Hello
I started a low carb diet at the beginning of January, and subsequently had lots of reaction that I now realise was candida die off.
After realising I've got candida I started to be quite strict on the anti-candida diet. For the last week I've eaten hardly any grains at all, eating mostly meat, fats and vegs, having garlic and coconut oil. I've felt shocking which was kinda expected.
The last two nights I've had my heart pounding most noticably at night - it's not that fast but it's pounding very hard and I can't sleep - it's disturbing my sleep. It's not anxiety.

The only difference in the last couple of days is that I've had a small amount of brown rice each day (25g per day). I can't believe that the brown rice would cause this effect but it seems to be. Any thoughts or ideas?

Hi Suee,

I'm just dropping in but will get back to you later! Just wanted to make sure I was subscribed to this thread. I noticed in your profile that you mention you have severe hypoglycaemia and I have a few ideas that may be new to you. Talk to you later,

amanda

Brown rice kills me - white rice is not as bad, so it's not a blood sugar issue. I just react really badly to the proteins, the same way many people react to wheat. As a consequence I have given up all grains. Heart pounding is just part of the symptoms.

Thanks for the responses. Jschwab, I guess I've got the same going on as you. I switched to brown rice last year but I hardly ever have it and I wonder if my subconscious was telling me to avoid it. I was always fine with white rice, so maybe I'll stick to that in future. I just couldn't work out how the brown rice could be causing that effect. Thanks, I don't feel so odd now!

Hi Suee,

As far as I know, if your heart starts pounding in the night, one of the reasons can be that you have had an adrenaline surge due to low blood sugar. The adrenaline surge happens to boost your system into making its own glucose.

I can't remember where I read about this, but it was in connection with what happens if you have drunk alcohol the night before, it has some kind of effect on your blood sugar, and that gives you the pounding heart in the middle of the night. It could also have a connection with low magnesium, though.

I was surprised to read that you connected brown rice with the heart pounding - that was new to me, that something like brown rice could provoke that reaction!!!

How are you doing now and are the candida symptoms going?

amanda

Hey Amanda!
Thanks for the thoughts - appreciate it. I have hypoglycaemia, but this wasn't quite like a night time hypo, I tested my blood sugar anyway and it was normal. I do wonder if it was linked in some way to the carb, although I seem to tolerate white rice or other carbs without these symptoms at night.

Interestingly, I've had the heart pounding again recently in the last few days. I thought I was tense and stressed so I've done lots of deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxing etc, feeling quite calm apart from this huge pounding heart of mine. I had stopped taking potassium a couple of weeks ago thinking I didn't need it anymore. I took a couple potassium doses last night with magnesium, and lo and behold, the heart pounding was much much better within 20 minutes or so.... guess I need to keep taking the potassium for a while.

I'm encouraged by the candida symptoms, I'm feeling a lot better in that respect. I've stopped the antifungals for a moment as I'm constipated, so 'sorting' that out as first priority (with psyllium husks), apart from that I'm feeling quite good! It's been 3 weeks I think since I stopped all sugar and yeast (and most grains), 13 weeks since I started going lower carb. I think I'm seeing some progress!

How are you doing? Do you have candida, or have you healed from candida?

Best wishes
Sue

When I first went on Atkins, I had the heart pounding too. I found out via boards on line about the potassium. I took it and it worked. I kept up with it for a while but gradually stopped taking it. From time to time the heart pounding comes back and always goes away when I take potassium. That's just my experience.

Did any of you get very very constipated? SInce I've been on the candida diet I haven't been going to the toilet very much - I started taking psyllium husks day and night 3 weeks ago which for a little while gave me a weak bowel movement maybe every other day, I've felt very very toxic (achy, headache, flu like symptoms etc), I've resorted to senna leaf laxatives now and still not going! Any ideas? I'm pretty desperate!

Magnesium for constipation. You can even just soak in epsom salts. I take powdered magneium citrate.

thank you Heathfish. Constipation is sorted - I poisoned myself with gone off pork so have the runs now! I did start taking magnesium in the form of milk of magnesia, but it was quite sugary, but I think it was doing the job. Great suggestions - I think the milk of magnesia isn't the best way of taking magnesium.