Can a sudden improvement in diet make me sick?

[Bro]

I know the question seems really strange and possibly impossible, but I'm running out of ideas. I'm desperately searching for the answer that has caused me to start feeling the way I do, and this is one of the only things I can think of.

Some background: I'm 18, 5'6", 135-140 pounds.

As some of you may know, I recently dropped a whole bunch of food from my diet, all around the same few days. I said goodbye to my daily binge of cereal, pop tarts, cookies, ham and cheese sandwiches, and hot pockets. Instead, I started eating more eggs, apples, carrots, soups, and grilled meats.

For the past two weeks (around the time I started introducing these dietary changes), I've experienced a wide variety of problems, including dizziness, nausea, as well as panic/anxiety attacks. It might not make a lot of sense, but I feel as if maybe the massive dietary change is causing me to feel dizzy or nauseous for the major drop in carbs/sugar, and I'm just panicking over it because it's been very two long weeks. These are not mild issues. To put it in perspective, I've considered taking the semester off school because I'm literally terrified to do anything out of fear of feeling really sick, or like I'm going to pass out.

I've been to the doctor and the hospital. I was prescribed the lowest dose of Xanax, but it doesn't really help. Both parties are suggesting that I am under a lot of stress right now, but I'm honestly not. I've been through a lot worse without this happening. Furthermore, I've also secretly enjoyed being a little on the miserable/angry side. It makes absolutely NO sense that I could develop an anxiety disorder out of nowhere, considering that I've always enjoyed stress to a marginal degree. Diet is the only thing I can think of that has changed.

My next step is to wait until tomorrow to schedule an appointment with some sort of therapist, but I know right away that the first step is finding out what is causing the issues. I realize that neither the doctor or hospital asked me about changes in diet, which has me thinking that it really could be that. I did get some blood tests done, but nothing came up. Is it still possible?

Please advise. I'm desperate.

[Guest guest4729]

Perhaps maybe it's YOU that's causing the unneeded stress. Perhaps YOU are stressing yourself out about all these things. Maybe you're ovethinking it, overanalying it and just psyching yourself out about the diet change so much that it's unintended and causing you to become anxious. It could also be part of your body's way of dealing with withdrawal from so much sugar. Sugar is really addicting and to just immediately take it away could be rough on your body.

Try an experiment? Add a little sugar back in your diet. I'm not saying go overboard - but add a little back in. Perhaps it's a single pop-tart in the morning with your new breakfast of eggs or whatever. Perhaps it's a little cereal or a cookie here and there. See how your body reacts to it. Does it lower anxiety? Does it lower your feelings of nausea? If it does, perhaps you should just keep one of those elements in your diet and ween yourself off of it slower. If your body was SO used to eating all this sugar it might just be like "EMERGENCY. EMERGENCY. WHAT'S GOING ON, MAN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?"

When I took those things out of my diet I did it slowwwwwlllllyyyy. I stopped eating pasta like twice a day immediately, but things like granola bars and the occasional cookie I slowly took out so that I wasn't fiending for one. It's helped a lot and I can normally just ignore sugary stuff without freaking out when my next fix will be.

If what I said above doesn't work perhaps you should see something about it. Your health is extremely important!

[Bro]

I understand your point, but I don't necessarily agree with it. When I picked up these diet changes, I was only expecting to see an improvement in health, appearance, and energy. I hadn't even considered any of the negative side effects. The only reason I'm wondering about the low blood sugar thing now is because someone else suggested it, and when I looked up some of the symptoms, it makes a little bit of sense.

I'm on board with your experiment. The only problem is that I have such a low appetite for that kind of food right now. I suppose I'll have to try to wait until I'm hungry again to actually having somewhat of a craving for it? I could see myself going downstairs to eat a carrot, but I just tried a bite of a cookie and I definitely can't make it through the whole thing right now.

Thank you so much for your response though, you really have no idea how much it means to me.

[Guest guest4729]

I understand your point, but I don't necessarily agree with it. When I picked up these diet changes, I was only expecting to see an improvement in health, appearance, and energy. I hadn't even considered any of the negative side effects. The only reason I'm wondering about the low blood sugar thing now is because someone else suggested it, and when I looked up some of the symptoms, it makes a little bit of sense.

