I dont know what to do anymore, Ive been a vegetarian for 3 yrs and vegan for 1.5. About a month ago I started getting severe migraines with aura, after that heart palpatations, could not sleep because my heart was beating like crazy. After that I would wake to a numb leg. Had tingeling and burning sensations in my limbs. A weak arm. So many weird symptoms. Went to the doc, the ER, back to the doc, bloodwork came up fine except a little low in vit D. They checked my heart, everything is fine. Basically they can't find anything wrong and they are treating me like im crazy. Meanwhile I feel like my body is shutting down to the point where I am constantly feeling sick, dizzy, lightheaded, having heart palpatations, chest pain, pain in my throat, lethargic, not being able to function, a couple of days ago a new symptom appeared: not being able to yawn. I feel a yawn coming up, I open my mouth and poof the yawn is gone. This happens like 50 times a day. Sometimes I feel ok during the day but in the evening the nightmare begins. I take B12, I take vit D, eat lots of fruit and veg, Nuts and seeds ocasionally, tempeh, chia, flax seed, nutmilk, sometimes beans or rice, dont use any oil though. My elektrolytes were good, bloodwork good. B12 good. I have a MRI coming up... But doubt they will find anything. I dont know what to do anymore, has anyone ever had these kind of symptoms?? The doctors cant seen to find anything wrong and it is driving me insane. Please HELP!!!
Please Help: weird symptoms while vegan
- Thread starter Naomi86
- Start date
Forest Nymph
Forum Legend
Anxiety?
Do you drink or smoke weed? If so stop and see if it stops.
Sounds like panic attacks or hang overs. You cannot abuse your body as a vegan you will feel everything just as you feel the animal's screams.
Totally sober? You're not getting enough fat and calories. Your brain and nervous system need fat. It's why I think oil free is for elderly people and cancer patients. I think WFPB HCLF creates more meat or egg eaters than vegans, if you don't do oil free exactly right you'll literally have neurological problems. I'd rather be fat and calm/coherent than thin and having panic attacks or a literal stroke.
Your brain is mostly fat and your nervous system needs fat to function. If you use alcohol or drugs at all you need to be extra sure about fat and B vitamins since B vitamins are stored in the liver, which cleanses toxins of all sorts.
Orthorexia is an enormous factor in people being ex vegans. Please eat a variety of food, don't go on restrictive diets and try adding:
Nut butters
Tofu
Meat analogs (vegan meat)
Avocado
More nuts or seeds
Also possibly:
Olive or canola oil
An algal DHA supplement
If you are terrified of eating vats of oil (a legitimate concern) temporarily eat pasture (only pasture not free range) or local eggs until you can figure out a better diet for yourself as a vegan.
Amino acids you can try are Lysine and choline. Choline is in eggs and lysine fights nerve based viruses like herpes/cold sores and both are easy to acquire.
Do you drink or smoke weed? If so stop and see if it stops.
Sounds like panic attacks or hang overs. You cannot abuse your body as a vegan you will feel everything just as you feel the animal's screams.
Totally sober? You're not getting enough fat and calories. Your brain and nervous system need fat. It's why I think oil free is for elderly people and cancer patients. I think WFPB HCLF creates more meat or egg eaters than vegans, if you don't do oil free exactly right you'll literally have neurological problems. I'd rather be fat and calm/coherent than thin and having panic attacks or a literal stroke.
Your brain is mostly fat and your nervous system needs fat to function. If you use alcohol or drugs at all you need to be extra sure about fat and B vitamins since B vitamins are stored in the liver, which cleanses toxins of all sorts.
Orthorexia is an enormous factor in people being ex vegans. Please eat a variety of food, don't go on restrictive diets and try adding:
Nut butters
Tofu
Meat analogs (vegan meat)
Avocado
More nuts or seeds
Also possibly:
Olive or canola oil
An algal DHA supplement
If you are terrified of eating vats of oil (a legitimate concern) temporarily eat pasture (only pasture not free range) or local eggs until you can figure out a better diet for yourself as a vegan.
Amino acids you can try are Lysine and choline. Choline is in eggs and lysine fights nerve based viruses like herpes/cold sores and both are easy to acquire.
I would suggest that you go back to your GP and ask whether they can test your B12 levels once again.
There are different techniques and perhaps the doctor could ask for a more sophisticated one. I don't have to time to look it up but I had one 2 years ago. We have a thread on VV about testing Vit B12 and there are some interesting posts over there.
There are different techniques and perhaps the doctor could ask for a more sophisticated one. I don't have to time to look it up but I had one 2 years ago. We have a thread on VV about testing Vit B12 and there are some interesting posts over there.
Thanx for all of your advice and ideas. I don't smoke nor drink. Maybe it is the lack of fat, I have thought about that also, been following Dr Greger and Dr Esselsteyn. I will try to incorporate fat back into my diet, and supplement with choline and lysine see if it works and also go back for some more B12 testing.
Many of the symptoms sounded like B12 deficiency, but not all of them. Perhaps it's actually more than one problem?
Are you supplementing with B12? How much, and what kind - cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin?
As we get older, our ability to absorb B12 diminishes, or at least that is the case with some people, both vegans and meat eaters.
One problem with B12 testing in vegans is that folate (another B vitamin) can mask B12 deficiency if you supplement with that.
We do need some fats, so if you're currently basically not eating foods with fats in them, that's probably not a good idea.
(To be clear, I'm not a nutritionist or anything. Perhaps you should consider consulting a dietician in addition to getting a more sophisticated B12 test?)
