Day 7 Carnivore Recalibrate: Withdrawal
Oh Yeah, Now I Remember What the Transition Feels Like
Seven days in and I’ve had the flu. Or maybe the keto flu. Or maybe an oxalate dump. Does that make sense? Read on if you may be trying this.
I went strict carnivore cold turkey, eating 98% fatty animal products only. The 2% covers liberal herbs and spices, 5 pickle slices, and four Celsius drinks.
We have four people in the house. Two actually have the flu. On the night of day five and into day six, I felt rotten. My throat was raw and swollen, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I told myself, that’s it. Our house is going down.
Then by the end of day six, and now on day seven, I’m feeling sharp, I have energy, and my throat is fine. So I figure it is possibly one, or both, of the latter options.
If you’ve never done strict keto or carnivore, then “keto flu” may sound odd. Getting hot, tired, cranky, and generally feeling unwell is fairly common in the first week or two. Luckily, it’s normally skipped, or greatly reduced, with a liberal amount of salt and minerals, and by making sure you’re eating enough of the animal fat that comes with the meat.
The simple explanation is this: dropping carbohydrates lowers circulating insulin. That allows the body to drop excess water. The first two nights I was up four times to pee. With the release of water goes minerals. A lack of minerals can make you feel rotten.
It’s also simple to prevent. Add lots of salt and consider magnesium and potassium. I did all of that. So my next thought is oxalates.
According to Gemini: “Oxalate dumping is the theory that when you suddenly cut out high-oxalate foods, your body rapidly releases stored oxalates, causing temporary symptoms like fatigue, pain, brain fog, and rashes, as your system tries to flush them out all at once instead of gradually.”
And: “It’s considered an uncomfortable detox reaction, not a disease, and reducing intake slowly is often recommended to prevent these unpleasant dumping symptoms.”
When I first heard of this, I thought it was bunk. I’ve changed my mind after running into it for myself and others over the last few years. It can show up as excess sleep in your morning eyes, unexplainable sudden buildup of plaque and tartar, or just feeling rotten.
I think this is it for me this time.
Oh, and the third person in the household who doesn’t have any flu-like symptoms is the one other person here also doing carnivore.
So either this trial started with me dumping some oxalates, or it helped me get over the real flu quicker than normal. Either way, I’m good.
Days 1 to about 5.5: energy was very low and brain fog was high.
On day 3 my cravings were already back to “non-addictive” signals.
By day 7: no flu-like symptoms. No midday naps. It’s past my normal bedtime and I’m knocking this out with no problem…and no Celsius today.
I don’t want to jinx it by ending on a tentative high note, so I’ll add two honest footnotes. The bathroom habits aren’t exactly what I want yet, and I did take a second look at the slice of strawberry cake someone left on the table.
This first week is not too different than what you might expect. Everyone will be a little different. If you’re facing GI issues, I can’t recommend a carnivore-ish reset enough, just get some guidance before jumping in.
If you’re interested in “why” I chose carnivore as the diet, listen to the short, generated audio that discusses my Nutrition from First Principles essays: What Can Humans Actually Eat?