Persistent Health Issues after Going Vegan

Question

Hello! I will try to sum this up briefly, and I'm really just looking for any kind of advice/similar experiences to mine. 

I am a very active person, I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, and love hiking/playing musical instruments etc.. I went vegetarian almost a year ago, from a diet that consisted of meat in almost every meal. For the first few months I felt great, more active than every before. After a few months into the diet change, I developed some tendon/muscle issues in both my wrists. I figured I had overworked them. The doctor said tendonitis, and I started physical therapy for it. A couple months later, I started developing issues in my ankles and knees. I would start limping randomly and have pain in my knees. Once again, a specialist said tendonitis from overuse. Started physical therapy for that as well.. This issues were not resolving quickly at all. 8 months later, I'm still having constant flare ups. These issues have also spread to my hands and shoulders. During the last 6 months, I switched to a mostly vegan diet (almond milk, vegan cheese etc,.). Since this time, my joints/tendons have been cracking/popping a lot. I also developed muscle twitches that happen all over my body, all throughout the day. I get randomly tingling feels in my hands and feet as well. These have been going on for several months now. I was going to the gym less and less because it felt like my muscles were taking so long to recover. What use to be sore for only 48 hours after working out now took almost a week to recover.



A couple little notes before I continue:

- I have never had any type of issues like this in my life before this year (diet change).

- Most the vegan food I was eating was "processed" vegan food



I won't describe anymore of my issues, I think you get the point. My body has felt like its been falling apart, I feel so vulnerable physically. I went to an arthritis doctor who did a physical exam and some blood tests - no arthritis at all, no inflammation markers/ anemia, most of my vitamin levels were fine (besides D). I went to a neurologist who couldn't find any physical issue at all, and apparently was not a big fan of veganism.  I even got my thyroid and cortisol levels checked. Literally nothing has been able to explain my issues. In a last ditch effort to figure out what was going on, I attributed these issues to my diet change, and started eating meat again 2-3 months ago. I have noticed that my muscles do recover a little quicker after working out now, and my body gets inflamed a little less often, but i'm still having a lot of these issues i've described.



Has anyone ever experienced this? I was an extremely health 25 year old, and within 1 year of a diet change, I become a depressed anxious physically weak shell of who I was. The only thing I can think of since my vitamin levels were fine, is that I was not getting adequate protein with a vege/vegan diet, and with my very active lifestyle, my body just could not recover after all my activity, and it just continued to break down more and more. I don't think I'm suffering from any type of genetic disease, as all these issues have been brought on by physical activity. I'm hoping after a few more months of eating meat again, my body and mind will strengthen back to how it was before. Thanks for listening.

FoxxSau · Answer

I have heard many stories similar to yours, and it is similar to how I felt before I became vegan. I went from not having any knowledge of nutrition to learning a lot from the person who encouraged me to become vegan. My diet went from being composed of 0-5% whole foods and 95-100% processed foods, to the exact opposite: 95-100% whole foods and 0-5% processed foods. In my experience, feeling the way you did usually indicates an unbalanced diet consisting of more processed foods (fake meat and cheese) than meals constructed from whole foods (grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.). You mentioned that most of the vegan food you ate was processed, so it leads me to believe that is the issue, but I am interested in hearing more details to illustrate what your diet was like during the time you were vegan. 

I have been vegan and eating mostly whole foods for nearly four years and have felt more vital at age 25-29 than ever before. I went from 215 pounds to 185, but have increased my muscle mass and strength. My cholesterol levels are very low, and my energy level is very high. Before becoming vegan, I only walked a couple miles a day and spent most of my free time lounging. I now train martial arts for about 3 hours a day, walk 5-10 miles a day, bike 5 miles a day, and do Pilates for one hour every morning. This is while I am currently recovering from a spine injury which for I had surgery, chiropractic adjustments, and three courses of physical therapy.

maderhol · Answer

Hello and thanks for your response. I can admit, my vegan diet was not the best. I mostly tried to get as much protein as I could. I ate lots of cashews and almond butter daily. I was also eating "meatless crumbles", "meatless hot dogs", "meatless sausage/chicken" etc, everyday, with some vegetables on the side. All these processed vegans foods were made from rice/wheat protein, with a paragraph of other ingredients. 

Processed or not, I just don't understand how this diet change could destroy my body like it has. Up until I was 21 years old, I ate fastfood everyday, and have never had any issues like this. This all started when I stopped eating actual meat.

Crito · Answer

Obviously you should consult a doctor before strangers on a message board. With that, it does seem like most of your issues are not diet related. Seems more of West and tear or degenerative....might need some bloodwork to be sure you’re not off in anything. 

And yes, when first switching to a vegan diet it’s fun to get into all the mock meats and cheeses and easy to make them staples. But it’s not different than loading up on bad animal foods. Junk food vegans are plentiful and just as with meat eaters you can miss some vital nutrients if you’re not careful. 

