Ketosis urticaria Antihistamines weight loss Atkins Cambridg

This is exactly what I am am going through. I am on a protein shake diet - started about a year ago. I lost 15 lbs within three months. I am now on maintenance - using just one shake as a meal replacement a day but about three months ago I suddenly developed a very itchy rash on my torso and legs. My weight loss has stabilized for months. My blood work is all "ideal" except for high cholesterol - for which I have been on statins since before the diet. I am not sure what to do. I have cut out all supplements (vitamins, etc.) and the statin for now but still no change. I do eat a low carb diet of sorts - fruit, vegetables, meat but very little gluten, very limited alcohol and some caffeine. I am wondering what I should reintroduce into my diet.

What about Stevia? That is what I use and that is what is in the protein shakes.

Hi,

Same thing happens to me. When I go into deep Ketosis whether low carb or low calorie I develop a rash that runs from my armpits down around the underside and below my breasts. This happens only when I lose weight very, very quickly. First time was low calorie (100 calories a day gluten free - no wheat or grains) and then again right now, I am doing a very low carb, high fat, lower protein diet and BAM rash is back.

I am convinced though that this has to do with toxins in the fat being burned, because I went low carb back in 2006 and I have stayed low carb all this time and the rash went away when I increased my carbs with higher carb veggie sources and potatoes (I cheated a lot with these things) so my carbs were around 100 a day or so.

I am going to suffer through the rash though, because I am convinced this nasty hormonally active belly fat will do worse to me if I let it stay. Going to lose the weight first, then add back in more veggie carbs back up to 50-100 carbs daily.

I am and have always been a Splenda FIEND. I eat way, way too much of it and it is NOT causing this rash. Convinced my toxin-filled crappy eating (horrible fast food every day SAD diet) was packed into my fat stores and I am now reaping the whirl wind of my mistakes when I was young and stupid and didn't care what I did to myself as long as it tasted good. I have to get this fat OFF my body.

I started the ketosis diet in mid January  I was in ketosis for approximately three weeks and I started to get a little bit of a rash underneath my left arm and down the side of my left breast. I thought it was due to some dry skin plus bath and body works allergic reaction. I work for a doctor and he prescribed me prednisone 6 day steroid pack for allergic contact dermatitis. It itched SO bad, and it was all I could do to keep from scratching myself bloody. It got better with the medication, but when I came off of it, BAM, the rash reappeared again. So this time we tried a heavy hitting steroid dexamethasone with a cream. Three days into the Rx it was clearing up so I started to decrease the dosage of the pills. Today is day 10 of my pills, if it were contact dermatitis I'm sure the pills would have helped it by now. It's starting to flair up again and I'm at my wits end with it. I went into Ketosis very easily and this diet has been one of the easiest and quickest good things I've ever done for my body. I feel very good and very functional while on it. I'm going to conduct a little bit of science. I came off the diet yesterday and I'm going to just do low calorie with TONS of water to see if I can get any results with this mystery "Keto rash." Then I'll go back on the diet and if it reappears then I've got a little bit better of an answer. It was strange because, as someone mentioned above, about two weeks into ketosis I started getting really itchy all over, no rash or bumps, but generally itchy. I blamed it on dry skin and it went away. I've been using Eucerine lotion and body wash. This has really helped me. In addition to Zinc cream and hydrocortisone. However, I personally can't keep it up. This rash is quite annoying and I can't wear my normal bras any longer due to the pain. For anyone else that has the same symptoms, I would describe it as broken looking skin that is red and inflamed. I can see individual little bumps and they weep. Eventually they darken and scab over. It looks like pictures of contact dermatitis, which I assume it is, since I'm also assuming that this is now due to an allergic reaction to my body's elimination of ketones.  Freaking great!!!

I have been on Boossh diet since April 2nd and the rash started on my breast working up my neck to my face, even eyes. I started on anti histamin tablets and creams, steroid cream, washing stuff etc. but it has spread to my tummy legs, ankles, arms. It is driving me crazy. No sleep. Everytime I have a packet of food, it flares up itching really bad. I decided just to have two packs per day and low carb meals but it is still there and getting worse, so I guess I shall have to stop having low carb. I do not really understand why low carb has this affect, but it obviously does. Maybe it is something to do with the liver.

Hi - Emma178 again (!)

