Sounds like you're allergic to something you eat really regularly. And everytime you eat it, your body tries to flush it out - along with it all the calories and precious nutrients. Hence, the weakness you experience.

What are your staples? Anything you've introduced when you went paleo?

Common culprits are:

• nuts/coconut
• dairy
• eggs
• nightshades
• foods rich in salicylates

Also, avoid impurities, such as traces of gluten, or cheap olive oil (which is often diluted with soy oil or hazelnut oil), if you're sensitive

I would recommend to get tested for common food allergies when you see your doctor. If possible include some paleo staples like coconut, macadamia etc. if you eat those frequently.

Good lord! See the doctor first, paleo or not. The fact that you've been paleo for a month but have not had the aforementioned symptoms until more recently indicates that it could be merely coincidence. Rule that out first, then you might experiment with an elimination diet to verify whether or not the symptoms are allergies or otherwise diet related. Could be something as simple as inadequate bile production for higher fat intake due to a lifetime of lower fat intake, the body may just need a period of adjustment, but for goodness sakes rule out the alternatives. If you actually fainted and experienced serious trauma to the head that could definitely be more serious than the damage you might do from eating a diet that is not in keeping with evolution.

Edit in response to update:

I'm glad you went to see a doctor. Like I commented, things like this can become more serious than they need to if not addressed properly. In the case of my father he had a nighttime leg cramp (doc said pain elicits fight-flight response which can lower blood pressure) and got up quickly (strike two) in response at that point he went to the bathroom (she also said that elimination of any kind also lowers blood pressure, strike three) and fainted for the first time in his life hitting his head on the edge of the counter, could have gotten really serious.

You might have simply gotten food poisoning from something you ate, perhaps the flu or some other kind of infection. It's also possible that your symptoms are related to some kind of herxheimer reaction, a die-off of bacteria or yeast related to the change in diet which can release toxic by-products. If that's the case it may take a little while before a new population of beneficial bacteria repopulates, probiotics and fermented foods may help the process.

Hi xhenaro,

The particular episode you're talking about could indeed be the result of eating something unfresh. It could have been a fall in blood pressure, especially if you went very quickly from a horizontal lying position to standing. Have you had circulation issues before? Or, are you sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressures and weather in general? Today's headache and tiredness could be related to that if so.

However, you say you have liquid stools, and light diarrhea the last few days. You don't say if the tiredness/weakness only occured in that one incident or if you are tired all the time. If you are constantly tired, and have diarrhea, it could be a sign of a parasitic infection and I'd get a poop sample test done if I were you.

You also don't specify your exercise habits; weakness, and even gastrointestinal distress could be symptoms of overtraining.

If, however, the liquid stools are the only problem, and you say they have been worse over the last few days, it is possible that your are intolerant to some food you have introduced/increased consumption of when you went paleo. A lot of people start eating a lot of nuts, which can cause problems for those with delicate digestion. Are you eating dairy? If so, are you lactose-tolerant? If not, that may be the issue. Some people, as Thomy said, also have issues with salicylate-containing foods (spinach, tomatoes, courgettes, eggplant, etc) nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes...). If the problem persists you might want to try eliminating potential irritants.

Good luck, get well!

Milla

EDIT after update: since you say this is recent, I doubt its a parasite since symptoms with these have a considerable time lag.

I think the problem is simple dehydration/electrolyte imbalance. Since you've been having liquid stools for a while, if you have not been hydrating yourself adequately, you will have an electrolyte imbalance. Dehydration causes light headedness, weakness, and nausea. Try drinking some coconut water, which is rich in potassium and restores electrolyte balance.

Conversely, sudden weakness, nausea, and bloating could well be signs of mild food poisoning/some stomach bug. Same thing - keep yourself hydrated, perhaps take some activated charcoal, drink some ginger/peppermint/chamomile tea. If your symptoms get worse, especially if you start getting cramping and abdominal pain, go to a doctor! You don't really need a paleo-friendly doctor for this since I doubt this episode has to do with your diet beyond what you ate specifically on the day your symptoms appeared.

Once this is dealt with, you can try eliminating foods to see what is causing your loose BMs, and continue your search for a paleo doctor (good luck with that!).