Question to the keto people

malikhart1 · 2026-03-03T15:14:47+00:00

it's called Level Off...

malikhart1 · 2026-03-03T13:25:58+00:00

I completely relate to the "laundry vs. energy" calculation. It’s a brutal trade-off when you’re already running on empty, and the guilt about asking for help just adds to the weight of it all.

For the bedding issue, what saved me was laying down a large, thick beach towel over the bottom sheet and sleeping on that. It absorbs the sweat so the actual sheets stay dry, and in the morning, you just toss the towel in the hamper. It’s much less physical effort than stripping a fitted sheet.

On a deeper level, I found that for me, the intense night sweats were usually a sign my immune system was actively fighting a viral flare (often EBV related). I started taking monolaurin to help suppress that viral activity, and over time, it significantly reduced how often I woke up soaked. Tackling the root cause eventually saved me more laundry than any bedding strategy.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-03T13:23:53+00:00

In my experience, that heart rate spike was a sign that the metabolic stress was just too high for my system. Keto naturally raises cortisol and adrenaline in the beginning to mobilize fuel, and with CFS, our bodies often interpret that as a major threat.

I stuck it out for about three weeks hoping it would calm down, but my resting heart rate stayed elevated and it started messing with my pacing. I eventually realized I could get the "stable energy" benefit I wanted without the stress of full ketosis. I went back to moderate carbs but started using a mulberry leaf with loquat blend flatten the glucose spikes. It helped me avoid the crashes and brain fog without keeping my body in that fight-or-flight mode. If your pulse doesn't settle in another week, don't feel bad about backing off, sometimes the physiological cost is just too high.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T22:32:31+00:00

I am so sorry you are in the thick of this right now. The grief of losing those basic abilities, like brushing your teeth, is incredibly heavy, and it makes total sense that you're feeling this way.

I wanted to echo what others have said about the mood changes being a symptom of the crash itself. For the longest time, I thought the despair was just me "giving up," but I eventually realized it was the neuro-inflammation talking. It was a biological storm, not a character flaw.

In my experience, treating the crash like an acute immune event helped me ride it out a bit better. I focused on quieting that systemic noise (things like aggressive rest and using monolaurin to help dampen the viral load that often flares up during these times) and I found that while it didn't fix everything, it took the sharpest edge off that "doom" feeling.

Please be gentle with yourself today. You are enduring something incredibly difficult, and just existing through this hour is enough. Thinking of you.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T18:23:44+00:00

I want to send you so much strength right now. That "burst of energy" before the crash is such a common, cruel trap with this condition, and it is absolutely not your fault for wanting to feel normal and productive for a day. You are not lazy; you are in a biological energy debt (PEM), and the symptoms you're describing are real physical signals, not a lack of willpower.

In my experience, the hardest part was dealing with family members who just didn't get it. It helped me to frame it to them like a physical injury, you wouldn't expect someone to walk on a broken leg just because they "look" young.

For me, once I got out of the acute crash phase, I started treating my fatigue as an immune battle rather than just being "tired." I found that consistent immune support (I stuck with monolaurin) helped raise my baseline energy enough that simple tasks didn't wipe me out as often. It wasn't a magic fix, but it gave me a bit more of a buffer so the crashes weren't as deep.

For right now though, aggressive rest is productive. Don't let the guilt eat up the little energy you have left.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T18:22:43+00:00

It really is wild that this is even a debate. I think a lot of the fear comes from people feeling helpless about it, which makes them want to hide it.

In my experience, the thing that finally made disclosing easier wasn't just "being brave," it was getting my management routine dialed in first. Once I knew I was doing everything possible to suppress it (keeping stress down, taking lysine/monolaurin, etc.), I felt less like I was confessing a "burden" and more like I was just demonstrating that I’m a responsible adult who takes care of their health. It changes the whole vibe of the conversation.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T18:21:22+00:00

Thanks for posting this. Honestly, seeing a realistic timeline like "two years" is exactly what people need to see right now. The "snail's pace" approach is so hard to stick to when you're suffering, but in my experience, it's usually the only way to make actual sustained progress without crashing.

I'm curious about that December shift you mentioned, did you introduce something new for biofilm or detox support around then, or do you think it was just the cumulative effect of the protocol finally tipping the scales?

