Hi, I have been on Atkins now for 7 weeks and I have lost 15 lbs. so far. I started taking Flax seed oil due to constipation. Well 2 weeks ago I started having really bad diareha(sp?) so I stopped the flax seed oil 1 week ago. I am still having problems and I know I am losing a lot of electrolides(sp?) I called my doc and they told me to go off Atkins and to go on the B.R.A.T. diet. Well of course I didn't because I am thinking it was the flax seed oil. So my question is has anybody ever gone through this on this WOE, due to no grains or things like that. I don't know why else my body would be going through this. I even upped my carb intake because I have been working out 5 days a week. But I haven't been able to work out for the last 4 days because I am feeling very week, due to running back and forth to the bathroom every hour. I hope I can get some advise out there.......thnx

Anything is possible!!

You may have a touch of stomach flu that may need to run its course. Hope you're not headed for dehydration! What you should eat or drink, I'm not an expert on. I know that the docs say the BRAT diet is the best for diarreah & vomiting.

I know that if I eat too much Flax Meal cereal I get diarreah really bad, not days of it, but I'll be miserable for an entire day or 2.

Sorry, I'm not much help, take care of yourself. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Karen

Are you eating the lowcarb sugar free chocolate bars? I know that if I eat too many of these I get "the trots" everytime.

Michelle -- 208/196/140
Started Atkins 9/03
On my way to finding the new me.... WATCH OUT WORLD!!

Prolonged diarrhea is not a common symptom for low carb eating. If it was due to the flaxseed oil, I would have expected it to stop in a day or two.

Is it possible that you picked up an intestinal bug? A few years ago, I worked with a woman who had this problem. In her case, it due to some intestinal bacteria or parasite she picked up at a large potluck dinner. Sometimes, drinking or swimming in contaminated waters can cause this, too.

I wasn't familiar with the B.R.A.T diet, so I looked it up on line. This part concerned me, "The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends the diet because it does not provide adequate nutrition and can actually worsen diarrhoea." (from: http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt.../health29.html)

I thought these links might be helpful (from MedlinePlus, US Natl. Library of Medicine and Natl. Institute of Health) Diarrhea Self-Care Flowchart

Chronic Diarrhea

If it doesn't clear up soon, I guess in your shoes, I'd check with my doctor again or consider getting a second opinion.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
174/132/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

Hello??? What happened to all the messages? I tried to go out of this thread and for some reason everything has disappeared......

(I am hearing the Twilight Zone theme...)

Michelle -- 208/196/140
Started Atkins 9/03
On my way to finding the new me.... WATCH OUT WORLD!!

Michelle, I haven't been doing any of the bars or shakes. I actually am just now moving out of induction. I stayed on it longer because I have about 30 more lbs. to loose. So I was thinking that could be the reason. I haven't been having any stomach cramps until today. My fear is that because I am loosing so much water, could I be loosing other important things that my body needs. The Doc to me to drink gatorade, but that is FULL of sugar. I just don't trust my doc, cuz he told me to go off of Atkins for a while until my body gets back to normal. I'm kinda stuck because I don't want to ruin all of the hard work I have done, but 2 weeks is a long time to be running back and forth to the bathroom........

Start 9/9/03 210/195/160

Anything is possible!

TeelBee, thank you for the links!!!

Start 9/9/03 210/195/160

Anything is possible!

Hmmm.... you haven't done the chocolate stuff. Have you taken any Immodium AD? I am sure you ARE losing electrolytes. Diarrhea that lasts longer than a couple days will do that. It sounds more like you picked up some kind of a parasite. (I'm a medical assistant but my specialty is OB/GYN though I did work in internal medicine for a bit).

Michelle -- 208/196/140
Started Atkins 9/03
On my way to finding the new me.... WATCH OUT WORLD!!

My DH commonly has severe diarreha when on Induction, and usually a few days of lots of psyllum husks (pure fiber) gets him back into check. Stay away from the Gatorade (IMHO)...but again, I am not a doctor and don't want to advise you AGAINST your doc.

Kellie, F38
Started Atkins 8/1/03 (off and on for the last few years but sticking to it this time!)
206/184/170-160 -- 14.5 inches GONE! (as of 10/27)

I second the psyllum husks. I had the big D way back when I first started for about 4 days and that stopped it. I bought the sugarless granular stuff at Walmart called Konsyl and had it in my water or a little SF koolaid or the SF V8 Splash. It worked like a charm. That also works for constipation.

Joyce

I'm not a doc so I don't want to tell you what to do but my wife had the same issues when she first started LCing. It might have just been a timing thing (stomach bug...etc) but hers eventually went away. I know you mentioned that you do not eat the LC candies..that's good because that causes the "issues" with my wife everytime (very very bad "issues")

Wolfman
207/178/175
Currently 188...
(Up to 188 during honeymoon last week)

I forgot to mention that I have had stomach problems my whole life (cramps, etc) until I went on LC. Now my stomach never bothers me unless I screw up and eat a few carbs. I then spend the whole next day with cramps and such.

Wolf