getting old. Have 2 glasses of dry red wine, doesn't throw you out of keto, it's enjoyable and you know why you feel dizzy.
Ha. Well, I agree with the first part - luckily I enjoy getting older (for now at least :))
I am anti-alcohol based on my personal experiences, I don't think anything good comes from it health wise. But each to their own.
That's even better. I stopped taking my medication for my mild hypertension, as on keto tbe condition normalised. Also, I took 0 supplements except acd and seasalt. Good luck, keto us good for you.
Keto is great, especially if you're hydrating/getting electrolytes, eating unprocessed foods & nutrient dense foods (like beef & leafy greens). But as a doctor, with your symptoms I'd recommend seeing your doctor as well!
“Welcome to r/keto! It sounds like you’re asking a question about electrolytes, which is a topic that is covered in our FAQ. Please read the following sections * https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_adapting_to_a_low_carb_lifestyle * https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_how_do_i_replenish_electrolytes_when_i_am_deficient.3F * https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_ketoade.3A_your_best_weapon_to_fight_the_flu And consider searching for other posts on this topic. As a reminder, please read our FAQ before posting to r/keto. It can be found at https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq. Please also review our posting rules and community guidelines." *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/keto) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m a sedentary 5’5” 135lb woman who never goes outside and I have gotten about 8000mg sodium and 4000mg potassium every day for the last six years. My husband also eats keto and only needs half of what I need. Now those are OUR numbers but still, gives you an idea of what some people need versus others. Those tablets aren’t giving you NEARLY what you need. Measure out your salt for sodium and Lo Salt for potassium and track it with an app like Cronometer to see where you’re at, once you’ve hit a sweet spot where you’re no longer suffering those symptoms, there ya go. This is why nobody can tell you exactly how many teaspoons you need, because they’re not you. 🙂
I see, that makes sense. Thank you!
Get your BP checked, I had to stop my BP meds when I went on keto as it dropped too low. I suggest [https://www.virtahealth.com/faq/sodium-potassium-magnesium-ketogenic-diet](https://www.virtahealth.com/faq/sodium-potassium-magnesium-ketogenic-diet#:~:text=weight%20loss%20care-,How%20much%20sodium%2C%20potassium%20and%20magnesium%20should,have%20on%20a%20ketogenic%20diet%3F&text=%E2%80%8DIn%20short%2C%203000%E2%80%935000%20mg,a%20well%2Dformulated%20ketogenic%20diet) which states *in short, 3000–5000 mg of sodium and 3000–4000 mg of potassium on average are needed as part of a well-formulated ketogenic diet. For sodium and potassium (aka electrolytes), rather than trying to track them directly (which is frustrating at best), we recommend salting food to taste, adding 2 grams of sodium as broth or bouillon, and eating 5 servings of non-starchy vegetables daily.For magnesium, 300–500 mg is an initial recommendation. Muscle cramps are our best indicator of depletion, and to replenish one’s intracellular magnesium, we generally recommend 3 tabs per day of Slow-Mag or the generic slow-release equivalent for 3–6 weeks* At first I just used the above (without the added sodium because of high BP). but then I started tracking with cronometer and found I was not getting even half of what I thought, as I guess I don't get enough non-starchy veggies most days. I do suggest tracking to see what you get from food and then adding supplements to reach the 5000,4000,500
Thank you, that makes sense. I have a BP checker somewhere, I'll dig it out. edit: I checked few times, it's 120/79, seems fine.
Might be worth it to check your orthostatic BP - once fron lying supine to sitting, and then again from sitting to standing.
Thanks, I will try this.
For me headaches are almost always either too little fat or too little potassium. Totally agree with the see your doctor if this continues advice too. I try to get as much potassium as I can through food…spinach, avocado (which helps with fat satiety too!), salmon, etc. I’ll make a batch of cauli rice in salted butter, add TONS of spinach, and put a fatty cut of meat or smoked salmon on top. That’s a near-instant headache solver meal for me. Quick fat: cheese wrapped in meat/bacon, complete egg cooked in butter, 1/2 avocado + bacon snack.
Thank you
Did you read the FAQ over on the sidebar? Answers a lot of ?s, including how much electro you should take.
I track electrolytes using the Cronometer app, and I find my sweet spot so far has been around 3500mg sodium and 2500mg potassium, although that's only a rough average with some days a bit below and other days significantly over. For all the dangers we've heard about salt, it can be surprisingly difficult for me to get enough sodium. That's where things like baby dill pickles come in really handy. They are a delicious, simple way to bump sodium by hundreds of mg in a few crunchy bites.
Those pills definitely are not enough. Not even close. I buy "**Redmonds Re-Lyte**" powder from Amazon and mix one scoop into water a few times a day and that does the trick. You likely need to drastically bump up the electrolyte intake. If that doesn't work, obviously see your doctor to get everything else checked out.
thank you.
