Bone Crushing Fatigue!

[Paleowoman]

I didn't take the recommended potassium (99mg 4 times per day) because I've never done it in the past and felt just fine -- I use plenty of seasalt and eat artichokes, avocado and other high potassium foods. I do take 400-600 mg of Magnesium Citrate in hot water at bedtime. I do not take calcium supplements nor do I eat dairy. This Summer, I've been using the sauna regularly for the first time in my life. At first, I was good about taking some fluid replaceme with sugar-free Emer'gen C (electrolytes + C) mixed in. Then of course I got lazy. I began experiencing intermittent bouts of horrendous fatigue -- like I could just collapse. So yesterday I stayed out of the sauna and felt better until evening when -- CRASH. This morning I felt ok -- not energetic, just ok, and decided not to exercise, just to take it easy. By mid-morning I was CRASHING -- just exhausted, like walking is an effort. I took 1/6 teaspoon of Nu-Salt (potassium chloride) under my tongue and NO RESULT. Then I had lunch and put more seasalt and NU-Salt on my veggies PLUS a 99 mg potassium pill. Several hours later, I still feel like hell so I took a packet of Emer'Gen C in water -- no effect. Any suggestions would be most appreciated -- I've NEVER experienced this kind of fatigue on lowcarb before. Today I managed a short walk to the store but that's it -- feel like I could fall over.

I do have a hypothyroid condition and was at the doc 3 months ago and he did a complete workup. It's time for a check on that so I had blood drawn 2 days ago but my appointment isn't until Sept. 5 - my doc is on vacation. Does anyone know if it takes a while for potassium supplementation to kick in and can depletion cause INTERMITTANT bouts of extreme exhaustion? Does anyone know if labs would call me if something was seriously wrong on my bloodwork?

[laughingW]

I'd call the doc I think.

Potassium depletion is more like heavy limbs for me.

did anything else change in your program?

What are you eating?

Did you change your amounts of protein, fat, potassium-heavy veg?

If it was me it almost sounds like a fuel crash, like when your body switches from carb fuel to fat fuel only the fat-burning pathways don't work very well yet. so, no fuel = crash?

[Paleowoman]

Hi LaughingW:

Doc is on vacation until Sept 5 -- that's when I have my appointment.

I eat the usual -- under 30 carbs per day. This AM I had 2 tablespoons macadamia nut butter and a poached egg; Lunch: Large lamb chop with salad (lettuce, parsley, tomatoe, olive oil, lemon juice).

When you had potassium depletion, did you get symptoms constantly or intermittantly??

[laughingW]

When you had potassium depletion, did you get symptoms constantly or intermittantly??
um, I only had it once. then I switched to high potassium intake from leafy greens - I sure never wanted that again!

When I asked what you were eating I was wondering if you're having enough protein and fat to cover your energy needs. That breakfast would have me crashing.

[Tad]

Maybe it's not diet-related... the only time I've ever felt something that bad was when I was coming down with the flu....

[Jackie]

Hope this helps,

My husband had weird symptoms like that years ago. However he would end up in complete paralysis from the waist down. I would take to the hospital (always happen in the middle of the night) and by time anyone could look at him the paralysis would subside and he would feel fine. We live in a rural community so the docs said next time it happen they would quickly whisk him by ambulance to our closest "big" hospital (5 hours away) and get him into a neurologist, the paralysis puzzled them. It happened and by the time he got there of course the neurologist thought everyone was nuts as there was not a thing wrong with him.

Came back home for the local docs to check and yes the potassium was dreadfully low, but it was the sodium levels that apparently caused the problem. the doc said alot of times that is overlooked because one associates the weakness or in our extreme case temp. paralysis with low potassium. I would get your soduim checked as well. Just my two cents. I hope you can find out the problem soon. It does not sound like any fun!

Good luck

[Paleowoman]

Thanks Jackie! What did your husband's docs give him for it and did they figure out what caused the low sodium levels??