I'm on board with your experiment. The only problem is that I have such a low appetite for that kind of food right now. I suppose I'll have to try to wait until I'm hungry again to actually having somewhat of a craving for it? I could see myself going downstairs to eat a carrot, but I just tried a bite of a cookie and I definitely can't make it through the whole thing right now.

Thank you so much for your response though, you really have no idea how much it means to me.

Do what you can and try not to let your anxiety get the best of you, don't overthink things too much. That's one of the things that makes me the most anxious - when I think about something so much I just get all nervy about it. The main reason I suggested retrying those kinds of food is because some of what you're saying reminds me of people coming down from some drug and going through withdrawal. They get all anxious, a lot of nausea, a lot of mixed feelings and just general uneasiness. I mean, a lot of people ARE addicted to food in an unhealthy way. Perhaps you were more addicted to sugar than previously though.

[Bro]

Right. I find that sometimes a really deep breath and immediately trying to focus on something else helps me prevent losing control, but it's just the constant ups and downs of feeling: "I can't live another ten minutes feeling like this." to "This is okay, I can beat this." At any second the switch can be made, and it's made it so impossible to try to accomplish anything with diet or exercise.

In regards to sugar addiction, three years ago (when I was 15ish), I wanted to make lifestyle changes. Everyday I would wake up and tell myself to not eat cereal, but I would sit around all day thinking about it until I finally lost it all and went and binged on it. I would eat a whole 1600 calorie box of poptarts in one sitting, not even to mention the milk that went along with it and all the other food I ate that day. Of course, I did eventually manage to get over that pattern, but I still honestly do believe I have a food addiction. There are days when I wake up and eat healthy, but find myself sitting around the house miserable without an urge to do ANYTHING. Then, out of misery, I do something (yesterday, in fact) like order a whole Domino's pizza and eat the whole thing by myself in a half hour, and suddenly I'll all bouncy and ready to go out with my friends or read this book, do that hobby, etc.

It's really something I'm ready and willing to work on. It's nothing less than a miracle that I somehow managed to stay relatively thin with a lifestyle like this. I know it won't last forever, so now's the perfect time to be making changes.

[catspaw]

My guess is that you're massively undereating.

[wildross]

It absolutely can make you feel sick. It's called "cleansing", or flat out "withdrawal" symptoms. When I discontinue Diet Mountain Dew and other caffeine, I have mild flu symptoms for several days.

[GreenEyesBright]

Personally it sounds like sugar withdrawal. If you're used to stress, then you're probably used to having higher cortisol levels as well. Without sugar, you don't produce nearly as much. Low blood sugar (Feeling weak and dizzy) is usually from high insulin levels. Your body is used to over producing that, and it may take a few weeks to adjust. Get some sugar in the morning with a glass of orange juice. Its still paleo if you get the right kinds, or just eat one in the morning. Also consider a multivitamin. I know a lot of people won't agree with that, but if you aren't eating enough it will help a lot, esp B-12. B-12 will help regulate glucose levels and maintain your energy all day. I agree with Catspaw, you probably aren't eating enough. You have to eat with Paleo. Its very easy to under eat on it. I'm not an expert by any means, but I do have low blood sugar and low blood pressure, and it really does mess with your hormones. Awsd00 has it right, you're body is freaking out about the sugar. Reintroduce some sugar/bread carbs, and see how you feel. Good Luck and hope this helps a little.

[afflictionreckoning]

It sounds like sugar withdrawal. Much like nicotine, alcohol and caffeine, refined sugar is addictive and when you try get rid of it suddenly your body would go through withdrawal. My advice is to go through it slowly or try to replace that sugar with more sugar from fruits and vegetables. Best of luck.

[GoToTheGround]

Sounds to me like you have carb flu. Nothing you can do except man up and push through it. It subsides after about two weeks. You're forcing you blood sugar down and your body will throw out untold amounts of crap....the appearance is similar to a bad flu hence the name.

Look at it this way: You raped your body with your previous diet, this is the nasty bit where it starts trying to reset and heal itself.

