My husband and I are both having trouble sleeping since we started Low Carb eating. My anxiety attacks are also starting to make an appearance also. I've come to the conclusion that it's because of the lack of carbs, which I understand are the building blocks for seratonin. Seratonin is responsible for calmness and also feeling full too if I remember correctly.

As far as sleeping I am going to try a big cup of chamomile (sp?) tea before bed.

For stress - more exercise (make that SOME exercise, LOL)

If continues this way though I think I will go see if my DR will agree to Zoloft for 6 mos to get me through this.

Anyone else with similar experiences?

Hi Deb!

It's not unusual for people to report a brief bout with insomnia when they first start low carbing. It's due to the increase in energy levels that many experience when they are past the carb withdrawal stage and should sort itself out in a week or two and then you'll find that you sleep better than you have in a long time. Something you can try other than what you are already doing is to add some potassium (if you aren't taking medications for blood pressure...check with your doctor first if you are) and a calcium/magnesium supplement before bed. If you choose to exercise, try not to do it in the evening as it will have the effect of getting you revved up and make it even harder to sleep.

I don't know how long you've been low-carbing. If less than a week or two, you may just be going through de-tox. Your seratonin levels should improve after your body adjusts a bit - perhaps in only a few days. Adding a drug may slow your weight loss. If you can avoid it, even with possibly an herbal supplement like St. John's Wort, please do. (Diabetics should not do this without doctor approval, though.)

Thanks for support and information. We (DH and I) started Jan 1st. I'll try the calcium - that's supposed to be good for weight loss anyway. I'd looked into St John's Wart before but wasn't real impressed with the research. Zoloft is a seratonin reuptake inhibitor and would probably help with weight loss, but it can have some other side effects which I'm not to keen about - it would be a last resort....mostly if my DH can't stand to be around crabby me anymore LOL!
I kind of miss my 15 min. cat naps in the afternoon. They were kind of a "reboot" for my brain!

Thanks for support and information. We (DH and I) started Jan 1st. I'll try the calcium - that's supposed to be good for weight loss anyway. I'd looked into St John's Wart before but wasn't real impressed with the research. Zoloft is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and would probably help with weight loss, but it can have some other side effects which I'm not to keen about - it would be a last resort....mostly if my DH can't stand to be around crabby me anymore LOL!
I kind of miss my 15 min. cat naps in the afternoon. They were kind of a "reboot" for my brain!

I have been on induction for 17 days now and am doing fine I have lost 8 lbs.. I have suffered Panic Attacks in the past and have been taking Zoloft for about 6 years now and the attacks occur maybe once a year but they are back now. I had a terrible one which was more like 3 all together and wondered if this may have something to do with Lo-carbing. Did any of you ever find out more about this and will they go away soon? Thanks!

I had terrible anxiety but not anymore....it is much better now. As a matter of fact, I don't have anxiety when I am LCing....but the first week was intensified anxiety.

Exercise does help alot....

Hope you are feeling better now....

Hi -

I'm not sure I'd go with the big cup of tea before bed. If you are already drinking a lot of water during the day (as many low-carb approaches recommend), drinking another load right before bed might keep you up with trips to the bathroom. Believe me, I know this from experience

I've been taking the supplement melatonin at bedtime, and it helps me get to sleep. It doesn't zonk me out, however, and keep a person to sleep, it just helps people get to sleep.

Finally, I am not sure that Zoloft will help you lose weight. I konw the other two major SSI medications -- Paxil and Prozac -- do just the reverse. If you are still thinking in those terms you might ask your doctor about a very new medication called Lexapro. I've found it to be more effective than either Paxil or Prozac, and it does not have the weight-gain side effect.

. . . Of course it pays to remember that medications act differently with every one, and what works for me may not work the same way for you . . .

Anyway, good luck!

Hi -

I'm also someone with a history of depression and anxiety.
I'm happy to report that things have improved incredibly for me since LCing, and it's all been without prescription meds. The only time I start feeling funky again is when I'm PMSing.

I used to take Zoloft and Buspar, and both made me gain alot of weight. It may not for everyone, but that was my experience.

And I too am always on a quest for more serotonin! The main strategies I've used that have worked for me are:

- Eating more foods that are natural sources of serotonin, or serotonin precursors. The most commonly known source is turkey which, like other foods that improve serotonini, contain tryptophan.....tryptophan is one of the "ingredients" that you body needs to create serotonin for use in your brain. The pathway is...tukey contains tryptophan, which converts into 5-htp, which then turns into serotonin. Some people also purchase 5-htp supplements at health food stores to "bypass" the first few steps. For many people, 5-htp works better than St. John's Wort....but for me, it had the same effect as Melatonin...it gave me really vivid dreams.

- Taking Fish Oil supplements and DLPA. The Fish Oil helps regulate mood, and DLPA is DL-phenylalanine, which is an amino acid that helps with depression and "emotional sensitivity". You can take fish oil with anti-depressents, but you can't take DLPA.

- lastly, I HIGHLY recommend either of Julia Ross' nutrition books, The Diet Cure, or The Mood Cure. It's an amazing book that really changed my view on the role of amino acids and vitamins on controlling my depression and anxiety. I learned everything I know from those books. Both books contain the exactly same information - the only difference is that The Diet Cure has some additional chapters that discuss nutritional deficiencies from yo-yo dieting. Julia Ross explains things in a very clear, easy-to-follow manner with plenty of scientific and research references to support the theories. She's also very, very Atkins friendly.

This is just stuff that worked for me...it may or may not work for you. But I hope it helps!!

Anshim

My DR just switched me from prozac to zoloft and i like the zoloft much better.i am lot more calm now.Haven't seen any side effects.But as we know everyone is different.