My doc did complete blood work 3 days ago (including sodium and potassium) but he went on vacation that day so I don't get the results until Sept 5 when he gets back. I'm going to try to reach his office on Monday to ask what the lab would do if there was a very abnormal lab result ie do they contact the doc on vacation? In NYC, we are treated like babies and labs won't tell the patient results. The blood work I had 3 months ago showed sodium 139 on a scale of 135-146; and potassium at 3.8 on a scale of 3.5-5.3. So both were edging toward low normal and that was before the hot summer months. One other thought is that I've been taking 400-600mg magnesium citrate to help me sleep and to help avoid constipation -- and sometimes, my bowels are lose ie more fluid being lost (salt, potassium) plus, the cummulative effect of the sauna, and low carb. I researched magnesium last night and discoved that too much magnesium can cause "hypermagnesia" and the symptoms sound like what I have -- lethargy, muscle weakness. It's kind of rare but can happen with overdoing supplements (maybe I'm taking too much for my particular body)? I gobbled high potassium foods last night (artichoke and asparagus) plus ate salted almonds (high in magnesium !) and expected to gain some water weight this morning because of the added salt and no exercise (hermit in my apartment yesterday because I felt so awful) and no sauna for 2 days but I didn't - I dropped half a pound. -I think I should continue to lay off the sauna until my doc can guide me on proper electrolyte supplementation. I'm just gobbling potassium pills and sprinkling Nu-Salt on everything without real knowledge of what the heck I'm doing. I pray that this is just an electrolyte imbalance because it's so debilitating. Thanks all for your responses/help -- it's much appreciated.

[Jackie]

Well I am sure, (it was many years ago) so I don't remember exactly but I was sure the docs had said that his soduim was dangerously low because his potassium was.
The I do remember that his potassium level was under 2, like 1.4 or something so they actually gave him something intervenously and make him drinnk strong concentrations of orange juice. then for maintenance they suggested a potassuim supplement and to eat a banana every day. He did that for about 6 months and has never had the symptoms again.

After seeing specialists etc. they concurred that it was hypo or hyper, yes hyper thyrodism.I do not know the science behind it all, so I am not sure how the two re related but apparently the are in some fashion.They wanted to take part of this thyroid out and put him on pills for the rest of his life. WE refused that treatment and sought the advice of a homeopathic doctor. She put him on a serious of meds (homeopathic ones) and he is fine.

Not sure your case and his are at all the same, but its what happened with us.

[hawk]

I experienced this this year in February and March . I was weight lifting pretty seriously and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It caused me to go off of lo carb for awhile, but I gained weight like crazy.. so not a good idea. I wrote to Anthony Colpo and asked him what to do and he told me to incorporate more fat into my diet. He told me that I was eating too low fat for what I was doing and to up my fat. Others who lift weights told me to add carbs to my protien meals in the form of an apple or orange. When I added carbs I began to gain weight. I am back on the no carb diet again to lose all I gained and am just walking. I want to start lifting but I think I seriously have to count what I am eating and make sure it is at least 80 % fat. When I am totally no carb, I lose about 10 pounds a month. The Stephen Phinney interview you posted is a big help to me. I am trying to be sure I get at least 80 % fat like the interview stated that the Alutes ate.
Anthony's site is www.theomnivore.com/ (http://www.theomnivore.com/) If you have some questions about it e-mail him. He is a paleo eater and a weight lifter.
Also Gabe in our own site lifts weights and knows the science of this. I really struggled with it. I was so tired that I wondered if I had Leukemia.

[LisaS]

well you might just be coming down with the flu - or it could be something really serious - or it could just be you need to tweak your diet or exercise or rest schedule - of course, no one here could really say. If plenty of rest doesn't fix it, then you might need to look for other causes.

Being cautious I'd say with any sudden appearance of a symptom like the seriously overwhelming fatigue described here - and rest/sleep doesn't fix it - I think you have to rule out the scary serious stuff first - electrolyte problems, anemia (and its underlying cause), infections, hormonal imbalances, heart problems could present as overwhelming fatique.

Once your physician rules out the scary stuff - then we can talk about diet tweaking, exercise, rest and so forth.

JMHO.