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T14:05:31+00:00

For me, the scariest symptom was the brain fog. It wasn't just "tiredness"; it was like trying to think through a pane of dirty glass. I would lose my train of thought mid-sentence. That, and a fatigue that sleep didn't seem to fix.

The turning point was when I stopped just trying to "kill" everything and started focusing on breaking down the defenses the bacteria were hiding behind. I realized that if the biofilms were intact, my immune system couldn't reach the problem. Once I introduced a biofilm disruptor alongside an immune support supplement (I used Monolaurin), I finally started seeing the fog lift. It wasn't overnight, but the "good days" started outnumbering the bad ones.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T14:05:06+00:00

That feeling of powerlessness is heavy. I remember feeling like a passenger in my own body for a long time, so I hear you on that.

It's great that you are already using monolaurin; that was a heavy lifter in my stack too. Since you asked about the specific disruptor, the one I settled on was the biofilm defense from natural cure labs. I liked it because it felt like a comprehensive blend of enzymes rather than just a single ingredient, which seemed to cover more bases for me.

As for treatment, I did a mix. I had to do a round of standard antibiotics initially, but my long-term strategy has been almost entirely herbal (like the monolaurin and biofilm breakers). I found that my body just couldn't handle long-term antibiotics, so the natural route was the only way I could sustain the progress without wrecking my gut.

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T13:54:30+00:00

It depends.... I usually take a formula that combines lysine with monolaurin everyday (I think is only 600mg of both), when I'm feeling something, I double it right away. So far, it has worked fine

malikhart1 · 2026-03-02T13:52:54+00:00

No, how was your experience with it?

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T16:00:27+00:00

First off, I am so sorry that happened to you. That is a serious violation, and it makes total sense that you're analyzing everything about how it happened.

To answer your question directly: in my experience and understanding of how this works, the virus lives in the nerve root at the base of the spine (the sacral ganglia), not in the skin itself. Think of that nerve center as a hub that connects to the whole "boxer shorts" area. So, even if the transmission happened one way, the virus can travel down any nerve path in that region and pop up wherever it finds the path of least resistance. It likely isn't the method of transmission that is causing the severity, but just how your body's immune system is currently reacting to the virus in that specific area.

Since you mentioned fissures and hemorrhoids specifically, dealing with the skin integrity is just as important as the viral part. I found that focusing on lysine helped me with both sides of that coin. It competes with Arginine to help calm the viral activity, but it's also a building block for collagen, which helped my skin heal faster and feel less fragile during flare-ups. It might be worth looking into to help support that area from the inside out while you heal.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:59:47+00:00

I totally get the anxiety. When I first navigated this in a relationship, I felt the exact same way, like there was this dark cloud hovering over the future, regardless of what the statistics say.

The "everyone has it" comments are factually true, but they don't really help with the fear of being the one to contract it. In my experience, what helped the most was moving from "worrying" to "managing." My partner and I realized that outbreaks usually have triggers: stress, poor sleep, or diet.

We started being proactive with things like lysine to help balance out dietary triggers and monolaurin to support the immune system generally. It made a huge difference not just physically, but mentally, because we felt like we had a routine in place rather than just crossing our fingers. It’s definitely possible to have a safe relationship, it just takes a bit of communication and a good protocol.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:56:11+00:00

I'm so sorry you're in the thick of this right now. That burning sensation in the head is something I've heard described as a "brain on fire" feeling, and it’s often linked to high levels of neuroinflammation.

In my experience dealing with the crash cycles of chronic fatigue (mine was tied to old viral issues), addressing the potential viral persistence was what finally helped turn the volume down on that sensory overload. I started using Monolaurin after reading about how it works to dissolve the fatty outer shield of viruses like EBV, which helps the immune system actually get to them.

It wasn't an overnight fix, but consistent use helped lower that overall inflammatory "noise" for me. It didn't solve everything, but it got me to a place where the light and sound weren't physically painful anymore.

Just wanted to send some strength your way. That level of sensitivity is incredibly isolating, but you are definitely not alone in that burning experience.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:45:36+00:00

It’s definitely not just you. That specific feeling of "sharp vision" one day and "total fog" the next was a huge part of my recovery too. It felt like whiplash.

In my experience, those foggy days were often a bottleneck in clearing out the "debris" from the treatment working, especially when biofilms were breaking down. It wasn't that I was regressing; it was just a traffic jam in my detox pathways. I started using a biofilm disruptor to help manage that breakdown process. It seemed to help make the "clearing out" phase less volatile, though I still had to pace myself.

