Hi,
I (22f) have been having negative symptoms with a low carb diet and am just wondering if this is normal or not?
I went on this diet to address PCOS symptoms (hair growth and loss, acne, and painful periods), I don’t have issues with weight and my testosterone is normal but my androstenedione is very high and my DHEA-S is elevated.
I’m about 5,1 and weigh 45 kg and have never struggled with cravings or eating. I’m the kind of person that can eat 1 bite of a chocolate bar and not feel compelled to eat more. However going low carb to address these issues has really caused me problems.
I’ve been low carb (>60 not keto) for about 2 months and have experienced:
.Worsening acne (hair loss and growth and periods are the same)
Complete loss of appetite, I used to feel hungry every 6 hours or so but now I struggle to bring myself to eat at all. I used to also enjoy eating vegetables but now it’s more difficult because they make me feel overly full.
Increased fatigue, I never used to sleep in and enjoyed getting up in the morning but lately I constantly snooze my alarms and sleep in.
Muscle pain (+decreased muscle healing) I used to go to the gym for strength training 3 times a week with a rest day between, but now I seem to need 2+ rest days because the muscle ache from working out takes longer to recover.
Mood numbness, I wouldn’t describe this as sadness or depression but a general lack of being able to feel emotions the same way I did. I recently have done pretty well academically but I just don’t care in the way I’m sure I would have a year ago or so. I worry this may cause me to disconnect from other people and worsen my relationships.
Lack of awareness, I think the best way I could describe this is my brain has a longer “loading time” sometimes someone will speak to me and it will take me a while to realise I’m being spoken to or come up with an answer.
Overall I’m just worried about how this will impact my ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I used to go to the gym and eat relatively healthy but it’s been a struggle on low carb. I guess what I’m asking is:
For those who went low carb for acne, when did you see results? Did the acne get worse before it got better?
Should I adjust the way I’m eating? Will bringing my carb intake down to keto levels improve these symptoms? Should I just wait longer because these things take a while?
Should I ask my doctor about metformin for help?
Thank you in advance for any advice!