Why do I feel short of breath with exertion with starting carnivore diet. Only in 2 weeks but find I get winded just going up a flight of stairs. Is this common?

The first thing you may want to do is check your blood pressure, it may be something that requires a doctor. Check whether you get all your electrolytes and minerals, could be a deficiency. 

13 hours ago, DAS said:

Is this common?

No.

How long does the shortness of breath last? A few minutes or a few hours?

You may want to consult a doctor, as shortness of breath due to a carnivore diet shouldn't be a thing. A lack of electrolytes causes a variety of symptoms, but shortness of breath isn't usually one of them. 

Do you have any pre-existing conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes? Do you have GERD, asthma, anxiety, or panic attacks?

Try taking a small dose vitamin C supplement. This usually isn't an issue, but we don't know exactly what your particular personal diet consists of either. 

 

Normal? No, but it’s hard to say what it may be without more information about your health and what you are eating.
Usually we all have some kind of issues when first starting out as our bodies adjust but this is a new one. I can’t see anything in carnivore that could cause this unless maybe your blood pressure has dropped to unnatural levels.


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Thank you for your response. My fiancé and my father are also experiencing this. Will definitely try to increase electrolytes as well as more water. 

Bob,

thank you for your response. No I do not have any of the above diagnosis that you mentioned. Shortness of breath literally last about 30 seconds. it’s basically getting winded immediately after and it resolves quickly. Just wasn’t sure if this was normal with carnivore. Increase my electrolytes and fluids and see how that goes. thank you.

8 hours ago, DAS said:

My fiancé and my father are also experiencing this.

Triple rare.

8 hours ago, DAS said:

Shortness of breath literally last about 30 seconds. it’s basically getting winded immediately after and it resolves quickly.

Okay. That sounds much much less alarming. I would probably agree with Geoff in that it's part of your transitioning to fat adapted.

I can't explain it, but I can theorize...

Previously, you ran on glucose. But now you have used up all your glycogen stores. Your body might still be trying to find some glucose/glycogen by default. When you become fat adapted, burning fat/ketones will be your new default, and you should notice steady energy (no crashes) most of the time.

Adaptation typically takes 3 to 6 weeks.

Do you feel fluttering or butterflies under your sternum during these episodes?  An irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia will cause shortness of breath, and it may be brief.  Electrolyte imbalances can cause arrhythmia, but it can also be caused my much more serious issues.  

No fluttering or butterflies. My Apple Watch doesn’t note any arrhythmia, just tachycardia. Thank you for your response. I think it was just transitional as this has gotten better. Thanks for your response. 

No fluttering or butterflies. My Apple Watch doesn’t note any arrhythmia, just tachycardia.

You may already know this but tachycardia can be caused by irregular heart rhythms including among others, Atrial fibrillation and Atrial Flutter. I have both of these but I am much better by all indications because of carnivore.
When I developed AFib my doctor recommended the Apple Watch to help monitor my attacks and it would catch them most of the time but not always. When I would have a big attack it would catch it but smaller episodes were harder to pick up. Even when I knew I was in the middle of a small attack the watch couldn’t always read it and simple flutters it never caught. So, just be aware that the watch is not without its flaws. It’s far from accurate.


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Thank you! I appreciate your feedback.