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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Atkins Diet
        
(Message started by: chrismo on Jun 16^th, 2004, 10:57pm)

Title: Atkins Diet
Post by chrismo on Jun 16^th, 2004, 10:57pm

BACKGROUND: I use mushrooms to keep my episodic CH's away. Summer of last year I took a small does mid-cycle and then 5 days later took another small does and the CH's went away completely until Jan. of 04. At the beginning of that cycle I took a small dose and then 5 days later took another small dose. The CH's went away completely. It is now the time of the year when I should at least be shadowing. I am completely free from any meds I've ever been prescribed. No Depakote, no beta-blockers, no NOTHING!

POINT: I started the Atkins diet about 3 months ago. Has anyone ever heard of a low-carb lifestyle affecting CH cycles? Is anyone on here a CH sufferor and live a Low-Carb lifestyle?

I normally ALWAYS have some sort of headache during the afternoon. And for years I would have CH cycles 3 times a year for 4-6 weeks each getting hit once a day normally between 7:00AM and Noon.

I have been expecting to AT LEAST shadow from the last dose of shrooms wearing off, but NOTHING.

ok, now you give me feedback : )

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by thomas on Jun 17^th, 2004, 9:03am

Only time will tell, sometimes people "skip" a cycle.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by Ueli on Jun 17^th, 2004, 9:49am

Hi chrismo

There are two points to consider:

1. A widely drummed diet, that allegedly helps so many health problems, so why not CH too?

2. This highly suspicious method propagated at the ClusterBusters (http://www.clusterbusters.com/) site, where it is claimed that a single dose of their magical stuff can keep away clusters from a half to a full year.

The question is: Why haven't your cluster not returned yet? The answer is simple: The Atkins people are very successful and make a lot of money while the ClusterBusters actually beg for money. So the conclusion where the good results come from should be simple......

But if you ask me, you should dump that wellness crap und donate the money saved to the MAPS study project on psilocybin for CH.

PFNADs
Ueli [smiley=smokin.gif]

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by miapet on Jun 20^th, 2004, 2:53pm

Well, I know that Atkins, and other low-carb diets have helped people lose weight . . .but I don't believe it is a healthy practice to cut entire food groups out of our diet. If the diet specified cutting out refined-carbs and keeping complex carbs, it would be healthier . ..
just my 2cents
*positive light and energy*
miapet

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by BobG on Jun 20^th, 2004, 3:04pm

I have to agree with miapet. Cutting out an important part of a healthy diet is unwise. Ever seen a person that has practiced vegetarianism for 20 years? They look like they've been dead for 10 years. Same will happen on the low carb diet.

And IMHO, the Atkins diet is a dangerous rip off sold by the surviving relatives of a fat, dead doctor (doctor of what? I have no idea.) And food sellers have jumped on the scam-wagon with labeling "Low Carb" on products that have always been low carb.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by mynm156 on Jun 20^th, 2004, 4:08pm

Hey celebrate the painfree days my brother in pain!!!

Good 4 U may they continue!!!

MYNM156

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by chrismo on Jun 20^th, 2004, 9:55pm

TRUST me, dont knock Atkins till you try it, or seriously read up on it. Its not as bad for you as some people like to say. MANY different aspects of my life have improved since I started it, and I just happen to not have CH right now when I normally would.

I was not clear in my original post, basically the point of my post was to see if there were any Clusterheads that are on a controlled carbohydrate diet. If anyone is living a low-carb lifestyle and experiences cluster-headaches at the same time please reply to this thread, for the sake of my own curiosity :)

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by Melissa on Jun 21^st, 2004, 3:19pm

Quote:

POINT: I started the Atkins diet about 3 months ago. Has anyone ever heard of a low-carb lifestyle affecting CH cycles? Is anyone on here a CH sufferor and live a Low-Carb lifestyle?

I am on Atkins Maintenence right now, after losing over 75lbs, but am not expecting my next cycle until Sept. of next year (2005), so I will not know until then whether or not my low carb lifestyle is a factor on my ch's.