Nearly two years on and MANY antihistamines later I am still rashy.  I saw an uticaria specialist in the UK who told me I have three things going on.  Chronic idiopathic urticaria - ones that take a long time to go and are incredibly itchy and take a while to go.  If I hold something like a pen to my skin and put pressure for a minute, a few hours later I will get a hive there.  Which is why I cannot wear heels or tight clothes as it has the same effect.  Chronic urticaria - These are the ones that come up all over and I wake up with them and most (hopefully) go during the day. And the last one which is new - angioedema - which is swelling of the lips, eyelids, tongue.  

The specialist is convinced it is more drug related ie aspirin etc.  I get worse with alcohol etc.  But he is convinced food has not triggered my two year response!  However in these attacks 80% have unknown causes and just go on their own.

I am now waiting for immunologist and follow up dermatologist appointments.

10 years ago I had previous Uticaria which went when I stopped doing low carb diets.  I think these are slightly different types of uticaria to what I am getting at the moment.  I don't know if these outbreaks are connected in anyway however if I knew that 10 years on I would be having further attacks lasting years with hives, I would stop the diet immediately as it is just not worth it.

I've tried elimination dieting over the past year but it is extremely difficult to eliminate things like salicylates, sulphides etc.  I'v edone the basics like caffeine, alchohol, food colorings etc with no sucess.

 

The specialist said my immune-system is in overdrive and is attacking my skin = hives.  Why my immune system is in overdrive is unknown and 80% of cases will remain unknown.

My next step is trying to help the pressure uticaria by taking dapsone...

I have the same problem every time i lose weight quickly! I get an insanely itchy rash/bumps on my back, under my armpits, which can extend to my breasts, and also my private parts (the upper part only).

The thing that strikes me is that the rash is SYMMETRICAL! Every time! The bumps appear on exactly the same place on both my right and left part of the body! So weird!

Have any of you experienced this?

I started with the ketogenic diet a week ago and the symmetrical rash has reappeared on my back (mid part), symmetrical on my left and right side.

I also experiences a similar, VERY itchy rash on my upper back and in between my breasts and only seemed to happen when I went on these diets. The first time I was on the HCG drops and about a week after I ended the diet the rash was gone. The second and third time, I was on a low card high protein diet the rash seemed to appear about 6 days in and again took about a week after eating normally again to go away. It was awful and up until now I thought it was the heat that was causing the itching. I tried a topical hydrocortisone and seemed to only provide relief for a short time.

I really wish there was a solution other than going back to eating carbs because this diet really seems to work while others don't. 

What about metal problems? One commenter asked about industrial metal exposure, but no one else has seemed to comment on metals. Does anyone have either:

(1) reactions to cheap jewelry AKA a nickel allergy (affecting 10-30% of people depending on your country, and more prominent in women, undiagnosed may look like purple ears with cheap jewelry or rashes when touch nickel)

(2) amalgam metal fillings (may contain nickel & mercury)...so...when you switch to eating steaks and protein you are chewing harder on those fillings than when you are eating donuts?? This is a total shot in the dark, but I am curious of any anecdotal evidence.

I have purple ears when I wear cheap nickel jewelry, and I also developed hives after losing 15 lbs doing "French Women Don't Get Fat" (also high histamine, though). I don't know if the two are related, but when I try to lose weight I know I end up eating a lot of foods either high in histamine or HIGH IN NICKEL (dark/sugarless chocolate, spinach, Baby Bell cheese, whole grains, bran). My side of the family with all of the hives, thyroid, and allergy problems all have reactions to nickel earrings; but, interestingly enough, they don't get hives when they are on prenatal vitamins full of iron and folate (unless it is just being pregnant that works).

I have found studies from India that say nickel-caused hives can be rectified with oral iron supplementation, glutathione, and perhaps herbal chelation with thyme and basil (you've probably already seen cilantro used for herbal metal cleanses).

Has anyone had a patch test for nickel or heavy metal testing that showed positive? Is it possible we are releasing this nickel during ketosis, because I keep being told nickel is "dietary?"

Trust me, we are going to have to solve this on our own because I am paying $600/hr to a Beverly Hills naturopath who is telling me the only way to lose weight is to get itchy!

Hi, I get hives every time I'm in ketosis (starts after only a few days). I have gone to the doctor for several allergy tests and even a biopsy (cut out my skin where the rash was present). They did not find any allergies. I have been reading a lot on the net trying to fins something about the matter. My theory is that people who get hives when on ketosis/or are losing weight fast are responding to the biproducts of fat metabolism. I think there is something causing an autoimmune response resulting in hives. I read somewhere that the rapid weight loss can release histamines, which triggers an allergic reaction (hives). I use antihistamines and it seems to keep the hives in check (they don't disappear entirely, but they are not that bad).

