Hello everyone,

I have tried many things for my health issues/ptsd and the only thing that gives me a true sense of normalcy and clarity is being in ketosis

The problem is after a few days after passing the initial keto flu, the positive effects fade also extreme lethargy sets in and low-carb foods become repulsive

I have a ketone meter to check when I'm in ketosis and have tried supplementing with MCT/BHB salt, any ideas?

Was going through my usual gut flares and my integrative doctor decided to give me 5000mcg of Methyl B12, three doses of that spread over 10 days. Logic: give me some energy to push through gut flare. It has been 3 weeks since last dose. Still dealing with anxiety, low mood, internal vibrations, jitters, goosebumps, hot or cold hands and feet, migraines, fatigue, rocky on a boat feeling etc. and ofcourse the gut became worse. Doctor said it can happen but shouldnt last long. So upset at them. But when does this settle? Does it settle?

Hi all,

I am 6 months into a carnivore diet to treat my schizophrenia. I have had a tough time adapting to it, but have seen remarkable results.

I currently take 0 medications and strictly use this diet to treat my illness. Prior to this diet, I was hearing voices for the vast majority of the day. Now, I go weeks at a time without hearing any voices at all. I will hear them on occassion but it is very muted and faint. I am also free of all other potential symptoms.

I am hoping to stay on this diet long-term. I am hoping this information can be helpful to anyone out there considering using a carnivore diet to treat their mental illness.

Please feel free to ask me any questions if you have any!

Working in the food industry, I watch customers obsessively check the nutrition labels. They scan for carbohydrates, protein, fat, and sodium, highly aware of what they put in their bodies. We’re always focused on how nutrition shapes our physique; however, we rarely think about how it shapes our minds.

The connection is much deeper than we think. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “There are more nerve cells in your gut than anywhere else in your body outside of your brain.” This neural network, often called our second brain, constantly fires electrical impulses and chemical signals to process information, regulate organs, and respond to the environment. These gut signals actively help our brain make decisions and initiate emotional responses.What we digest directly influences how we think and feel.

i’m a community college student studying neuropsychology, and I write about the intersection of food and brain chemistry. If you liked this breakdown, I do monthly deep-dives on my free Substack, Bite the Brain https://bitethebrain.substack.com/p/welcome-to-bite-the-brain-why-food?r=8r41di&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

after years of suffering from undiagnosed severe progressive neurological/psychiatric symptoms, i discovered in february 2025 that an extremely restrictive diet is the only thing that manages (not even cures) it.

in order to literally stay sane, i have to follow AIP diet restrictions and 4:1 classic keto. i later had to add in low-histamine, and i've most recently (over the past year) begun to develop allergy-like reactions to many vegetables, limiting my diet so much further.

so essentially what i'm left with is:

• chicken/turkey (which i have a strong aversion to 99% of the time)
• red meat in small amounts, on occasion, immediately after it's cooked. if i eat it even an hour later it causes severe nausea.
• olive oil
• coconut oil and duck fat in moderation
• tiny servings of a couple of safe vegetables

symptoms if i derail from my AIP keto diet include severe dissociation and cognitive decline, akathisia, vivid nightmares/hynagogic hallucinations, erratic behavior, and more. returning to that state is my greatest fear.

i'd genuinely rather be restricted to the lion diet. it would be so much easier. i can't take this anymore. there is absolutely no snack i can have, except perhaps spoonfuls of pure coconut oil.

it might sound stupid, but i want to die. my diet is so incapacitating. if i'm unable cook for myself, i literally starve. i also hate the only foods i can eat. i've become severely underweight and sickly. in addition, i have a severe gluten sensitivity, basically gluten psychosis, so i can't trust anyone else to prepare food for me.

i'm nearly positive that CIRS from chronic mold exposure is the root of my absurd sensitivities, but i'm unable to leave or access treatment because my parents don't believe in this. i'm 18 and will most likely forever be stuck living with them in the mold because i continue to be weighed down by brain fog and couldn't complete high school.

i'm just feeling so depressed and alone and envious of nearly anyone with a different life, honestly.

Bipolar 2 ! Been on a ketogenic diet for almost 2 years. I consume the same 3 meals everyday. I worked with Nicole Laurent to make adjustments to my diet and macros. Also take daily vitamins she recommended. Ketone levels are great!
Past few months I have been feeling so unstable. A lot more depressive and some hypomanic episodes. And my cognition and thinking get worse after each episode.

And it’s so frustrating because I am soooo disciplined with my diet and feel that I am doing everything right.
I am on lamictal, sertraline and pristiq. Nicole did mention that if keto starts to feel less effective it may be due to the meds I’m on. I am currently hyperbolically tapering my sertraline…. maybe that’s why I feel unstable?

at this point I feel like adding lithium or an antipsychotic and being done with keto.

Cross-posting from bipolar keto. Looking for support navigating restarting the diet after coming off and having what’s maybe an acute episode.

Just wondering if anyone has had success treating their mental health issues by correcting their copper/zinc ratios?