Quote:

Posted by: miapet Posted on: Jun 20th, 2004, 2:53pm
Well, I know that Atkins, and other low-carb diets have helped people lose weight . . .but I don't believe it is a healthy practice to cut entire food groups out of our diet. If the diet specified cutting out refined-carbs and keeping complex carbs, it would be healthier . ..
just my 2cents
*positive light and energy*
miapet

Quote:

Posted by: BobG Posted on: Jun 20th, 2004, 3:04pm
I have to agree with miapet. Cutting out an important part of a healthy diet is unwise. Ever seen a person that has practiced vegetarianism for 20 years? They look like they've been dead for 10 years. Same will happen on the low carb diet.

And IMHO, the Atkins diet is a dangerous rip off sold by the surviving relatives of a fat, dead doctor (doctor of what? I have no idea.) And food sellers have jumped on the scam-wagon with labeling "Low Carb" on products that have always been low carb.

Obviously neither of you have read Dr. Atkins book. First of all, to maintain on Atkins for life, you do not "cut out entire food groups". When you're in maintenance, like I am, you eat meat, fish, fowl, low glycemic fruits & vegetables, and whole grains. No sugar, starches or white flour. Please don't generalize on something you have little knowledge about. It can be offensive to those of us who have read the plan, understand it and follow it. Anyways, I am not going to sit here and explain each level of Atkins to either of you (such as the 1st phase has you cutting out ALL grains, but that is for only 2 weeks, NOT the whole time...helloooo) because you can read up on it yourselves.

take care,
:)mel

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by chrismo on Jun 22^nd, 2004, 3:18am

YEAH!!! ;;D i did not want to go into it, but Im glad you did! It really can be very offensive when people bash Atkins, when it is one of the most positive changes I have made to my life. At least read Dr Atkin's New Diet Revoltion before even saying ANYTHING about low-carb lifestyles. It has made such awesome change in my life that when people bash it, its like they are bashing every bit of hard work I have done. Not only am I thin, healthy, and handsome, I am Ch free :) What more could a guy ask for?

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by floridian on Jun 22^nd, 2004, 8:28pm

Quote:

And IMHO, the Atkins diet is a dangerous rip off sold by the surviving relatives of a fat, dead doctor (doctor of what? I have no idea.)

He wasn't fat - He was under 200 pounds until he went into the hospital with a head injury. While in a coma, he retained water and gained 65 pounds - not a rare event in the critical care ward. Look at the film footage of him on TV in the year before his death - he was normal weight and high energy.

On the other hand, 1) Theres no evidence that weight reduction diets help with clusters, 2) some anecdotal evidence from this board suggests that weight loss diets (and high protein diets in particular) may make clusters worse. Increased nitrogen from protein could up nitric oxide levels, which isn't good for trying to prevent CH.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by klp on Aug 14^th, 2004, 11:37pm

I started Atkins almost 2 years ago and had a bad cycle 3 weeks after starting. However this cycle has been great. A few (about 5 shadows) in a month. Granted i started my meds early so that may have helped but i do believe the low carb, specifically no sugar has helped. Hope I'm not jinking myself here i've enjoyed the pfd's. Good luck. P.S. 86#'s down!

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by UN_SOLVED on Aug 15^th, 2004, 1:27am

on 06/17/04 at 09:03:23, thomas wrote:

Only time will tell, sometimes people "skip" a cycle.

I agree. You may have just skipped a cycle or it is late or changing. It has nothing to do with diets. (My opinion & many other experts). I don't doubt that the mushroom therapy has helped though.

Celebrate the PF times !

Unsolved

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by E-Double on Aug 15^th, 2004, 1:36am

Here is an interesting tidbit to add to this....

I'll preface this with the fact that many of us have been on "anti-seizure" meds as preventatives for our Friend.

Anyway,

There are individuals who have seizure disorders that go on Ketogenic diets (Identical to Atkins) to control activity.
For some reason when your body is in ketosis certain activity decreases.

This is all done without meds.

Who knows?? and why not??

I certainly don't have the will power to even make myself eat at appropriate times or at all for that matter.
You can only eat at specific times and that is it with the diet.

I had a student who's seizures were so out of control that evrything he would learn would essentuially eb erased. It was this state of constantly going back to baseline.
Well this diet got the seizures under control and intern he has learned and maintained skills.

I don't know what it means abd I certainly am not pushing anything but... why not?? If the meds can work that way, why couldn't Atkins???

Just a thought,
Eric

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by floridian on Aug 15^th, 2004, 9:31am

on 08/15/04 at 01:36:04, E-Double wrote:

...

