I have had 2 major soar throats in a month, each lasting a week long. I only get sick twice in a year normally.
Are these soar throats caused by the Atkins??
I have been eating few carbs for 2 months now.

Thanks

I doubt it.

I have been on Atkin's for 13 months with zero sore throat or even a cold.

Not very likely -- I've been eating low carb for 11 months now and I have never been so well -- not a single cold or sore throat all winter in spite of being surrounded by sick co-workers most of the time. Could you have allergies?

It is very possibly allergies - this time of year is bad and there's been a lot of rain and strange weather. I thought I was getting sick over and over as well, but on the advice of a friend, bought some Allegra and my symptons disappeared and I feel much better. Try some allergie medication and see.

I agree with vbrowne, I would bet it's allergies. 'Tis the season what with all the pollen, mold, etc. Have you tried gargling with warm salt water?

Just a side note on allergies. My DH has been having a horrible time with his allergies this spring...much worse than normal. His eyes almost swelled shut 3 times in the past few weeks even with taking his allergy medications. Our doc finally convinced him to go get allergy testing and we found out he's been eating something all along that he's allergic to...almond butter! Sinus drainage is very acidic and can cause a nasty sore throat. Even if it doesn't seem like your nose is running, you can be having sinus drainage. I agree with the others...try a decongestant or an antihistamine and see if the symptoms improve.

I was wondering the same thing Flyguy. I barely ever get sick. Been on Atkins for a month and got very sick for about a week at the end of my first month. Started with sore throat and turned into a bacterial infection the doctor said. Throat almost closed shut and and infection in the back of my throat. I am wondering if Atkins has lowered my immune system. I hope not, maybe it was just a bug going around that I was lucky to catch. Haha. I am definately going to keep track of when I get sick and such. See if a pattern evolves.

Hope your throat gets better!

Kirsten

Granted, I am only a newbie, however I do believe that the Atkins book does talk about possibilities of women developing yeast infections. If this is true, that is caused by a depletion or imbalance of the different bacteria in the human body. If it can occur in the genital tract, that can also occur in the mouth and throat. The mouth is suseptible to bacteria imbalance from change in diet or even medications leaving bacteria that are left to be unchecked and then they flourish in this rich environment. You may want to refer to your book to see what is suggested for this.

I may be way off here, but being in healthcare, I do see patients that this occurs in. At least check into it a little deeper, it may be something you can adjust with your diets or vitamin/mineral intake. Good luck.

I disagree with the masses. I think that your sore throats are caused by not eating enough carbs. I decided to eat five or less carbs to loose more weight and I got a cold with a sore thoat as well. I think that if you are not eating 20 carbs or as close as you can get to the 20 carbs without going over you will continue to get sick. I guess Dr. Akins had a reason for suggesting that we stick to 20 carbs.

We also need to eat clean well-washed veggies in order to stay health, if you are not doing that then it will make it difficult to fight off learking viruses (colds and flu). Secondly, the older we are the more careful we need to be!

I am re-entering the Atkins lifestyles. In the past I lost 30 lbs.

And you definitely have to take your supplements!!!!!! Read the DANDR to find out what you should be taking in the way of supplements. They are critical in order to help the body repair all the 'diet damage' done to it in the past. Besides, they make you feel better in a few days, too.

Carbs and the lack thereof don't cause colds. Viruses cause colds. Now possibly you're getting dry mouth from ketosis. Just keeping sipping liquids all day long or use some sugar free mints. Ketosis can be very dehydrating.

Other than that, you might be getting a cold or have a post-nasal drip or something. Sometimes my nose starts dripping at the back of my throat, sinus irritation cause by some unknown thing, and that can lead to a sore throat.

Do you consume a lot of products with Nutrasweet in them? If so, you could be experiencing overdose symptoms of Aspartame.

Read up on it, you'll be surprised.