To go to the doctor's because I've eaten too much salt and I think I'm dying

[poopcollector101]

I feel awful.

I've been doing the keto diet for 2 weeks. Part of this is that you replace your electrolytes by drinking salt water, 1tsp dissolved in water. I've done this past 2 days then yesterday for lunch I had a whole packet of pork crackling that was incredibly salty (actually made me feel a bit sick) and then ham hock salad, which was a bit salty, then I had some edamame beans with soy sauce (also salty) I didn't consider this at the time.
When I got home I had sprouts and bacon - more salt.

Then developed the worst headache I've ever experienced at about 8pm, literally feels like my brain was throbbing. Dry mouth and thirsty so I drank a ton of water.

I woke up at 5am with my head throbbing and I could barely move, husband have me a co codamol, barely touched the headache. I still feel wobbly now, my head feels so heavy and throbbing, it's like no headache I've ever had.

Should I go to the doctor this morning?

If that was me I would just go to A and E actually. To be safe. Poor you, I hope you feel better soon. And please stop this diet. It is possible to lose weight by reducing portion size and moderately increasing movement.

Drink loads of water, eat some normal food and stop doing this stupid diet.

DO NOT DRINK ANY MORE WATER!

Do go to a walk in or A+E and tell them what you have done. It is not impossible that you have drunk too much water. You don't know, nor does anyone here. So rather than try more silly self fixes go and ask a medical professional to sort out the mess you have made of yourself.

And NEVER do that again!

I’m also on Keto and have never heard of drinking salt water. I just take a multivitamin every day and drink lots of tap water.

Best ring 111 and get some advice, no one here can help you

Stop Drinking salt water and drink as much plain water as possible. You 'll feel better tomorrow.

I would get medical attention asap - call 111 now.

You are probably fine but sodium is an important electrolyte for the proper functioning of the body, not just in relation to dehydration. Like I said, its unlikely you are in serious trouble but when it goes wrong it can go horribly wrong so a medical assessment of your condition would be sensible, especially as you feel unwell.

Cross posts with Samphire's very sensible post.

Get a cheap blender (magic bullet £35- from argos) and drink delious fruit/veg smoothies for breakfast and lunch if you want to lose weight and go for a 30 minute run each day. Im going to have mango and water melon one today! Seriously I hope you feel better soon.

You actually drank salt water??

Drinking salt water will make you vomit or feel sick nobody should be advocating it stop drinking it you might have a kidney infectionsee your gp.

Have you got bouillon confused with salt water? I’ve never heard of anyone drinking salt water on a keto diet.

I’d suggest calling 111 for advice.

Definitely call 111 before/instead of drinking more water.

Thanks for all the diet advice guys, I was doing fine up until this point, lost 5lb already and feeling great.

The drinking salt water idea is that you take 1tsp of rock or pink Himalayan salt for sodium, 1/2 TSP of lo-salt for potassium and then take a magnesium supplement. It's supposed to help get over the keto flu caused by electrolyte imbalance.

I've clearly overdone the salt by eating a ton of it on top of this. I'm having some food and OJ now and going to see how I feel. I'll call my gp if I don't feel better soon. It's like no headache I've had before, it's like my head is going to pop.

I get migraines when I'm dehydrated which also cause nausea. definitely 111 if your food and OJ doesnt help.

1tsp of salt in how much water?

you replace your electrolytes by drinking salt water,

What?!?!?!?!

Keto flu. And stop dissolving salt in water ffs. Take a sugar free hydration tablet or drink some chicken stock so you get proper electrolytes. Meats and cheeses have enough sodium in them. You need the rest. When they say 'salts' they dont just mean sodium.

Youare going to damage your Kidneys for 5LBs a diet that has a flu isn't healthy is it ? You have lost weight because you are probably peeing so much !

This post is making me cringe. And why Keto had a bad name. Urgh.

What the heck sort of diet is that? Salt water, pork scratchings, bacon?

Keto makes you mega dehydrated anyway, your water uptake should be really quite high, so coupled with the dehydrating effects of the salt and possibly carb flu you're just have a whopping dehydration headache. No need to see GP! Take a migrilieve and drink plenty of water and sleep if you can. Going forward cut out the salt water, salt added to your food is enough, and make sure pay attention to hydration.

Well this diet sounds like bullshit and frankly dangerous. Why would you drink saltwater????
Hope you feel better soon and stop the disordered eating

PLEASE bear in mind that overhydration has some very similar symptoms to dehydration (such as headaches, nausea and weakness) and stop necking gallons of water to try to get rid of your headache. You could well be making it worse. And please don't write it off as "keto flu" if you're already two weeks in - any diet that makes you feel that shit is NOT healthy.

My partners epileptic which is why we started keto and i've never heard of drinkings alt water, it sounds like your going hard into this diet, we just try to limit our carbs to below 30g a day, we didn't get 'carb flu' or anything like that and try to not eat to much meat, just a lot of low carb veg

The normal daily limit for salt is 5mgs- one teaspoon.

If that is what you have had plus a bit in food, it's not the salt that is making you ill.

Most people who eat a normal diet are eating way more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day (not that it is healthy) but it's not the 1tsp salt making you feel ill, more likely the lack of carbs.