There are individuals who have seizure disorders that go on Ketogenic diets (Identical to Atkins) to control activity.
For some reason when your body is in ketosis certain activity decreases.

You're right, the ketogenic diet is good for some people to control their epilepsy and certain other siezures. But I think there are some differences between Atkins and ketogenic diets - they could overlap, but a ketogenic diet has 60% or more of calories from fat and not as much protein as Atkins. Also, for some reason, the keto diet is more effective in children and youth than adults.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by E-Double on Aug 15^th, 2004, 9:44am

on 08/15/04 at 09:31:12, floridian wrote:

some how I knew I would catch your ATTN: Floridian.. ;)

Thanks for that one, the ketogenic diet is used more with children to my knowledge as well.

Not sure about all of the differences though...
Definitely intersting and I'm sure you could find some intersting empirical data on it somewhere re: CH.
Such a wealth of knowledge dude!!!

Gotta ask.... what do you do for a living?? research based? scientific??

Appreciate all the abstracts and articles you post!!!

Best and hope all is well and safe down south!

Eric

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by Lizzie2 on Aug 15^th, 2004, 9:45am

Interesting thread! I'm not a proponent of the Atkins diet from a health care worker standpoint, but I won't bash people who want to try it and do have success with the weight loss. I worked in clinical nutrition for 3 years, so we learned a lot about diets and all kinds of things that people do to lose weight. My method of choice is generally just to cut the junk food, follow the food pyramid but reduce the total caloric intake, and exercise more. My dad lost almost 100 pounds that way I do believe. I recently lost about 10 pounds that way, but I didn't need to lose like my dad did! My mom has also lost weight that way. They both look great!

I really don't think dieting has helped my CH at all, but it has helped me feel better in other ways, which I think is nice. Also, where I'm coming from...I cannot cannot cannot cut out sugar. First off, I love fruit...I cannot go like more than 2 hours without some kind of fruit juice or piece of fruit. Also, if I do not get the carbs into me throughout the day...I become extremely moody and someone that nobody wants to be around! My roommate is the exact same way.

W/respect to the ketogenic diet, I do think that is great that it can help people control their epilepsy and such. However, I'd be careful with that one! Ketosis isn't exactly a state of "health."

But ultimately...whatever helps you stay pain free whether it is diet, the "alternative treatment", meds, whatever...sounds good to me!!! Glad to hear you are PF.

Lizzie :)

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by farmboy on Aug 15^th, 2004, 10:33am

Hey Folks i used the Moraine O'sullivan diet.
This cycle was shorter and less painful than usual. I think cutting out the ex- wife and her 3 messed up children really helped.

Damn i feel better.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by E-Double on Aug 15^th, 2004, 11:13am

on 08/15/04 at 10:33:29, farmboy wrote:

Hey Folks i used the Moraine O'sullivan diet.
This cycle was shorter and less painful than usual. I think cutting out the ex- wife and her 3 messed up children really helped.

Damn i feel better.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_1_213.gif

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by pubgirl on Aug 15^th, 2004, 12:16pm

Hello Chrismo

Atkins and other low-carb diets have been discussed on here a few times.

Usual story, some people felt it improved things Ch-wise, some found no difference at all, so it may all be coincidence.

On a personal level, I do my own bastardised version of Atkins which works for me (when I get round to doing it :-[) and is simply leaving in the carbohydrates from the berries, green veg and salad veg and cutting out every single other carbohydrate. I still lose weight very consistently but don't get any of the side effects (breath, constipation, headaches, tiredness etc)
I also don't eat as much of the fats as you are allowed, but mainly because I can't face that much fat.

