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?

OP I hope you feel better.

Facebook has loads of fake news and wrong information. In future best check a reputable site for guidance on diets.

Carb flu lol. What nonsense. But seriously, don’t drink salt water. This is not a diet, it’s stupidity.

@Alsohuman

I haven’t eaten carbs for 11 years

What - so you haven't eaten any vegetables, salad or fruit?!

OP have you got a blood pressure machine at home? I'm slightly concerned that your exploding head feeling is very high blood pressure.

do you have an out of hours type place you can go to?

I am thinking of inventing my new miracle diet, something like eat exclusively sardines for a month, drink grape juice (non fermented!) for another month, and broccolis/ lemon for the next.

Weight loss guaranteed.

I can only this this thread is a massive windup. If not,

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

To quote Forrest Gump, That's all I have to say about that...

@poopcollector101

I'm sure you realise by now that you have misinterpreted the advice that's been given.

You need to increase your electrolyte intake (sodium, magnesium and potassium) to help avoid carb flu. And by now, if you're in week 2, you shouldn't be in any danger of that.

That said, if you're drinking a lot of water (generally advised on a low carb diet, but not sure about keto), then making sure you get enough sodium is important. But this doesn't mean drinking salted water, as you have been doing!

... and also, forgive me if this isn't true on keto, but surely you shouldn't be eating that amount of processed food? I thought keto was supposed to be more about 'clean' eating?

I wish people would stop thinking that weight loss = a healthy outcome, no matter how unsafely it's done. If I subsisted on nothing but rice crackers for a month I'm sure I would lose weight, but I'd look like shit and would be malnourished to boot.

OP, if you're still here, go to the loo and wee into a container so you can see what colour your urine is. It should be a pale straw colour. If it's clear like water, you're overhydrated and if it's dark, you're dehydrated. Don't just keep drinking without at least trying to establish what the problem is.

Absolutely batshit mental thing to do. No wonder you've made yourself ill.
I really hope the salt poisoning passes soon.

Cutting out sugar always gives me a massive headache for the first couple of days, same with caffeine. Drinking salt water? Why, seriously? There's more than enough salt in the food you're eating, probably the food you were eating before. That isn't part of the keto diet.

www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/supplements

It's a great diet for the summer, if you live or holiday on the beach, just drink sea water exclusively, sorted!

(yes, people have died doing just that, but hey ho)

"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."

Fucking hell, that isn't normal. How did we get to the point where people think this shit is a good idea?

BIWI keto is supposed to be clean eating but there is a version called "dirty" keto where you can eat processed foods as long as the carb count doesn't exceed 20g per day.

Two years ago I lost 4 stone following a sensible low carb diet (around 50g carbs per day) and continue to eat low carb now. I recently had full blood tests done when I had to register with a new doctor's surgery - my level of good cholesterol is significantly higher than average and my other results were very good too. My blood pressure also came down from borderline high to the normal range and it's the first time I've actually maintained my weight loss as I get to eat nice food and I'm not raging hungry all the time. Fad diet? Not in my experience.

Simply cutting calories isn't sustainable after dieting on and off for years and messing up your insulin response - as someone once pointed out the "eat less move more" mantra is exactly what you'd do if you wanted to work up an appetite! Long term hunger isn't a solution for maintaining a healthy weight.

(Btw BIWI only my first paragraph was addressed to you specifically)

I'd maybe go to the doctor, however every time I've done keto I feel extremely sick, appetite goes away, headache etc, constant nausea. It could be that you're just feeling the effects of an extreme diet.

Once again, I'll post these three little words:

James Smith Academy

Please, please check him out. Please. You don't have to pay a single penny to gain vital knowledge of weight loss, maintenance, etc. And the best bit? You can eat carbs! Carbs aren't evil.

OP, I hope you're ok.

Get to the doctor and while you’re at it, ask for advice on a healthy weight loss diet. FFS, if the foods you ate are indicative of your current eating habits whether on some fad diet or just your choices, you need to seriously learn about nutrition. And fad diets are also ridiculous, because the key to proper weight loss and maintenance are changing your eating habits. Typically, you lose the weight, celebrate, and go back to your old habits, which is how you became overweight in the first place. Start eating healthy, lower your portions and get some exercise. Takes willpower, yes, but so do fad diets and they don’t work.

the "eat less move more" mantra is exactly what you'd do if you wanted to work up an appetite!

ahem, no, that's just being normal!

i am shocked by the unhealthy and lazy concepts people try to spread around.

Ffs that's a great way to give yourself cardiac arrhythmias and /or kidney problems . I'm a nurse. See a doctor as you need your bloods doing. I'm stunned at the level of stupidity and I've seen some dumbass things in my time.

There's a big 'bro science' vibe going on here

it's just plain madness to eat so much bacon and ham and other processed stuff like scratchings plus soy sauce too (seems like nearly every meal). Too much salt and too many preservatives (and lots of scratchings brands have flavourings). Excess salt and nitrate preservatives are implicated heavily in bowel cancer. Have no idea if you are actually overweight but if you are please, as others have said, look to slowly find a balance that keeps you full and feeling well and is sustainable for the long term. There is no consensus on some things, but there is consensus that excess salt and processed meat products (which includes ham hock, bacon and scratchings) are a risk to health.

Looking at the Keto UK website, they're backed up by 3 nutritionists . Any fool can call themselves a nutritionist. (Dieticians are different and have to be registered).

This way of eating sounds nuts.

@SeriouslyEnoughAlreadyRantOver how is moving more whilst undereating a good way to lose more than a few lbs?? Most people would be setting themselves up to fail (and indeed they do). I was careful to point out that this was in context of someone who has dieted on and off for years, not someone who's never previously had a weight problem and just needs to shift some post holiday or baby weight.