Are you supplementing with B12? How much, and what kind - cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin?
As we get older, our ability to absorb B12 diminishes, or at least that is the case with some people, both vegans and meat eaters.
One problem with B12 testing in vegans is that folate (another B vitamin) can mask B12 deficiency if you supplement with that.
We do need some fats, so if you're currently basically not eating foods with fats in them, that's probably not a good idea.
(To be clear, I'm not a nutritionist or anything. Perhaps you should consider consulting a dietician in addition to getting a more sophisticated B12 test?)
Lou
Forum Legend
I currently take Methylcobalamin, 1000 mcg. But also get some from fortified plant milks.
Naiomi, this sounds like anxiety, no question. Anxiety can really wreak havoc on your body and show up in strange ways.
Well, this may sound strange to you... But coming from someone who is into metaphysics, you seem to be experiencing side-effects of a spiritual awakening maybe? It stresses out your body even if you supplement with all the healthy foods, though it's temporarily. Have you been experiencing any intense mental clarity all of a sudden for example? It may also, on the other hand, be something relating to health issues that the doctor hasn't discovered yet, but as I've come to realize all is connected to spirituality and metaphysics so... Try looking up the symptoms and see if it makes sense for you. We often focus so much on the physical aspect and forgot the emotional and mental ones.
B12 as methylcobalimin isn't as stable as cyanocobalimin, why Dr Greger recommends cyano. If you have the MFTHR genetic thing you would need mehyl, as you won't be able to make the conversion that cyano requires.
Also be sure you get the proper test for B12 which is MMA
nutritionfacts.org
Why not stay within the daily dozen guidelines? You don't need oil if you eat foods with fat, and you should every day
Also be sure you get the proper test for B12 which is MMA
Search
nutritionfacts.org
blazebusiness
Newcomer
There are actually some real gems of wisdom in the above posts. Forest nymph said "Sounds like panic attacks or hang overs" and then she tied it to possible lack of dietary fat.
Indian Summer said symptoms sound like more than one issue going on and hinted at a dietician being possibly needed.
They are probably on the right track......I have seen extreme physical and neurological symptoms shockingly manifest due to a dietary insufficiency. Anxiety or panic sadly tends to get treated with pills as a purely mental disorder even if it is really physically being caused by malnutrition. Doctor's will probably have a difficult time diagnosing it properly if it is a diet related issue.
Have seen one individuals similar symptoms resolve almost completely (and rather quickly) by getting wheat out of the diet. That person could have oatmeal or rice but somehow wheat set it off.
Simple tips to try and help yourself:
Play with your Macros---- High carb,low fat comes highly recommended by many vegan experts. Some vegans absolutely cannot handle the 80/10/10 HCLF diet very well. They may need more fat (or even protein) Everybody is unique physiologically and you may have to play with fat or protein ratio's to see if it makes you feel better. Try also eliminating foods one at a time , each one for a pair of days..........Those symptoms sound pretty extreme----sorry you are suffering so. Must be scary. Hope this helps. Let us know.
Indian Summer said symptoms sound like more than one issue going on and hinted at a dietician being possibly needed.
They are probably on the right track......I have seen extreme physical and neurological symptoms shockingly manifest due to a dietary insufficiency. Anxiety or panic sadly tends to get treated with pills as a purely mental disorder even if it is really physically being caused by malnutrition. Doctor's will probably have a difficult time diagnosing it properly if it is a diet related issue.
Have seen one individuals similar symptoms resolve almost completely (and rather quickly) by getting wheat out of the diet. That person could have oatmeal or rice but somehow wheat set it off.
Simple tips to try and help yourself:
Play with your Macros---- High carb,low fat comes highly recommended by many vegan experts. Some vegans absolutely cannot handle the 80/10/10 HCLF diet very well. They may need more fat (or even protein) Everybody is unique physiologically and you may have to play with fat or protein ratio's to see if it makes you feel better. Try also eliminating foods one at a time , each one for a pair of days..........Those symptoms sound pretty extreme----sorry you are suffering so. Must be scary. Hope this helps. Let us know.
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David3
Forum Legend
This study, published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states that histamine intolerance can cause headache, among other symptoms (diarrhea, rhinoconjunctival symptoms, asthma, hypotension, arrhythmia, urticaria, pruritus, flushing): https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/5/1185/4633007 . Histamine-rich foods/beverages include alcohol, fermented foods (such as yeast products and sauerkraut), spinach, and tomatoes. Histamine-liberating foods, such as citrus, can result in the same effects. Histamine intolerance isn't always present during one's younger life; the study states that 80% of sufferers are middle-aged. Your physician can help to diagnose this condition.
This second study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Headache and Pain, found that a low-fat plant-based diet can offer modest improvement in migraine symptoms, though the study participants were people who already suffered from migraine: https://thejournalofheadacheandpain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1129-2377-15-69
This Turkish study, published in the peer-reviewed Noropsikiyatri Arsivi, found that common migraine food triggers include (from most common-trigger to least common-trigger) wheat, oranges, eggs, Nescafe, dairy cheese, chocolate, dairy milk, sujuk, (beet) sugar, red meat, pickles, alcohol, mushroom, corn, tea, onion, and garlic https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6138234/
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I would talk to a psychiatrist about how you are feeling. I found that alprazolam converts anxiety into sleepiness. I might go weeks without alprazolam. But, knowing that I have it in an emergency is comforting.
