I know this is common and I did check other threads for this (albeit briefly) without luck, but here is my problem.. I've done low-carb before, but haven't for a while. I had kind of been doing a modified South Beach, but hit a 3 week plateau and thought I might try to re-do and induction phase. All is well except the dull headache I have had for a week now. It seems to come and go, but it's present more than absent!
What can I do that won't sabotage my diet or involve oodles of aspirin?
Assuming your headache is coming from lack of carbs on your current diet, then depending on which reduced-carb diet you're doing, have some dairy or beans. South Beach allows both on phase 1.
Definitely make sure you're getting enough water. Induction phase always makes me pee like crazy and so I think it can cause slight dehydration as you're losing weight.
I get headaches so bad when I'm lo-carbing, the main thing that has helped me is taking a TCM formula(traditional chinese medicine). It's custom made by an acupuncturist/herbalist and has really done wonders for me, it's pretty reasonably priced too.
This may not be your problem but...when I first started dieting years ago I was drinking and eating alot of things with aspartame. I used to have lots of headaches. I cut out eating or drinking anything with aspartame and no more headaches. Just try it for a week and see if this is the culprit. I hope this helps someone. Now, I do not chew gum, as most gum has aspartame and also, only drink water or beverages with splenda i.e. diet rite.
check your blood pressure.. When mine goes even just slightly above normal (130/90, is high enough) I get a dull headache, that just won't go away!!! That's how I found out I had HBP, I went to the Doc for a sinus infection, then it was 178/130 I was like ok!! Been on meds for several years now... No headache.. Hope to come off them when I am thin!! But maybe not.. Thin people get HBP pressure too!!
During induction on Ideal Protein they recomend sea salt (yes 1/4 teaspoonful in 4 oz of water) they sell a mineralized (not demineralized) that you are to use, they are kinda fanantical about it. The salt water works, but then again so does tylenol, which is what I would do after the salt water didn't quite take it away.