Wendy

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by miapet on Aug 15^th, 2004, 12:17pm

Actually, I have read up on Atikins, as well as many other diets and lifestyle changes. I could, very probably, teach a nutrition class. I have little or no problem with the maint section of atkins, although I don't like the higher fat content of the diet. IMHO, a balanced low-fat, low/no refined carbs, cutting salt, and knowing what an actual serving size is (which will reduce caloric intake) is what all people should do, it's just healthier than most people's diets.
I have changed D's eating habits, but not due to his CH, due to his BP, and using the 'style' I mentioned, we have his BP in the normal range.
Anyway, whatever works for people.
btw, didn't Atkins die of a heart attack or something similar?
*positive light and energy*
miapet
edit: should say, naturally low-fat (not the packaged stuff that says 'low-fat' since they usually add sugar etc to make it tastier, or it tastes nasty *g*)

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by kimh on Aug 15^th, 2004, 3:59pm

i thought atkins died by slipping and falling on an icy sidewalk.... :-/

i've been cutting fat and carbs (not eliminating either) since the last Holiday bloat binge (last winter). Missed the March/April cycle but bombs away in June.

no idea...... but eating healthy makes you healthier. Exercise and good eating habits are always a plus***

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by farmboy on Aug 15^th, 2004, 7:37pm

Hey E-Double,

The best part on the Moraine O'sullivan diet it only cost me 365.00 bucks. The only area where i had gained some weight on that diet was after a few months i noticed my wallet was a little heavier.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by 9erfan on Aug 16^th, 2004, 2:06pm

I've been doing the South Beach Diet for about 3 months now which I highly recommend. It's about good carbs vs bad carbs and good fats vs bad fats. Unfortunately, no difference in my headaches but I have lost 30 lbs so far.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by marfanoidus on Aug 16^th, 2004, 3:35pm

Just a few things I would like to add:

1) Dr. Atkins died after falling on ice and hitting his head on a sidewalk. He did have cardiomyopathy, which caused him to have cardiac arrest at one point, but it wasn't due to his diet.

2) Ketosis only means your body is burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Your brain kicks into ketosis mode as soon as the carbohydrate/glycogen stores in your body are exhausted.

3) I would like to suggest we all remain open to the possibility that some of us may suffer CHs due to food allergies. If we happen to remove a food from our diet which causes CHs... My previous two cycles stopped dead in their tracks when I stopped eating peanuts and bologna.

4) Let us not forget that medical science has yet to even scrath the surface in understanding all that happens inside the human brain, so is it possible that some food-intake-modifications (ie, diets) may have some neuro effects? Of course it is.

blah blah blah, I'm tired of hearing my own thoughts.
good luck to all

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by Superpain on Aug 16^th, 2004, 4:37pm

on 08/16/04 at 15:35:45, marfanoidus wrote:

OK, I'll stay opento the possibility of food... But when you stopped eating peanuts, why did the hot dogs and bologna not matter? Then once you stopped both and ch went away, why are they back?

Personally I could believe that certain foods could act as a trigger, but I'll never be convinced that food is a cause.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by Lizzie2 on Aug 16^th, 2004, 5:55pm

FYI...

Quote:

Ketosis
Definition
Ketosis is the presence of excess ketones in the body.

Ketones are chemicals with a carbonyl unit (a carbon doubly bonded to an oxygen) that has two alkyl or aromatic (hydrocarbon) substituents bonded to the carbon atom. Some examples of ketones include:

For each example, we have included some names and synonyms.

Additional Info
Ketones are a byproduct of fat metabolism (the breaking down of fat into energy). Normally, your body is efficient at removing these, but when certain enzymes are absent or damaged, the amount of ketones in the body can build up to dangerous levels.

Certain individuals are predisposed towards ketosis. For example, those with diabetes have low insulin levels and can not process glucose (sugar) for energy. Therefore, their bodies break down fat, leading to a rise in ketone levels.

Ketones can be excreted through the urine and those that are volatile (such as acetone) can be expelled through the lungs. Diabetics can be mistaken for being drunk by the odor on their breath, and acetone being expelled through the lungs can give a false positive result on early model breathalyzers. However, don't expect to escape a ticket as driving while impaired (due to low blood sugar) is still a traffic offense whether you are drunk or not.

Ketosis can lead to coma and death if untreated.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by E-Double on Aug 16^th, 2004, 6:26pm

YEAH!! What L-2 said.....

Either way Food for thought down the road...
until then I'll have my hearty portion with a side of imitrex and some O2 for desert. ;)

E-2

P.S. as far as dieting goes....Is this really a "decent" way
to lose safely and quickly???
Don't eat that poorly but with the on again off again of roids....I'm never gonna fit into my wedding dress LOL

Feel good

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by UN_SOLVED on Aug 16^th, 2004, 6:31pm

Well...you guys start the diet and let me know how it goes. Until then, I'm gonna eat whatever I want ... cause dieting is not gonna affect my headaches.

