Rash, heart palpitations, constantly hungry

[Adriane]

I'm now on Day 3 of the Whole 30 and feel like I'm dying. Though thankfully the fatigue comes in waves...

What has been weird is I've had a rash on the backs of my hands the last two days and fairly constant heart palpitations. My face is also either breaking out or I have a rash around my mouth- can't really tell which.

Is this normal??

I haven't introduced any new foods. The last three days have consisted of chicken, egg, fish, olives, avocado, tomatoes, random fruit, mushrooms, salad type greens, zucchini and squash.

The only thing I can think of that I could potentially be allergic to is avocado or mushrooms. I've had both before with no problems but I know that doesn't mean much (I'm allergic to just about everything known to man outside of foods). I have never been diagnosed with food allergies- but am allergic to mold and latex.

The other disclosure is I do have a heart condition that causes palpitations so I'm not sure if it is that or something with the foods. I'm not overly concerned with palpitations because I've had it checked out so many times over the last two years and it is never a dangerous rhythm. (One of the reasons for me doing the Whole30.)

Lastly, I've been constantly hungry. The last two nights I've woken up at 1-2am and had to eat something to be able to go back to sleep. I'm already craving sugar and having vivid dreams about chocolate and mac and cheese. I eat until I'm full but within a few hours I'm starving again.

I can't tell you how much I want bread and chocolate right now and just start over again.

Any suggestions?

-Adriane-

[Kaleena]

My first 5-6 days were terrible. I was convinced that I had an allergy to coconut or avocado. I had rashes, constantly hot, and one night I almost fainted. I'm still eating a lot and feeling hungry before the next meal but it's slowly starting to get better (day 13). I have dry lips but I'm not *as* thirsty as a few days ago. Try to ride it out. I bet it will get better for you too.

[Rebecca30]

So, random fact. There is a connection between having a latex allergy and developing an avocado allergy. Maybe try cutting the avocado and using another healthy fat for a while to see if it makes your more comfortable. Here is some info but, google away. Hope you feel better!

"One of the unexpected manifestations of latex allergy has been the clinically evident allergic responses after ingestion or contact with select fruits and vegetables. It appears that as many as half of those individuals with primary latex allergy may develop clinical symptoms following ingestion of select foods (e.g., avocado, banana, kiwi)."

[Adriane]

I knew about the correlation which is why I mentioned it. Bananas have the same thing. I've never had issues with either though. I was thinking though and as fuzzy as my head is I am 99% sure the rash started after lunch and I didn't have avocado until dinner.

This afternoon I snacked on some pistachios. I know snacking is not promoted but it fixed the "I'm done with this- I give up and am going for chocolate" thoughts.

I think this is the hangover described on the timeline... and just started a little late.

[Tom Denham]

Experiencing a rash and heart palpitations is not normal during a Whole30.

I bet you're not eating enough if you are constantly hungry. Many people do not eat enough when they do a Whole30. We're really serious about eating a palm-size portion of protein at every meal and increasing that to two portions if you are hungry. And filling your plate with veggies cooked in one or two thumb-size servings of fat. And drink lots of water. I drink about 10 big glasses per day, not counting anything I drink during gym sessions.

You may need to eat 4 meals per day if you are having trouble with hunger. I ate 5 and sometimes 6 meals per day when I first started the Whole30 and took more than a year to work down to 3 meals per day.

[Adriane]

I think I've been eating more than that amount of protein. Breakfasts have been 2 egg omelets with veggies. And for lunch and dinner I've either had a whole chicken breast or filet of fish + veggies, etc. I may not be doing enough fat because I've been cooking with just olive oil thus far and didn't do much avocado until last night.

I think adding another meal or heavy snack might help.... I understand the reasoning behind 3 meals but I figure a healthy/compliant snack is better than giving up and going back to sugar.

I just broke one of the "rules" with weighing oneself. I'm not concerned about loosing weight because I'm underweight as is- I'm doing this to try and help with medical conditions. I weigh less than I did last week but not by much. I think I might need to keep a closer eye on that seeing as that (loosing weight) was actually my biggest fear coming into the Whole30. Go figure.

I see my doctor tomorrow so I can ask her about the rash if it is still on my hands. It's looking a lot better tonight- still red but not so much like a rash. I know they can't do anything further about the palpitations.

[Rachel Adkins]

When I first went onto paleo a year ago I experienced heart palpitations. I wouldn't mess around with it if you do have a medical condition. But if you believe it's related to the change in diet, I'd look at magnesium. You didn't mention if you were taking any supplements, but when I first went paleo I found that upping my magnesium intake helped. I added bananas and coconut water into my diet daily, then went onto a supplement and no issues since.

[Adriane]

I went to the doctor and brought this up. She said my magnesium and potassium might be low. In terms of the rash she said she had no idea what it was. I can't really blame her for that because she is a neurologist. The rash and blue areas come and go. Basically she wasn't overly concerned since there were no other symptoms.

The constant hunger is getting better though. I'm at least not waking up overnight. I've been more liberal with myself if I feel like I need a snack or whatever.

Hopefully it continues to improve!

[Holly]

I think you made the right choice to contact your doctor about the palpitations. Those are so uncomfortable. I get them from caffeine always, and sometimes from stress.

Remember stress can do weird things to your body. You mentioned feeling starving, that is stress. Palpitations and rashes can be responses to that, but of course palpiations should always be monitored more closely. Rashes could also be a virus.

I wouldn't worry about your rash unless it gets really bad or unless it becomes persistent.

I'm not an expert at Whole 30-ing, but can relate to the issue of feeling like adding fat to the prepared meal is...well, different. I experimented over the past few months with this way of eating, and then committed to starting this week. When I started adding a dollop of the olive oil mayo to foods I not only was overjoyed at the taste, but it really did make a difference with the meal "carrying" over to the next meal.

Hope you feel better.

[Holly]

The other benefit of having coconut oil around the house is that I put it on my face and other itchy areas when I feel very dry. It works so well as a moisturizer! I wonder if you could test that on a little portion of your hand to help soothe it.

[SassieM]

I agree with the magnesium comments..I had palpitations for 3 motnhs before I googled it and started a Mg supplement and they dissapeared in 24hrs. They can be a sign of underlying issues, but more often than not Mg is deficient. I also asked my Ex as he is a cardiologist..he says " I don't generally see them in people who are in happy healthy relationships and content with their lives ... and most resolve with Mg supplementation and some form of stress relief".