keto flu

Got desperate. Had to lower my siezure risk. Decided to go keto. Holy Crap. Keto flu. Im having less electricity but wow I'm sick. I'm light headed dizzy and can't sleep. Also in the middle of a panic attack. Sugar withdrawal on top of benzo withdrawal is a bit much. Bout to go grab a carb cuz this is a huge shock to my system. How long does sugar withdrawal last?

Exact same stuff just happened to me. First day and I was coasting on just 26 net carbs until about 5:30 pm then I got hit by a sledgehammer: got super light-headed and felt like I'd pass out. Fortunately, I had decided to read some carbs to make a slower transition before I got light-headed. It took like 2 hours to feel better.

 

 

Edit:  language.

So there's two things at play here.  First and foremost, when beginning the keto diet, the body loses a ton of water that is otherwise stored in the muscle tissue with glucose.  This is normal and not harmful in any way.  However, with water loss comes electrolyte loss, and this is what creates the symptoms of "keto flu."  During the first month of keto, it's best to supplement with electrolytes to ameliorate these symptoms.

 

The second part, the sugar withdrawal, is not much of a concern but real enough.  You start feeling the full benefits of keto somewhere around 6 weeks into it.    It's worth it in my opinion.