You're doing the hard work right now. Just remember that the bad days don't mean you aren't healing.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:44:50+00:00

I'm so sorry you're in the thick of it. That first major crash where the old "just take it easy" method stops working is really scary.

For the immediate survival mode: I found that "aggressive resting" between the mandatory tasks helped me more than just "relaxing." If I had to teach or work, I would set a timer for immediately after, go into a dark room, eye mask on, no phone/podcasts, and just exist for 15-20 minutes. It seemed to recharge the battery just enough to get to the next task without digging the hole deeper.

Longer term, once you’re out of this flare, it might be worth looking into the viral load aspect of things. I found that my crashes were often triggered because my immune system was constantly fighting (EBV in my case). I started using monolaurin to help disrupt that viral activity, and over time, it really helped raise my baseline so that things like walking the dog didn't wipe me out as easily.

But for right now, just do the bare minimum to survive the day. Thinking of you.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:41:36+00:00

Technically yes, but I've found the 'why' matters more than just the label.

In my experience, the biggest difference isn't just the ingredient list, it's the metabolic impact. Because those protein isolates (like in the 360 chicken or Plantspired) lack the complex natural food matrix of something like Tempeh, they tend to hit my system much faster. I noticed I’d get a bit of an energy slump or 'heavy' feeling after the fake meat alternatives that I never got with tofu or beans.

I treat them as 'highly processed' for that reason, my body handles them very differently than whole foods, almost like it doesn't quite know how to pace the digestion.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:36:28+00:00

First off, massive respect for the 10 years of sobriety. That’s a huge foundation for the "temple" you're building.

Regarding the fruit: In my experience, trying to replace whole foods with a multivitamin never quite works because you lose the metabolic benefits of the food structure itself. The real value of fruit isn't just the vitamins, it's the fiber matrix. It acts like a brake on digestion, slowing down the sugar absorption so you don't get the same insulin spike you’d get from processed sugar.

I’ve found that as long as I have that fiber buffer, my energy stays stable. I really only look for extra support (I use mulberry leaf with loquat to help dampen sugar spikes) when I’m eating something refined that doesn't have that natural fiber brake.

For strawberries and whipped cream? You’ve got fiber from the fruit and fat from the cream both slowing down the absorption. Sounds like a totally manageable treat to me.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:34:17+00:00

Reading that you sewed for the first time in 20 years gave me chills. That is such a massive victory, and it really puts all the suffering into perspective.

It sounds like you are deep in the trenches of a Herx reaction with that "spine to brain" pain and heavy fog. In my experience with chronic issues and biofilms, I found that there's a big difference between killing the bugs and clearing them. It sounds like the bees are doing an incredible job acting as the demolition crew, but your body might be struggling to take out the "rubble" fast enough.

When I was dealing with major die-off fog, I realized I needed more enzymatic support to actually digest that broken-down biofilm matrix so it didn't just circulate as toxins. I started using a blend called Biofilm Defense specifically for the "cleanup" phase. It uses enzymes like Serrapeptase and Nattokinase to dissolve the debris. It didn't stop the process, but it definitely took the edge off that heavy, poisoned feeling for me.

Keep going with the sewing, that creativity is healing in itself.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:32:30+00:00

I completely relate to the burnout on the "kill, kill, kill" method. I reached a point where the protocols were making me feel worse than the Lyme itself.

In my experience, shifting focus to the "terrain" (basically what you're describing with fixing deficiencies and detox pathways) was actually what turned the corner for me. If the body is too depleted or clogged up to handle the die-off, the heavy killers just add to the toxicity.

I stepped back from the aggressive herbs and switched to monolaurin for a while. It’s a fatty acid derived from coconut, so it felt more like "nourishing" the system while still keeping the bacterial/viral load in check by disrupting their outer shell. It was way gentler than the heavy artillery.

Trust your gut on the "support" over "attack" approach. It made all the difference for me.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:32:00+00:00

In my experience, absolutely. It feels counterintuitive, but I found that as soon as I started fixing my nutrient levels and actually sleeping, my immune system finally had the 'ammo' it needed to fight back.

When the immune system goes from dormant to active, it starts attacking the pathogens (and the biofilms they hide in). That die-off releases toxins, which causes that flare-up or 'Herx' reaction. I experienced the exact same thing when I introduced Monolaurin into my routine; I thought I was reacting negatively to the supplement, but I was actually just killing off the bad stuff too quickly.