Unsolved ;;D

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by floridian on Aug 16^th, 2004, 6:46pm

There is a big difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis - ketoacidosis is life threatening, ordinary ketosis is not. Any one who goes on an effective diet (where calories taken in are less than energy expended) will experience some ketosis - that's how fat is burned and people lose weight. Eskimos that live off of a meat/fish diet are not in danger of diabetic ketoacidosis.

(not saying that ketosis helps/hurts/or has no effect on clusters - I don't know).

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by marfanoidus on Aug 17^th, 2004, 2:05pm

This post is way too long - forgive me.

I should have been a little clearer.

My last cycle stopped when I stopped eating bologna.
The cycle berfore that stopped when I stopped eating peanuts.

And I mean they stopped dead. The cycle that ended with eliminating peanuts was chronic, it had been going on for several years. Within 3 days of stopping peanuts, the HAs were over. I was raised on PB&J sandwiches, and I ate one just about every day into my adulthood.

Another interesting point - after the HAs went away, for several months if I ate a PB&J sandwich, or a Snickers, or anything with peanuts, I would immediately get a HA - and I'm talking cluster-type.

The cycle that ended with eliminating bologna started because I was eating a LOT of it while I was interning out of state, and was trying to eat as cheaply as possible - so I think I ate so much of it that I developed an intolerance (which in some ways is what an allergy is) to it. So when I stopped it, the HAs disappeared. And again, for several months if I ate it, I would get HAs.

It seems in both cases for me, that my body had an intolerance to those foods, and when I eliminated them from my diet all was good. But if I reinitroduced them back into my system too soon, I paid the price.

Think about it - some people have food allergies that result in irritable bowel syndrome. Some people eat strawberries and get a rash. Some people eat corn and get very sleepy. A lot of people are lactose intolerant.

Some peanut butter companies remove the heart of the peanut before processing, because it seems to be the source of HA causing chemicals. Wine gives a lot of people HAs, as does MSG. But not all people, only some are intolerant to those foods.

People can have different food allergies that manifest in different ways, so why is it so hard to think its possible in some people that foods allergies/intolerances could cause cluster headaches? :-/

In my next cycle, once it hits I am going to fast for 4 days, since thats long enough to get all foods out of the system. Whatever happens to the cylce, it will be a learning experience for me.

Quote:

P.S. as far as dieting goes....Is this really a "decent" way to lose safely and quickly???
Don't eat that poorly but with the on again off again of roids....I'm never gonna fit into my wedding dress LOL

First off, congrats!! Next, this is going to sound rude, and I don't mean it that way at all - the way all diets work if they work at all, is that people have to burn off more calories than they take in - that simple.

You can estimate your basal metabolic rate, and add the amount of caloric expenditure you get from additional excercise and activities, and get a pretty good guess at your daily caloric needs - then you make sure you consume fewer calories than you need. It takes about 3500 calories to make a pound of fat, so an example would be if your daily caloric need is 2500 calories and you only eat 2300 calories, in 18 days you will have burned off a pound more than you took in.

Eating is adding burnable mass to our bodies. If we don't burn it, we'll excrete some and store the rest.

Quote:

Ketosis can lead to coma and death if untreated.

Depending on who you read and trust, the issue of the safety of ketosis remains open. My feeling on it is that with the popularity of low-carb diets now, our hospitals would be overflowing with patients suffering from the ill effects and it would have been more than broadcast through the media by now. The Atkins diet is approaching 30 years of popularity - 30 years :o for a diet craze is a loooooooooong time - if it was dangerous, believe me, we would all know.

Anyway, I've probably offended some and bored the rest.

good luck to all

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by UN_SOLVED on Aug 17^th, 2004, 2:47pm

So, you're saying that dieting stops your cycles ??

Why don't you let some of the top CH researchers know this and see what they have to say ?

Unsolved

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by Superpain on Aug 17^th, 2004, 3:44pm

OK Marf.... Maybe foods do cause your clusters...