I used to get it really badly when I'd cycle back to low carb after a binge but now I've been through 10+ big cycles I don't get it at all now. Wasn't aprticularly pleasant the first couple of times. I could literally starting eating something high carb and my nose would be running and eyes puffy before I'd even finished the meal.

['Roos]

I'm absolutely agreeing with the sugar withdrawl people, and the undereating. When I go off sugar, I'll feel depressed, anxious, restless, irrationally angry, weepy, lethargic, etc for a few days to a week or two. I have to keep telling myself that these feelings are all in my mind - that I'm not going to die of hunger, somehow never have a good day again, etc. It's just pure withdrawl. Add in if you haven't replaced those sugar calories with fat and protein, and your body is FREAKING THE FUCK OUT. Given how you seem to have responded positively to caloric uptick in the past (ie, you eat a pizza, you feel better) you should probably try to eat more of something which is calorically dense, and ride it out. If you aren't feeling better in three weeks of FAITHFULLY not having sugars/processed carbs, you should probably seek some medical intervention. However, if you're 'cheating' once every couple of days, (ie, cookie here or there, etc) you could expect the withdrawl to last for quite a lot longer.

[Atalan]

I agree with everyone else having just gone through this. Combination of the diet change forcing your body to physically change (for the positive) at the cellular level and undereating. To show you how much food (volume) can be in a Paleo meal: last night I had a steak and various vegetable stir-fry. My dinner plates are an 8" circle. The stir-fry was about two inches deep in the center of the plate. It had 650 kCal, overestimated.

[Bro]

Oh, no no no. You guys don't understand. This is not something I can just "man through and ride up". I immediately started eating sugary food after I decided that this was most likely the case. I felt really great both physically and mentally for a little while, but now I'm feeling panicky again and on the verge of losing it. If I even have to go through one day of something like this to do something like the Paleo, then it's just not worth it and I don't care what anyone says. This isn't just a matter of feeling sick. This is a matter of both physically and mentally feeling like I'm never going to be happy another day in my life. I'm going back to my old diet that make me feel like I was going to die.

Thanks for all the support, but Paleo is not going to be apart of my life right now, or anytime soon for that matter. I got put on Xanax because of this. It's not even worth it.

[tatpunk]

Maybe you just gained an anxiety disorder around the same time. It might just be a coincidence with the anxiety. But the lightheadness and nausea probably is from not eating the sugary/carb crap and under eating. Good luck. And try to think it through and not just make snap decisions. Jumping back and forth isn't going to make it any better.

[Bro]

I don't think it's a coincidence. At the same time I dropped from 300+ carbs a day to a very small amount, I develop an anxiety disorder? I don't buy it, especially considering the science is there, with the whole carb/sugar thing playing a role in serotonin regulation. It just makes sense. I've searched around and apparently other people online have noticed the same thing. I'm going to call my doctor on money and discuss this with him.

However, I'm not planning on jumping back and forth, though. I'm going back to my regular diet (as soon as I can even find the stomach to eat at all) and then will make about one change a month until I'm where I want to be again. I've learned my lesson about rushing into things.

[IndigoBanshee]

A "very small amount" of carbs isn't necessary paleo. That's the low carb movement's effect on paleo. I eat between 50-100g of carbs when losing weight, and up to 150 when not (and it looks like losing weight isn't really your issue). I would just focus on eating as fresh and whole as possible, and not on heavily limiting carbs.

[Loren Wade]

I don't think it's a coincidence. At the same time I dropped from 300+ carbs a day to a very small amount, I develop an anxiety disorder? I don't buy it, especially considering the science is there, with the whole carb/sugar thing playing a role in serotonin regulation. It just makes sense. I've searched around and apparently other people online have noticed the same thing. I'm going to call my doctor on money and discuss this with him.

However, I'm not planning on jumping back and forth, though. I'm going back to my regular diet (as soon as I can even find the stomach to eat at all) and then will make about one change a month until I'm where I want to be again. I've learned my lesson about rushing into things.

Bro. You just explained why you're feeling this way. 300+ carbs and dropping it all at once? I'd get sick too!!! When I had the "low carb" flu, I got nauseous and light headed the first week too man. Sorry to see you go. I tried to help you out a ton with it.