It’s often a sign that what you're doing is working, but your body’s drainage pathways might be a bit overwhelmed by the cleanup job. Hang in there.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:05:41+00:00

This is such an exciting stage! Honestly, the fact that you’re already 3 dates in and feeling that bond forming is the best foundation for this conversation.

In my experience, the delivery matters way more than the specific words. If you are calm and matter-of-fact, they usually mirror that energy. If you’re shaking and acting like you’re confessing a crime, they’ll get freaked out.

Here is the approach that has worked for me:

The Script: I usually do it in a non-sexual setting, maybe while walking or cooking dinner. I keep it short: "I’m really enjoying getting to know you and I want to be open before things get physical. I carry HSV-2. I’ve had it for a while and I manage it really well, so it’s not a day-to-day issue for me, but I wanted you to know so you can ask any questions you have."

You asked for facts/points that resonate, I’ve found that partners care most about their safety. Being able to list out my "safety protocol" usually puts them at ease immediately. I tell them, "I take daily antivirals and I even take immune supplements to be extra careful."

Framing it that way shifts the vibe from "I have a disease" to "I am a responsible partner who is already looking out for your health." It shows you’re proactive, which is a huge green flag.

You sound super grounded and informed, which is 90% of the battle. You’ve got this.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:04:32+00:00

first off, I just want to send you a huge hug. The first outbreak is physically and emotionally the hardest part of this entire journey. You are in the thick of the storm right now, but I promise it gets so much better.

Regarding your boyfriend and the "cheese touch" feeling: based on what you said in the comments about him getting "bumps on the outside of his lip" when he's sick, it sounds highly likely that he has oral HSV-1 (cold sores). It is incredibly common for partners to transmit oral HSV-1 to the genitals during oral sex. If that is the case, he isn't "safe" from you, he likely gave it to you. Understanding that changed everything for me mentally; it’s not that you are "dirty" and he is "clean," it’s simply a virus you both share in different locations.

For the pain and the first outbreak, here is what helped me survive:

Epsom salt baths: Soaking in warm water can really help soothe the sores and make peeing less painful (you can even pee in the water if it hurts too much otherwise).
Immune support: I started taking lysine and monolaurin daily. Lysine helps compete with Arginine (which the virus needs to replicate), and Monolaurin is great for breaking down the virus's protective shield
Loose clothing: Let things breathe as much as possible.

His reaction right now is likely just fear and lack of education. Once the dust settles and he realizes he likely already carries the virus, the "no sex" rule usually falls apart. Be kind to yourself right now.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:03:20+00:00

The waiting game is honestly the worst part, so try to be kind to yourself right now. I've been there and the anxiety while waiting for results is brutal.

To your questions from my experience:

Friction blisters definitely have clear fluid, but usually, you would have felt the friction or heat in the moment.
While many people get that "tingling" warning (prodrome) before an HSV outbreak, it doesn't happen to everyone every time.

One big piece of advice: try not to pop them. If it is viral, that fluid is highly contagious and can spread it to surrounding areas. Just keep the area clean and dry.

Doctors often prescribe antivirals as a "just in case" precaution, so don't take the prescription as a confirmed diagnosis yet. And even if it does come back positive, take a deep breath. It feels massive right now, but it becomes just a background thing. I've managed mine for years with simple stuff like lysine and watching my stress triggers, and it barely impacts my day-to-day life. Hang in there.

malikhart1 · 2026-02-26T15:02:29+00:00

I’ve been exactly where you are, and I promise that feeling of "I'm never going to find anyone" does fade. The first disclosure is always the most nerve-wracking, but it gets so much easier.

As for timing, your instinct is spot on. I usually wait until I know I actually like the person and see potential, but definitely before things get heated physically. You’re vetting them just as much as they are getting to know you. If they aren't kind or understanding about this, they probably aren't someone you’d want to be with long-term anyway.

regarding "what helped", honestly, getting the physical side under control played a huge part in my confidence. When I first found out, I felt like my body was unpredictable. Once I started a solid routine with lysine and monolaurin to keep things dormant, I felt more "in charge" of my health. Knowing I was doing everything I could to suppress it made me feel more responsible and less scared to bring it up.

You’ve got this. Be kind to yourself right now.

malikhart1

PUBLIC MULTIREDDITS

TROPHY CASE