Is this the carb flu?

[Lora Friedenthal 12]

I woke up today with the worst vertigo I've ever had. I've spent all day flat, basically, because moving makes me dizzy. In addition I've felt ill, though it may be due to the nausea from the dizziness. Normally I only get vertigo during my period, which i have always assumed was because of hormones.

I'm on day 7 of the Whole30. Could it be causing me to feel this ill?

[1Maryann 1314]

Sorry to see you haven't gotten any answers, I guess like me, everyone figured someone else would know more and would comment. I can see where, if you'd been eating lots of grains prior to start, that your body might go crazy after a few days while it learns a new way to extract energy from your new way of eating. It actually requires more work to break down fat and protein for energy than it does to easily convert carbs to sugar. Back when I was on the Atkins boards, when people had these kinds of symptoms they would be told to drink some salted beef broth a few times a day. I don't remember why, something to do with the balance of salt and amino acids.

[Lora Friedenthal 12]

Well, I guess it's possible that no one else has gotten veritgo as a symptom, so there isn't really much to say.

Salted beef broth sounds rather tasty in its own right.

[Jeanye Mercer 90]

Lora,

My daughter experiences vertigo from time to time and has noticed that a change in diet can sometimes be a trigger. I'll be sure one of the more science minded folks knows about your question and hopefully, has some answers for you.

[Melissa Urban 2339]

Lora, we're not doctors, first of all, so if you're worried about some of your symptoms, your first call should be your medical professional's office.

It's unusual that "carb flu" symptoms would kick in on Day 7 (and not start sooner), so I suspect this is something different. If you experience vertigo during certain times of your cycle, then I would not be surprised that you'd experience some during your Whole30. You're experiencing a pretty powerful hormonal shift, and things like insulin and cortisol play a huge role in sex hormone balance.

Of course, there is always the possibilty that you're just getting sick with the flu or some other bug going around - it's not always food-related. I'd recommend staying hydrated, resting, ensuring you're getting enough food on a daily basis and not under-eating (and making sure you've got some salt in your daily diet), and seeing how things feel tomorrow. (And again, call your doctor, if you're concerned.)

Best,

Melissa

[Lyn1 44]

This is not a scientific answer, but are you maybe eating too much protein and not enough fruit and veg? I ask this because when I did Atkins, I had vertigo. (Never had it before or since! Sometimes, while driving, I had to pull over. This is why I stopped Atkins. Too much meat and fat and not enough veggies.....and no fruit!) I agree that you should probably talk to your doctor but it wouldn't hurt to try a few more veggies and see if that helps, right?

[Lora Friedenthal 12]

Thanks for the feedback.

Lyn, I suppose it's possible. I'll experiment with cutting it back a little.