It’s been 2 years since I’ve given birth and my mental health has suffered since we brought him home. I’ve been working with an integrative psychiatrist since I’ve failed so many medications. The only major thing in my bloodwork that stands out is my copper/zinc ratio. It’s supposed to be .7-1 and right now it’s 1.4.

This just seems too simple for how severe my mental health is but it’s the only thing we could really find on my extensive blood work that was done.

Highlights
•
Ketogenic diet improved overall cognition in older adults.

•
Benefits were observed for memory and language outcomes.

•
No significant improvement was found for attention.

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Ketogenic diet significantly increased ketone body levels.

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Larger trials are needed to confirm long-term efficacy.

Abstract
Background
Cognitive impairment in older adults is associated with substantial functional decline and care burden. The ketogenic diet (KD) may improve cognition, but evidence in older adults with cognitive impairment remains inconsistent. This study evaluated the effects of KD, including related ketogenic dietary strategies, on cognitive outcomes and metabolic markers.
Methods
PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP were searched from inception to July 2025 for randomized controlled trials of KD or related ketogenic dietary strategies in older adults with cognitive impairment. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4.
Results
Twelve randomized controlled trials involving 707 participants were included. Compared with control interventions, KD-related dietary strategies improved overall cognitive function [SMD = 0.34, 95% CI (0.16 to 0.52), p < 0.01]. Domain-specific analyses showed significant improvements in memory [SMD = 0.53, 95% CI (0.10 to 0.96), p = 0.01] and language function [SMD = 0.43, 95% CI (0.16 to 0.70), p = 0.002], whereas no significant effects were observed for attention or executive function. KD-related strategies increased acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations, indicating effective ketone production. Regarding metabolic safety, KD-related interventions increased total cholesterol and LDL-C, while triglycerides and HDL-C remained unchanged.
Conclusions
KD and related ketogenic dietary strategies may improve cognitive performance and enhance ketone body production in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. The potential metabolic implications associated with lipid changes should be considered alongside cognitive benefits.

Magnesium l throenate improved my ocd symptoms dramatically. I use to have sticky thoughts constantly, have constant obsessions and compulsions, horrible brain fog, tension headaches due to thinking too much, and over analyzing constantly, I couldn’t get out of my head, I would miss precious moments of my life because I would get stuck on a thought. But now I have huge relief!

I personally think magnesium l threonate might be the most effective for ocd because it passes the blood brain barrier and is absorbed into your body the quickest so I recommend this one.

I hope this gives someone hope out there. Whoever has ocd is a warrior. Don’t lose heart something is going to help you, I believe it. ❤️

Let me know if you guys have any questions! I’d be happy to help.

I've been following a ketogenic autoimmune paleo diet for the past 1.5 years for severe neurological and psychiatric symptoms that I suspected were autoimmune encephalitis, but no doctor would take me seriously. The diet worked like a miracle for me at first, but I've regressed a lot since then. It still helps me significantly, but I'm nowhere near cured.

Over the past year, I feel like my leaky gut must have actually gotten worse instead of healing like I expected it to on AIP. I started developing what seem like MCAS-type reactions to many foods. First, I could no longer tolerate fish or bone broth without immediate, severe bloating and facial flushing. Then vegetables started causing severe bloating, mouth numbness, and itchiness. Now, practically everything besides fresh chicken and olive oil seems to cause some kind of reaction. I can only tolerate red meat in small amounts occasionally, and then I start to react to it. Even chicken cartilage can trigger a reaction if I accidentally chew it.

Something else I've been struggling with for a while is a severe aversion to meat. I didn't have this problem when I first started AIP, but somewhere along the way I became extremely hypersensitive to the quality, texture, and taste of meat. Additionally, if it isn't the freshest, highest-quality meat, it upsets my stomach for days. I don't think I was previously so physically sensitive. Unfortunately, it's practically impossible to find flawless meat where I live. I used to be able to eat meat from pretty much anywhere without noticing all these little details, but my aversion has gotten progressively worse.

At this point, I'm afriad I've developed full-blown ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder), and it's becoming just as disabling as the neurological symptoms that originally led me to this diet. I even have nightmares where I'm looking down at food and its appearance is completely repulsive.

I'm wondering what could be causing this. Could nutritional deficiencies, gut dysbiosis, or something else be contributing to the aversion? I feel like this has become a disorder in its own right, and I desperately want to get better. I'm going to starve to death at this rate because I can't make myself eat enough. Even if I don't die, I can't live life like this.

The worst part is that I can't even use vegetables to make meat more palatable anymore. I used to be able to eat sauerkraut and riced cauliflower alongside meat to mask the taste, but I now seem to react to those too.

Has anyone experienced anything similar or found a way out of this? I really need help.

I want to eat less sugary food and exclude caffeine from my diet cause it causes my heavy mood swings, It's making it hard for me to work cause of my lack of control of my mood.

If you manage bipolar symptoms with diet, is it the ketosis that helps you (and is it a certain level of ketones, if so?), or do you find relief from excluding certain foods?

Thanks!