Yeah it’s been pretty revelatory to me that my symptoms have improved and the weight loss was pretty amazing too. It takes a bit of discipline but the results can be pretty profound I’ve found.
Kool. I will attempt keto for 3 weeks. But after that, I need carbs.
Unfortunately I can’t function optimally without carbs
6 months in for some serious difference in symptoms for me. Weight loss was good early though and eating less carbs isn’t a bad thing. You do get used to any diet and a bit of discipline with eating will take you places you want to be.
That is my 4 minutes tourist guide to keto. 
Thanks that’s really insightful from some1 who is treading the path and knows
For me I was on the path to losing weight with no sugar/lo fat. Keto just came at a good time.
I would say the adopting of it wasn’t really that hard. A bit of discipline but there’s some hacks you can take to get the fat in healthily and losing carbs was like doing something like going vegetarian or any other diet or food plan.
It is different but by 3 weeks you should know whether you can sustain it long term. I just bluffed my way through but you can get good help from free carb manager app’s on your phone that make it pretty easy to keep track of your macros…fat, protein and carbs. It’s also important to get fibre so break down the carbs into net carbs and keep the fibre up…
It’s crazy how I’ve lost a lot of weight but now getting the benefit to symptoms. There really is something to this approach and it’s hard not to just go hard and blanket recommend it to everyone. It’s not for everyone I’d imagine in our community but gawd. You can get good results out of it for your mental health as well.
Officially I’ve been going since June 23 so 8 months. Last month or so seen improvements in negatives which was totally surprising but good. Positives were improved after probably 4 months or so…it’s a gradual process but there’s something to it for sure!
Look up Dr Chris Palmer. He wrote a book “Brain Energy” about it all he’s some interesting interviews on the web.
I don’t know about this treating schizophrenia with keto alone stuff that some people seem to be latching on to. It may have some impact on symptoms, but when I was psychotic I was like eating carrots and cashews and similar stuff with very little carbs and almost no sugars. I was only eating a meal once a day or every other day or longer as I was fasting. I was also riding my bike around collecting cans. I did all this for like a year. I reversed diabetes and lost a lot of weight, but I was still crazier than a loon.
It wasnt until I was medicated that I came back to reality.
I’m not doubting there is probably some benefit to mental health, but if it was some kind of panacea for schizophrenia, you would think I would have come out of my psychosis in a year.
Edit:" I’m betting there are limits to the benefits for sz. Just like CBD was the cure for everything a few years ago. People were saying they were going to replace ap’s with CBD. Intermittant fasting was supposed to be great for you too. Now they say there is a significant increase in the risk of death for people who do it.
I’m not ready to jump on this bandwagon as a cure all with no risks that some are on.
But hey, I’m not a doctor or a researcher, so what do I know?
Don’t get me wrong, though. It would be great if it were true. I wish it were true that it was a cure. A chance to get off meds would be wonderful.
I just think articles like this and Chris Palmers work seems to be pushing some into believing this is going to cure sz…when I really think its not going to.
Yeah I was just as skeptical but it was suggested by my shrink when I was dieting anyways. It just seemed like worth a try for the weight loss but 8 months in there’s definite improvement in positive and negative symptoms…the negatives recent for me but it’s there and it’s real.
I’ve never said it’s for everyone in our community but there’s increasing evidence it does something…Palmer links it all to mitochodrial function in cells but there’s something to it. I can attest to that for sure and I’m glad my doctor suggested it.
Btw. Back in my mod days I stopped a message from I think Palmer as had no idea about any of it and thought it was generic snake oil…My mistake.
Well, if you cure yourself, and can go without meds for a year or 2 without a break, I might reconsider.
In the meantime, I am very skeptical of a disease that appears to have a huge link to genetics, being cured solely by diet.
But prove me wrong, by all means . I wish you success and if you succeed maybe I’ll try it myself.
I’m still on meds. Not going off anytime soon and never said it’s a substitute.
Yes. Some people apparently go into remission but I’m skeptical too if they are multepisodic.
It’s not a cure all but there’s something that is valid to it’s approach and mental illness. Not sure the mechanisms and I’m sure they don’t even know but it is worthwhile persuing for sure for a lot of our community in my opinion.
The problem is anytime you say something about it the conversation gets hijacked by people who don’t do it, Haven’t tried it and are skeptical or just saying what they do. That is cool but it’s important enough that the message should be out there…
Like 4-5 months in I came down to lowest clinical doses of my meds. There’s changes there for sure and they are positive. Now I’ve noticed some improvements with the negatives…
Just putting it out there because it’s worthwhile for our community and it’s frustrating most who try bail early. I’ve come out the other side and I’m impressed by the results.
I just know that we have had some pushing this as a cure and meds as useless. I’m not hijacking. I’m taking the other side to what some seem to have been pushing. Not necessarily you. And I most likely was accidentally on the keto diet for like a year when I burned off like 80 lbs , as I mentioned above in my first post,. Was still crazy as a lark. So, I likely have accidentally tried it because of the diet I was on.
As I said, it probably does have some benefits. But I guess we will find out in coming years how much effect it really has on sz.
I will ask my own Pdoc what she thinks of it next time I see her as well.
I will keep a skeptical but open mind.
Yeah fair enough.
As someone who has seen the benefits it makes me wonder. Like even if 10 % get the benefits I’ve experienced it’s well worth the effort to try.
It’s a profound thing and at least they are onto the studies and researching it. Meanwhile diet and exercise are no brainers for our community with the associated weight gain from psych meds.
I’ve yet to see the pushing keto over meds here but I might have missed those posts. I wouldn’t recommend stopping meds and never have. Silly to even think it but I’ve come down from a big dose on one med to lowest clinical…So from 300 mgs to 75 in a pretty short space of time doing the keto thing…
I can tell you it works and yeah. It might not work for everyone but I’m glad my shrink suggested it. I think there’s something profound in this approach and I’m sure it’ll come out with time but meanwhile it’s not a bad thing to try for a large part of our community.
That people try it and fail is frustrating to me but I can dig it…it’s not for everyone but it’s still worthwhile trying in my opinion.
Thats because most of these posts have been blocked as spam or deleted. We had a person pushing this very recently. Which is exactly why I was so compelled to take this position.
Yeah no problems. Still. It works for some and it’s a message that is important to keep out there.
The diet/exercise approach and namely keto does work on some level for some folk at least. I can attest to that. For most of us it won’t replace meds but I think it’s still something that can benefit people. It really can.
Yes I’m so happy it works for you. I have to say and u probably agree different eating styles suit different ppl. Unfortunately I can only do keto for 3 weeks, any longer and I’ll collapse tbh.
But congratulations for finding what works for you. That’s really great
Never tried any diet , just watermelon for one day
Keto diet alleviates symptoms of schizophrenia
I did it for about a year. It really helped with weight loss. Only a mild effect on my schizophrenia. It had a PROFOUND effect on my depression because it made it a LOT worse. I’m a trained chef and there are things I love to eat and they all involve carbs. Not being allowed these things made me miserable to the point where my doctor suggested I try a different diet.
My different diet is avoiding all processed foods (except for my soda a day) and it has helped with positives, helped with negatives, helped my my diverticular disease (something keto aggravates in my case) and has helped a bit with weight.
Keto helps some people, but not all. It’s worth trying, but it may not provide the miraculous relief that is being touted. It also may turn you into a miserable SOB if you live for scratch made pasta like I do. Go into it with your eyes open.
My 2 cents with a slice of homemade bread on the side.