I love Atkins, and I recommend it to anyone & everyone, but I have to tell you that I have been not feeling the best lately. I have been having dizzy spells, feeling like I was actually going to pass out, and I have been feeling weak. My rings turn my fingers black, which I know is an iron deficiency, but could that also cause the diziness? I have always had a problem with my iron.

Other than that I feel wonderful, and I do not EVER want to quit this WOE. I take a multivitamin everyday ( does not contain iron ) & also calcium pills, I am wondering if I should go to the doctor? Start taking iron pills? Although I heard this was dangerous if you take this, and your body does not need it.

I am eating anywhere from 10-20 carbs daily, I was trying to continue on induction for as long as I can, or until I am close to my goal weight. Could I be having to few carbs?

Has anyone had this happen? What did you do to feel better?

Hey there!

Sounds like good advice from freckles. Up your carbs a bit, 10 is probably too low. Also are your calories too low? NExt thing - how much water are you drinking and are you on any tablets for high blood pressure? If you are dry and on these tabs they can make you dizzy especially when you stand up suddenly. Are you diabetic on tablets to lower blood sugar? your blood sugar may be normalising on the diet and the tabs need to be cut down.
Next see your doctor sooner rather than later if the above measures dont help and get your blood count checked etc.

Thank you for responding I might go ahead & call the doc & get an iron test, I am kind of worried that might be the problem, but I am not sure. If that is not an issue, than I will definitely up my carbs

I would say up your carbs girl.... 10 is not healthy ... the new book does not recommend going under 20.. you will not lose faster... and adding in good healthy vitamin enriched foods can not be bad for you...

I would say if your instinct is to see the doctor then go.. but many doctors will poo poo the LC way of life.. so just be prepared for those answers as well..

I've been light headed before... and i don't think it's diet related... sometimes it's dehydration.. and not enough nutrient rich foods...

Good luck.. and let us know what the doctor says

If you are taking calcium make sure you take it with vitamin a and d as they are needed for calcium absorption. Also, you should be getting enough iron if you are eating a lot of meat. iron in meat is found within the heme complex and is more readily absorbable than anywhere else. If you are doing this as a vegetarian, then that is another story. There are a lot of compounds in veggies and legumes that bind (chelate) the iron.

It sounds more like low blood sugar levels to me. I have hypoglycemia and i get like that. If you are limiting your carbohydrates so low you might have depleted your liver glycogen. Protein can only be converted so fast to glycogen. Once you deplete your liver glycogen it takes awhile for it to be put back. You exercise too right?

If you exercise try eating a balance of protein/fat and carbs before working out and after working, a snack then low carb it the rest of the day.

Also you might up your carbs to 30 or 40 % for a couple of days to restore your liver glycogen, then your dizzy spills might go away.

but it's a good idea to talk to the doctor.
suzy

I will take a guess without seeing you and ask if you:
1. Go more then 5 hours without eating substantially, or skip breakfast, or have a very light and carb free breakfast (say, 2-3 eggs only)
2. Are, more generally, not spreading your meals out or concentrating those 10 carbs all at once - say at your lunch time salad.

I will also ask if when you say 'dizzy' I will ask
1. Is it worse when you stand up, or get up for the first time in the morning?
2. Sometimes, is it like you can't see very well for a secound when you first stand up/get dizzy - not blurry but like a blackening at the edge of your eyes?

Dizzinness can be caused by low blood sugar or hypoglecimia. Many people are slightly hypoglecimic, and the symptoms can be exaggerated if carbs are very low or after switching to a low GI diet.

The solution is to eat more carbs - go to 20 straight away then advance through OWL until CCL rather then hanging out around 20. Make sure you spread those carbs throughout the day though. And eat frequently, remembering that 2 nuts doesn't break a fast you are going to have eat something proper.

Wow, you guys are awesome, thank you so much! You have given me so much to think about here! I have not been drinking as much water as I am sopose to lately, but my calories are pretty good 1500-2000 usually. I do notice that when I eat after a dizzy spell it goes away. I was out of town this weekend, and did not eat very many carbs, so maybe thats why I was feeling this way this weekend??

I am going to up my carbs and see how that makes me feel Thanks again everyone, I really appriciate you taking the time to answer my questions

Infiniti - I had NO idea about the vitamin C, and taking it with the other vitamins, so thank you!! I have also wondered about the blood sugar too!

i have an iron deficincy, and if you take the pills right it's ok.i have not heard of it being dangerous; and if you have iron deficiency, by all means take them--you'll start feeling better. it's an easy problem to correct. they're usually generated in a small amount anyway and in not enough amounts to hurt you. now, i don't know about iron pills being dangerous at all, but i do know that IODINE pills, which have to do with your thyroid, if taken excessivly, will give you poisining.

1. Go more then 5 hours without eating substantially, or skip breakfast, or have a very light and carb free breakfast (say, 2-3 eggs only)

No, I usually eat every 4 hours at least, and I never skip breakfast. My normal breakfast meal is 3 scrambled eggs with cheese, and 3 or 4 sausage links

2. Are, more generally, not spreading your meals out or concentrating those 10 carbs all at once - say at your lunch time salad.

usually I do have a LARGE portion of my carbs in one meal

I will also ask if when you say 'dizzy' I will ask
1. Is it worse when you stand up, or get up for the first time in the morning? It just comes on me, I usually do not have trouble in the morning, I usually get it in the afternoon
2. Sometimes, is it like you can't see very well for a secound when you first stand up/get dizzy - not blurry but like a blackening at the edge of your eyes?
all that I have is siziness, and occasaionlly it will feel like the room is turning around, its really wierd. I have also seen spots before, but not lately. I got this EXACT same way when I was pregnant, so it has to be caused by something

Hi again Iowan,

Vitamin C and calcium are two different things. Infiniti was talking about taking calcium with VIt A and VIt D. However Vit C is fine to be taken on its own.

Sounds like you are going to be just fine if you increase your carbs to atleast 20gms/day. Good luck

Hey there again, would seem I was wrong but I noticed this:

"I got this EXACT same way when I was pregnant, so it has to be caused by something"

Do you know about gestational diabates? I really don't know enough about this, but it is a type of diabates different from Type I or Type II that many (I was quite suprised by the percentage but I can't remember) women get while they are pregnant. Given dizziness is a sign of diabates, and that you feel exactly the same now as you did when you were at high risk for it, I would suspect blood sugar.

Sadly though, I don't know enough about this... Just an idea.

I used to be very hypoglycemic before Low Carbing and after the first week it totally straightened out. Try keeping your carbs at around 20 or so instead of 10 and eat more meat or iron rich foods. if you have a deficiency I would suggest taking a sup.

I certainly agree with everyone's suggestion of increasing your daily carb intake to a minimum of 20 carbs a day. And spreading them out during the day. Dr A said in DANDR to absolutely increase your carb intake if you feel ill.

I agree with everyone else, Hillary . I would up your carbs for a bit and spread them out over the day...at least eat a veggie for lunch AND for dinner. I, too, sometimes have lightheadedness, especially if I don't eat every few hours. It sounds like a blood sugar drop to me, too.