Add me to the list. I started on a gluten free diet about 9 or 10 years ago and yeah, rash started under my armpit. Then it flaired up on my arms, back of my hands, between my fingers, lower abdomen and upper eyelids. I went to a naturopath and he thought it was my body detoxing since it seemed to be in the lymphnode areas. But after a few months my ketosis stopped, though I was still gluten free, but the rashes kept going. The naturopath then suggested food elimination, but that didn't reveal anything either. For the next few years, still gluten free but less active and slowly gaining weight again, the rashes calmed right down and disappeared. Then a few months ago I did a juice fast. The fat fell off, and the rash is back, only just on one finger and my upper eyelids. The dehidration thing sounds interesting, since I am also getting nocturnal leg cramps, which can also be a sign of not enough water. By the way, are any of you by any chance type B blood? I am, and I've heard type B's can react badly to stress on the body. Just wondering... Thanks guys, for the help, and the hope!

Hi there - you're absolutely right, being on a low carb or no carb diet causes terrible hives. In order to get rid of candida I went on a no carb, no sugar, generally-no-junk diet. Within a week or so I had hives, first across wherever the seams of my clothes (bra, underwear, waistband) were, then across my back, then across the front of my torso and finally down to backs of knees and up to the scalp. Disappeared immediately within 8 hours of eating a load of wholemeal bread.

I really appreciate the posts and suggestions on getting rid of the keto rash.  I broke out in week 4 of Atkins.  Thankfully, it was pretty much hidden under clothing and not on my face, arms or legs, but concentrated in "yeast" areas (beneath breasts, groin, armpits, etc.) and a scattering over the back and torso.  Man, was it itchy.  I tried two of your suggestions - raising the carbs, which wasn't too scary since I'm only 8 pounds away from goal, and searching for sucralose in the things I was eating.  I bought some Sara Lee 100% whole wheat Delightful bread with honey - no high fructose corn syrup, less than 1 gram sugars.  They use a bit of Stevia in the bread, but no sucralose.  The net carbs are only 7 per slice.  Slices are nice and normal sized and it really tastes wonderful with butter.  I used half slice a day for a week, then graduated to a full slice per day for the last two days.  This morning, the rash is fading rapidly and the intensity of the itch is gone.  I haven't gained any weight, in fact still losing about 0.3-0.5 a day.  The bread was a nice change, although I love the foods I'm eating and can see myself eating this way for life.  The only sucralose I found was in my sugar free Trident gum, which I was having a couple of sticks a day.  So, I'm dropping that as of today to see if the rash continues to improve, but I think the whole grain is doing the trick!  So glad it only took a piece of bread to make a difference and not enough to derail my efforts.  Thanks all for your suggestions.  Other than this, I have put nothing on the rash except Cortisone 10 when the itching was at its worst.   

UPDATE - removing the gum wasn't necessary. I'm up to 2 pieces of bread per day (with 1/2 sandwiches - hot ham and cheese for breakfast, chicken salad later in the day or just a buttered piece with a meal). The rash is almost gone! Itching is minor. I'm coming to the conclusion that the rash was a signal for me to move on to the next phase in Atkins, slowly of course, and it's definitely working. As my carb percentage goes up, the rash is easing off. I added in sweet potatoes after a few days on the bread, 1 every other day. Still losing - down another 2 pounds! Don't be afraid to get off induction and don't stay too long in one phase - keep your body guessing. I'm slowly adding carbs, then backing off for a couple of days. I even had a cupcake and a brownie with a meal 2 or 3 days apart and I'm still losing. With Atkins, it's all about finding your individual carb tolerance, but I really believe the rash is a signal to start increasing your carb percentage as you find that tolerance. You don't have to "throw yourself out of ketosis" to do it. 25 carbs here and there will not do that. Hope this helps someone who is still itchy. Good luck!

Last update (Kim): Rash gone for good. For those worried about scarring, the bumps went flat, turned dark, then faded completely away. So great to be free of that nuisance. Best of all, weight loss continues... down 15 pounds in 2 months on Atkins with 4 to go. Don't know/don't care if I'm in ketosis, although I suspect I still am. I'm eating one piece of 100% whole grain bread at breakfast and have tried a variety of breads. The highest net carbs was 12 on one loaf but it was so good : ) I eat a square of 72% dark chocolate once a day and can get away with sweet potatoes once a day as well (six 1/4" thick slices, buttered & toasted). My plan after achieving weight loss goal is to have a cheat day once a week - not go crazy, but have anything I want in correct portions. I was forced to do this last week at a potluck, and I think it actually jerked the scale down some more.