Dr Andi Campitelli has been a Naturopathic Doctor for 15 years and is a one of the foremost natural health experts on keto and a massive Pruvit fan… she does “Live Videos” each week answering questions about everything Ketone related…how to maximize your experience, troubleshooting, and how to feel your best.
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5HDP, SSRI and Signal OS
Can anyone take Signal//OS AM & PM? The Signal//OS PM contains 5-HTP, so those taking SSRI medications for anxiety or depression if somebody is taking them, can they take these things, can they take the signal OS and I’ll also see antipsychotics that signal OS. So in this patient population, you do have to be careful, because the 5-HTP and the SSRIs are kind of working on the same pathway. There is something called serotonin syndrome. So you do have to be careful if somebody is on an SSRI specifically and the dosing also makes a difference. But in those individuals as a sort of a blanket statement, and because I don’t know the dose that every single individual is on, I would actually say not to take the Signal//OS PM if you are on an SSRI before bed, and I wouldn’t want you to take them at the same time. Otherwise, if you do want to take it before bed, you have to work with your provider. And, again, because the dosing for everybody is different, everyone’s response is different. There’s a genetic component to how we respond to medications. Some people will respond more quickly to medication, or they need more of a medication to get the response that they need. There are a lot of underlying factors that will impact here. So as a blanket statement, I will say no, don’t take them together. But work with a health care provider, because there are circumstances where you can take them together. But your provider has to work with you there so that you don’t have any side effects.
Can I drink ketones if I take heart medication?
Can I drink ketones if I take heart medication? That’s actually going to be a similar answer to what I just said. So depending on what the medication is, there are so many medications, so I don’t know which medication we’re referring to in that instance. You’ll have to work with your health care providers specifically to make sure that these things are safe for you. I have many patients who are on many different types of medications and still take their ketones, it’s just a matter of managing, balancing, ensuring that there are no interactions. You can absolutely take exogenous ketones while on many different types of medication, but you just have to work with your healthcare provider. As a blanket statement, I’ll always say if you’re taking them while on another medication, just make sure you’re taking them away from each other. Leave a good period of time between the medication and between taking any other supplements or taking your ketones, but make sure you work with their provider.
Diarrhea and ketones
Can Keto//OS Nat cause diarrhea or constipation? We have seen that happen in some instances where people will report a little bit of gut disruption either diarrhea or constipation. If you are experiencing diarrhea, my suggestion would be to reduce the serving that you’re taking. Consider taking 1/4 of a sachet instead of a full sachet and don’t take it on an empty stomach. Try that and see if that makes a little bit of a difference for you. Then, slowly work up to the full dose when you’re able to. Usually that’s all we all need, and then the diarrhea should resolve. On the flip side of that, people who experience constipation, that’s usually a sign of mineral loss or mineral deficiencies. It’s not uncommon for ketones or the ketogenic diet to act as a bit of a diuretic. So often I’ll say this kind of pinpoints or helps us see which nutrients or minerals you might be low in and that we need to address. For example, magnesium…most people are deficient in magnesium. One of the most common side effects of magnesium is constipation. If you are urinating more because of the diuretic effect, you may be losing some of your minerals. We have to replenish them if you are experiencing constipation. I encourage you to take MitoPlex, and just pour it right into your ketones, and also add some magnesium before bed. I usually suggest anywhere from 200 to 400 milligrams if you have constipation, probably starting at 400 milligrams and then titrating, up to find the dose that is safe for you to take or the dose that you need. That allows you to have a regular bowel movement the next day. It’s about finding the mineral balance that you need. Many people experience constipation regularly, so if you do experience it with ketones, just make sure you’re managing it. Make sure you’re managing it with the minerals that your body needs.
Gallbladder and ketones
If you’re consuming only half a sachet, then ask yourself if it’s a result of the ketones or is it a response to moving to the keto diet? Sometimes patients will start drinking ketones at the same time as switching to a high fat keto diet. The extra fat and/or dairy can impact bowel movements, so consider sticking with your normal diet and drinking ketones to see which one is impacting your bowels, then add in the high fat eating once you are normalized on drinking ketones.
The Keto Diet without a gallbladder…Having a gallbladder taken out does make a difference if you’re following a ketogenic diet, because the ketogenic diet is a higher fat diet. If you’ve had your gallbladder out, you’ll have problems digesting fat. However, you’ll have no problems taking exogenous ketones. In general, anytime you consume fat, your body is going to have an issue because it can’t break the fats down. Whether you’re keto or not, if you’ve had your gallbladder out, you need to be taking a digestive enzyme that contains ox bile, which allows your body to break down the fat. I never encourage my patients to follow a low fat, no fat diet. Instead, I’m encouraging them to take that supplement to replace the function that the gallbladder is no longer able to do. That way, it allows you to be able to consume the healthy fats which we need for so many other functions in our system.
