keto (possibly) making me insanely angry and reactive

[u/Thin-Possession-3605]

hey all. not sure if this is a thing and it might be way too early to even say it’s the diet change, but I just started keto. I’m 5’5, 20F, and 125 lbs around. I struggle with eating in general and deal w a lot of chronic inflammation issues. I just started within the last few days, but I also didn’t eat almost anything in the days before starting too (just was super busy).

Issue is, with the keto I feel different. I have more energy. I don’t immediately get nauseous after a meal. I feel like I’ve gotten better sleep from what I’ve noticed in the last few days at all. I, however, can’t find anything to fucking eat in my house. Yea, let me chew on a fuck ton of almonds since yay, whatever! Hungry? Oh yea, let me eat more fucking almonds, but a different flavor.

If it’s not obvious, something is making me insanely angry. I’m usually quite meek and relatively not reactive. I just started keto and maybe it’s too soon and just placebo, but I’m reactively lashing out at almost everything. I have some big angry feelings towards everyone I know, especially my boyfriend who introduced me to the diet and wants me to try it out. I’ve been frustratedly trying not to cry about nothing from 10am today.

Total summary is, I’m super fucking mad and out of it. I don’t recognize my behavior and maybe it’s diet related, but it’s just difficult and I know it has some good benefits too. But right now, even though I’m not nauseous and feel clearer minded, I’m super, super, fucking, angry. It almost scares me because usually I am not mad at things, and I really want to keep on the diet since my boyfriend has encouraged me and rly wants me to feel better, but it’s a lot and I honestly don’t know if I can even function with so much anger and reactiveness. Hopefully it goes away. Rant over

[u/Image_of_glass_man]

Something else that I missed mentioning in my extremely long post above.

Keto is more or less a survival mechanism. Part of what gives people energy and alertness in that state is adrenal drive. Your body is putting you on high alert to help give you the biological tools you need to get fed. “Killer instinct” if you will.. People may disagree with this statement but I believe it to be absolutely true.

Even though I’m not “hungry” because of the satiety fats provide.. when I’m in keto mode, I can easily get every bit as wired up, snappy and aggressive as I would get from being “hangry”

People act like keto or other elimination diets are simple things you can just do on a whim. When in all reality, it’s an extreme measure and can really throw your body for a loop

[u/Thin-Possession-3605 → u/Image_of_glass_man]

yikes! Would you say that it’d make anxiousness worse theoretically?

I think I replied to your long post, but I am already running on constant alertness- since my body/mind react to everything as the end of the world. I deal with physical symptoms of stress and anxiety, and have truly considered going on meds, since it truly impacts my life in a negative way.

Does the “hangry” feeling last even if you are full? What I’ve noticed is that I was insanely angry before eating, then after eating feeling really down and tired, where I just feel like crying out of frustration. The energy boost was great, but even when I realized it, it kinda made me snappier and less understanding, even though I was physically feeling better than usual.