A "very small amount" of carbs isn't necessary paleo. That's the low carb movement's effect on paleo. I eat between 50-100g of carbs when losing weight, and up to 150 when not (and it looks like losing weight isn't really your issue). I would just focus on eating as fresh and whole as possible, and not on heavily limiting carbs.

This.

[Bro]

Just for the record, this just happened: About an hour ago, I started feeling really nauseous and dizzy. Panic and anxiety started setting in soon after. Although I felt really full and like vomiting, I forced down a slice of bread. I started feeling better enough for another slice, so I ate another. The panic and anxiety were gone within minutes, and the sickly feelings left soon after. I felt safe again. Thanks for all of your help, guys. I'm pretty sure I found the root of my problem.

Sorry to see you go. I tried to help you out a ton with it.

I know how hard you tried to help, and I really do appreciate it, even though it seemed like I didn't want to follow your advice. I'm going to resume my normal diet until I feel 100% better for a while, and then slowly and more carefully introduce these Paleo lifestyle changes. This plan does include actually finishing the book.

[gugi9000]

Going back to the drugs.. That's just sad.

Next time take one step at a time. I started with liquid sugars.

I started back in July '11, I'm not there yet, but I never felt the withdrawals. I know other have done it much faster. I did lose 12kg - going from 92 kg with a height of 184cm. So something's right in the Paleolithic solution.

[Elastigirl]

I don't think it's a coincidence. At the same time I dropped from 300+ carbs a day to a very small amount, I develop an anxiety disorder? I don't buy it, especially considering the science is there, with the whole carb/sugar thing playing a role in serotonin regulation. It just makes sense. I've searched around and apparently other people online have noticed the same thing. I'm going to call my doctor on money and discuss this with him.

However, I'm not planning on jumping back and forth, though. I'm going back to my regular diet (as soon as I can even find the stomach to eat at all) and then will make about one change a month until I'm where I want to be again. I've learned my lesson about rushing into things.

That sounds like a good plan. As you make changes, change your most unhealthy items away to healthy. Do whole wheat toast instead of poptarts. If you eventually get to where you are not eating processed foods and just real food, you'll have improved your diet immensly.

[Loren Wade]

Just for the record, this just happened: About an hour ago, I started feeling really nauseous and dizzy. Panic and anxiety started setting in soon after. Although I felt really full and like vomiting, I forced down a slice of bread. I started feeling better enough for another slice, so I ate another. The panic and anxiety were gone within minutes, and the sickly feelings left soon after. I felt safe again. Thanks for all of your help, guys. I'm pretty sure I found the root of my problem.

I know how hard you tried to help, and I really do appreciate it, even though it seemed like I didn't want to follow your advice. I'm going to resume my normal diet until I feel 100% better for a while, and then slowly and more carefully introduce these Paleo lifestyle changes. This plan does include actually finishing the book.

Glad to hear it. And I agree with your new approach. Transition slowly. Also, there could be some other kind of medical stuff going on as well you may not be aware of.

[tazer]

this same thing happened to me - it's definitely your blood sugar. it's because you are young and your pancreas is actually working TOO will. if you will do more grazing throughout the day with quick carbs like whole grain bread or crackers - your blood sugar will start to stabalize naturally. also, taking cinnamon supplements will help. the anxiety and panic is normal. i went to a doctor last month with the same concerns: i thought i was dying, even had an irregular heartbeat. she said to include more carbs at regualr intervals but cut the processed sugar because that is what causes all of this. you dont have to go back to your old diet 100% to correct the issue, you just have to be smart about your blood sugar.

[spezzy]

I cut down from 300 carbs a day to under 50 and very little sugar within the last week, and let me tell you: I've been a complete and utter bitch (if you guys haven't noticed) as well as had periods where I'm lightheaded, have no energy, and am overly confused due to the withdrawl from the sugar and carbs.

I do believe that you are going through sugar withdrawl and carb flu and you just need to wait it out.

That all being said, from your posts here and elsewhere on the forums, I believe you have a body dysmorphic disorder, which is a form of an eating disorder (I know you're going to disagree with me, but as I said - I've been a complete and utter bitch and don't care right now - i've been there and you have all of the signs and I would hate to see it get worse) and think you should see the therapist regardless as soon as possible.