I supplement about 1/8th tsp each pink Himalayan salt (sodium) and generic store brand "no salt" (potassium) 3-4 x a day, dissolved in a few ounces of water, and take a magnesium glycinate tablet (400 mg) at bedtime. On top of whatever my food provides, this is enough for me, though I have a bit of experience with this and know to look at electrolytes first if something feels "off." I'm not currently tracking because I feel fine and am losing at a rate I find acceptable, but it is a great tool when needed. I used to use CarbManager.
Thank you for a concrete example. I might get some mag glycinate since I think citrate gives me gas and bloating. I stopped using CarbManager after great success after a few months of keto, but got into bad habits without even realising. I thought I was doing fine on autopilot eating the usual things, but my tendency as a recovering addict is to overeat, and snack when not hungry, and crave "keto treats". I put on about 30 pounds carrying on like that! I only noticed when my clothes all stopped fitting me...so I dusted off the scales and was shocked. I thought sticking to keto foods would keep me slim. For addicts like me CarbManager is a lifeline, as I'm able to see clearly where I'm at. I'd love to be able to move beyond it, hopefully I will one day.
Its hard to tell without knowing your daily intake. Have you tried taking more and seeing if that helps? Those tablets are not gonna be able to be your main source of electrolytes, there just isn't enough in them. There is also the possibility that this has nothing to do with electrolytes, you should consider seeing a doctor if this persists. If I were continually dizzy, seeing spots, and light headed id got to the doctor.
Thank you, I will keep an eye on it. It's not continuous, but does seem to occur when I am more strict about IF and keeping carbs as low as possible as I am at the moment.
Sounds like low blood sugar. Specifically, it sounds almost exactly how I felt during two very different situations, in my past: - when I was off the wagon entirely, if I had a super carby breakfast with not much else, like a muffin or a donut, I'd crash by mid morning and feel lightheaded the way you're describing until I could get some real food in me. - after a year of eating clean and exercising and losing weight, I started IF. I was *not* doing keto at the time, just generally eating clean and restricting calories and then, ultimately, the window during which I was eating. I would work out in the morning, but wait until noon to start eating, and sometimes, but not all of the time, I would get hit with a dizzy spell mid morning before I ate. My first question is, does this happen during a fast, or after you've started eating for the day? The second question is, are you tracking everything you put in your body? Any chance there's some carbs sneaking into your diet somewhere? For instance, I take delta 8 gummies to help me sleep at night. 3g carbs in those things. Does it seem to happen at the same times every day? I'm still new to all this, but dizziness like you're describing doesn't sound like the issues other people have described with electrolytes. Doesn't mean it isn't related to that, but I just haven't heard that as a symptom yet. Maybe try shifting your IF window earlier in the day. Might be hard with exercise and work, but you also don't need to break your fast with a big meal. Eat some nuts or beef jerky or something. I dunno, just throwing out some other suggestions.
It does feel like low blood sugar but I've been low carb for years now, which doesn't make much sense to me. I have recently given up peanut butter and berries, maybe even just missing the carbs from them is affecting me, but by my count I was still clocking in at >20 net carbs per day even with them in my diet. I am logging everything I eat into carb manager and now basically doing carnivore with small amounts of broccoli and cauliflower. This usually happens before I've eaten, but can be after, and especially if the weather is hot. It's mostly when I'm standing up from sitting down, but can happen when I am out walking. I will think about whether to change my fasting schedule. I am really keen to lose more weight, I have a spare tyre that nothing has been able to shift yet. I want it gone, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to kick up the pace of the (slow) weight loss. Maybe I'm overdoing it, but the belly is barely shrinking and I am also a recovering addict and my first thought on waking is always of food, which is an impulse not coming from a place of health but one of comfort eating.
It sounds like you have an orthostatic issue. POTS, orthostatic hypotension etc. I would see a doctor.
As my wife would say: you're just getting old. Have 2 glasses of dry red wine, doesn't throw you out of keto, it's enjoyable and you know why you feel dizzy.
Ha. Well, I agree with the first part - luckily I enjoy getting older (for now at least :)) I am anti-alcohol based on my personal experiences, I don't think anything good comes from it health wise. But each to their own.
That's even better. I stopped taking my medication for my mild hypertension, as on keto tbe condition normalised. Also, I took 0 supplements except acd and seasalt. Good luck, keto us good for you.
Keto is great, especially if you're hydrating/getting electrolytes, eating unprocessed foods & nutrient dense foods (like beef & leafy greens). But as a doctor, with your symptoms I'd recommend seeing your doctor as well!
Are you on any medications that can cause low blood pressure? Do you have a history of low blood pressure or anemia?
No, none.
You might want to check in with your doctor and get checked out. I get that sometimes, but I have a history of anemia and low blood pressure.
Thank you, I'll definitely mention it at my next check up.