Despite possible benefits, the ketogenic diet can cause important side effects and contribute to problems such as kidney disease and liver disorders. Among the most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, bad breath, headache, fatigue and dizziness.
Relationship between the ketogenic diet and skin irritation
When analyzing the effects of the diet, experts began to directly associate it with the dermatological problem presented by the patient. They believe the rash is a case of prurigo pigmentosa (PP) — a rare skin condition that has been seen more frequently in people who enter a state of metabolic ketosis, as occurs on the ketogenic diet.
The condition was first described in Japan in 1971, where it was mainly seen in women. Currently, however, it has already been identified in different patient profiles and presents characteristics compatible with the case analyzed: reddish lesions with intense itching, a reticulated (net-shaped) pattern and frequent location on the trunk, chest, back and neck, appearing days or weeks after the onset of ketosis.
To reinforce this hypothesis, the researchers reviewed previous reports. A clinical study documented that in 19 cases associated with the ketogenic diet, the rash appeared, on average, one month after starting the regimen, with improvement about 18 days after stopping the diet or starting medical treatment.
Although the condition is not yet fully understood, effective treatments already exist. In the case analyzed, doctors interrupted the state of ketosis and administered an antibiotic. After two weeks of treatment and stopping the diet, the lesions completely disappeared.
