Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and a Low Carb Diet
In the summer of 2002, the Atkins Diet was making a big splash in the news.
It came along at the right time for me. I had been packing on the pounds for a few years, and my weight was spiralling out of control. I felt sick, with pain in the pit of my stomach all the time. I'd weighed 130 lb. when I got married in 1979, and by 2002 I was nudging 200 pounds.
I'd tried what I'd been taught was a healthy diet, cutting back on meat and fats, eating whole grains and counting calories. I'd manage to drop a few pounds but no inches, and I was starving all the time.
Because of being frail and low energy from CFS, I had little muscle mass and foresaw the day when I would be a great ball of quivering jelly. Hard to accept.
Enter the new view on the low carb diet.
It was hard to wrap my head around, it seemed to be the opposite of everything I thought I knew. But I was desperate and I gave it a shot.
Within 48 hours, my IBS symptoms were gone, and the brain fog and body stone (neurological swirling sensations) diminished. And, for the first time in a very long time, I had ... energy! To top it off, I was losing weight.
I quit counting calories, and cut out sugar and starches. In the beginning months, I was eating two lbs or more of meat every day. I no longer had hunger pangs between meals, and after awhile my hair stopped falling out. My brain got sharper, and I was able to get some things done around the house.
I improved so much that summer, I began hoping that this would be the cure for what had been ailing me. By autumn, that hope was dashed when I had a full-fledged crash, but I held on to this dietary tool for dear life. And over the next two years, I lost 50 lbs. and eight inches of fat around my waist.
There is no one Silver Bullet for CFS, but at least in my case, a low carbohydrate diet is one of the many.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a Comment8 Comments
Congratulations, Jody. As director of the Metabolism Society, I often hear from people about how carbohydrate restriction has improved their health in so many different ways. May I have permission to share your story on our website so that other people with cfs may benefit?
May 1, 2009 - 4:51amwww.MetabolismSociety.org
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Laurie Cagnassola
This Comment
Were you ever tested for Celiac Disease? Your symptoms and reaction to carb restriction sure sound like a Celiac issue!
May 1, 2009 - 10:19amI have not been tested for celiac disease, but I agree with you that I may have it. At the very least, I have a strong sensitivity to some of these foods. Strong enough to keep me on a low carb diet. :-)
Jody
May 1, 2009 - 5:28pmWere you ever tested for Celiac Disease? Your symptoms and reaction to carb restriction sure sound like a Celiac issue!
May 1, 2009 - 10:19amJody This morning I decided to restart my low carb diet. Finding your article was very timely. I have been living with chronic fatigue syndrome since 2004. I have also found that being on a low carb diet greatly improves my symptoms. I have gone on and off this type of diet a few times and for me there is an absolute correlation. I do agree that it is not a cure. Also I have been through a few seasons with this illness now and for me the flare ups are much worse in the winter time and less in the summer. Last summer I was almost to the point of declaring myself "well". Felt great for a few months, back to a fairly vigorous exercise routine (rode a bicycle 75 miles at one point). When winter arrived all the cfs symptoms returned. I really understand your frustration when the symptoms came back. I tried the wheat elimination which made no difference. I've come to the conclusion that there is really no cure for chronic fatigue syndrome but you can manage it down to a certain point. Thanks so much for your article. It is really help full to hear about someone else's experience with a low carb diet. Dave
May 1, 2009 - 2:56pmI understand your frustration with the setback once summer is over. I relived that pattern every fall for many years.
I started taking 4,000 IUs of Vitamin D, in the fall of 2007, and did not have the same kind of crash as past years. Still had a drop, compared to the summer, but I was encouraged by this. This past fall, I increased to 6,000 IU's a day, after researching the safety of it. And to date, this is the best fall and winter, bar none, that I've had in a decade.
As with so many things to do with this condition, I couldn't say 100% that it's the Vit. D but ... it sure looks like it's a big factor.
I suspect that I have SAD, Seasonal Affect Disorder. Certainly the timing of most of my worst health suggests this. I'd go from good energy in summer, to a drop in September, and a worse drop in like November, and bottom out around Christmas or so. Lack of sunshine and natural Vit. D? Maybe.
Also, I have started taking ashwaghanda for adrenal support as my naturopath agrees with me that my adrenals are probably fatigued. This seems to be making a difference for me as well. Ashwaghanda, according to what I've read is not really recommended for men, it's a hormonal thing apparently. But other adaptogens might be worth looking into.
My son also has CFS and Siberian ginseng seems to help him. Some other adaptogens are rhodiola rosea, and cordyceps. I am not a doctor, don't have a medical or science background (flunked Physics in high school) so don't take my word as gospel. But you could do a websearch on these things I've mentioned and maybe find something helpful.
May 1, 2009 - 5:40pmWe have a wonderful community of medical and other healthcare Experts helping us create our online encyclopedia of health conditions and treatments and other resources. For more information on CFS, and Fibromyalgia, including treatments and balanced eating regimens, please see:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, empowHer Encyclopedia
Other Treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Amy Scholten, MPH
Reducing Your Risk of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Amy Scholten, MPH
Lifestyle Changes to Manage Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Amy Scholten, MPH
Hope this helps.
May 1, 2009 - 4:25pmJody This morning I decided to restart my low carb diet. Finding your article was very timely. I have been living with chronic fatigue syndrome since 2004. I have also found that being on a low carb diet greatly improves my symptoms. I have gone on and off this type of diet a few times and for me there is an absolute correlation. I do agree that it is not a cure. Also I have been through a few seasons with this illness now and for me the flare ups are much worse in the winter time and less in the summer. Last summer I was almost to the point of declaring myself "well". Felt great for a few months, back to a fairly vigorous exercise routine (rode a bicycle 75 miles at one point). When winter arrived all the cfs symptoms returned. I really understand your frustration when the symptoms came back. I tried the wheat elimination which made no difference. I've come to the conclusion that there is really no cure for chronic fatigue syndrome but you can manage it down to a certain point. Thanks so much for your article. It is really help full to hear about someone else's experience with a low carb diet. Dave
May 2, 2009 - 9:23am