I wish the same was true for me (and everyone else....). :-X

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by farmboy on Aug 17^th, 2004, 9:09pm

Well here is my 2 cents worth.

i eat about a jar of jif the 40 oz one every other week, and at least a pound of lebanon bologna every week. no problem in my case.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by jmorgan52 on Aug 18^th, 2004, 5:29am

My version of a detox diet, where I eat only fresh fruit, fresh veg and drink only water for 1-2 weeks(that's pretty damn near to "fasting" for me!) has been effective in breaking my CH cycle in the past 3 cycles now.

The first time I tried it about 6-8 weeks into my cycle and it broke within 4 days.
The second time I tried it about 3 weeks into my cycle and it broke within 4 days.
The third time I tried it as soon as the CH pains started days into my cycle and it broke within 4 days.

Each time I was PF for about a year or more.

I cannot even begin to think about eating like this long-term, but as a short intense diet it works for me to break the unbearable CH cycle.

My method is not without discomfort and might not work fo rmany. Each time I have done it I have endured a 3-5 day continuous throbbing headache, probably due to the fairly intense "fasting effect". But it has been worth it to stop the debilitating CH, and the expensive intake of imigran injections.

And for those who have not tried it please don't make stupid statements like "I'm gonna eat whatever I want ... cause dieting is not gonna affect my headaches. " until you have tried it to see if it works for you.

John

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by LadyLuv on Aug 18^th, 2004, 1:50pm

I started Atkins Low Carb Diet in Sept. 2003 - Just as I was coming out of a three-week CH series. I've went from a size 16-18 down to a 10-12; a 39" waist , down to a 31". At the present time I am in the maintainence stage. I feel better than I have in years.... I eat candy, ice cream vegetables, pasta and etc. (low or no carbs of course) But at the same time I am still have CH's.. The first part of this year I went through a 5 week series. At the present time I am in the 3rd week of a series. This last series provided me with a very unpleasent change - until this year, I had never suffered clusters during the day - only the wee-hours of the morning.

So please don't knock something that you haven't tried.. We must realize that no matter what it is, something that's not good for one of us, might help many others. We're here to support each other and share ideas..

While the diet did nothing to stop or abort my headaches, it has made me feel better about my appearance.

Peace & Blessings
LadyLuv :-* ;) ;)

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by don on Aug 18^th, 2004, 2:11pm

Quote:

So please don't knock something that you haven't tried..

Heres the question.

Quote:

Has anyone ever heard of a low-carb lifestyle affecting CH cycles?

Heres the answer

Quote:

the diet did nothing to stop or abort my headaches

Quote:

it has made me feel better about my appearance.

Botox will give you firmer finer looking lips but it wont do jack for CH either.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by chrismo on Aug 30^th, 2004, 12:13am

Thanks LadyLuv.... I was waiting for someone to say exactly what you said. I wanted someone to tell me that they are committed to a low-carb lifestyle and that they still suffered just as bad from CH.

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by clarence on Aug 30^th, 2004, 3:12am

Not to beat a dead horse...

Tried Atkins, lost like 27 pounds in 3 weeks. Crazy. Doctor made me stop because he said 1) I was loosing weight too fast and 2) in Ketosis the acididty level of the fluid around my brain raised, which counteracted the mediaction I take for depression (prozac). Thats why in those 3 weeks I was such an ass. Mood swings like I had never felt before. I am no doctor, so I don't know the physiology behind this stuff. I just did what he said.

Nothing to do with my clusters though. I wasn't in cycle, and the doc didn't say anything.

Casey

Title: Re: Atkins Diet
Post by jmorgan52 on Aug 30^th, 2004, 4:46am

ok - so we have established that a diet or fasting may not be any use for stopping a CH cycle for many of you, but.....

It seems clear to me that it may be effective for many others. Quite a few have said so here in the past.

So what have you got to lose????? How many have actually tried?

Instead of running to the doctor for yet more experiments with dangerous meds why not give this a try for just a week and see if it works for you - if you have the guts and willpower!

Drink ONLY water and lots and lots of it.
Fast or seriously limit food intake
Eat only fresh fruit or veg

If enough people try it (which I doubt many here have the willpower to do!) them maybe a survey could be done on it's effectiveness.

And as for letting the medical authorities know about possible positive effect of a diet to break a CH cycle- well the idea has been treated with much derision here and I have emailed DR Goadsby many time and never had a sigle response - guess he may be too busy with the drug companies looking for "the cure" Sorry to sound so cynical!

John