I’m a big Dr Greger guy so I’d recommend checking out nutritionfacts.org and searching your conditions, watch his videos regularly, follow the YouTube account, his podcast is great (short 15 min episodes), Instagram account....whatever your social media poison preference is :)

But most of all, he has a “Daily Dozen” app which is free. There’s nothing to it but a checklist, but it gets you focused on a complete and nutritious diet when you first go to a plant based whole foods diet (which is healthier than just vegan). 

I went through a similar phase. Now I’m probably 80-90% whole food plant based with occasional indulgences of mock meat and cheese (maybe 1-2 per week).

herwin · Answer

long time ago i knew this vegan. really unhealthy looking and very fat. sometimes he would complain to me about his health. and than one day i joined him into the vegetarian supermarket....there he goes, 10 packs of vegan burgers, 5 packs of vegan sausages, another load of other vegan mockmeats, etc. half of his cart loaded with mock meats.
um. yeah. wew. than i knew. lol.

dimamuzhetsky · Answer

You might expect(its very normal)to have decreased physical power!It DOES happen mostly.What you DO get in return is gradual increase of mental activities and abilities,and it IS worth it,as humans are mostly powerful by their brains,not by muscular activity.

maderhol · Answer

I have been to multiple doctors. A nuerologist & rhuematologist. Neither had any answers for me even after bloodwork was done. Both doctors said there isn't any research to back it up but their best guess would be the diet change caused it

Mountainmystic · Answer

Have you considered getting tested for gluten intolerance? This can cause inflammation and mimic arthritis. If you are serious about eating a vegetarian or vegan diet, consult a plant based doctor. Find the right doctor.

Eating meat and fast food will take its toll on the physical body in short time. Same with junk food. There's a saying, you are what you eat. Also, what you put into your body and mind is what you get out. Just like a computer. If one puts garbage in, garbage comes out. Treat your body like a sacred thing.

sarahrt · Answer

This sounds like a B-12 deficiency.

Ch44 · Answer

I’m having the exact same experience you had. I have no clue how to get out of it. I’ve done physical therapy for my arms (all types) and have orthotics for my feet. 

I went vegan and have always ate pretty healthy, before and after. I ate mostly beans and lentils, almonds/cashews, and protein shakes. But I cannot shake this. Im 32, this started in my hands when I was 27, and my feet around 29. 

I already take 2,000 mcg of B12 so I know it isn’t that deficiency. 

The only thing that makes sense is lack of meat protein I used to eat. I have since started back eating meat (about 2 yrs ago), but not anywhere near as much like I used to. I’m about to start eating 4 times a day to get 1gram of protein per body weight with a ton of lean meats to see if that works.

My wife tried going vegan after me for a bit. Her ankle took forever to heal, and didn’t heal until she started eating chicken again. 

I saw a neurologist just like you, PT, chiropractor, Myofascial Release Therapy, soft tissue therapy, & a dietician for my arms/hands. Nothing works longterm. 

I used to play basketball everyday. Now I can’t even play video games. Crazy.

Ch44 · Answer

(Replying here since I cannot edit my other one) I also saw a blood doctor, acupuncture, no vitamin deficiencies, no inflammation in the blood, they found nothing everywhere. Also not gluten or celiac, I was tested for all food allergies. 

Man, it HAS to be the meat. If you’re dealing with this within a year or so, don’t be like me and wait 5 years to try meat heavily. I’ll let you know how it turns out if I remember. It may take a few months.

Mochibum · Answer

I’m a healthy 34 yo. 5’3.5” / 19.5% BF / 112 lbs 

I also started experiencing bone(?) aches the last month since going wwpb/vegan 6 months in. I definitely feel softer, I take longer to recover, and I tire from previously easy body weight exercises like 10 leg lifts and glute bridges. I need help figuring out whether it’s bone or muscle or vit d deficiencies. I’m guessing it’s not as much diet as the fact lifting is just essential to do now since I only eat 30-40g protein daily vs 100g+ before (with very occasional lifting). 

Diet history: I went from high animal protein/ low carb (only from produce, no gains), to nutritarian/wwpb. I follow a mix of Dr. Gregor and Furhman’s diets and use Cronometer.

rutherfordmesk · Answer

I'm having precisely the same experience you had. I do not understand how to receive in return. I've done non-intrusive treatment for my arms (assorted types) and have orthotics for my feet. moreover you can see from https://healthdarling.com/

NewTexican · Answer

I can literally hear myself walk these days my ankles crack so often.  I don’t link that to veganism. I link it to aging.

SamanthaPace · Answer

In my experience it all goes back to the food you eat, even if it is vegan it can still be very unhealthy (cheeses, chips, sodas, beer, fake meat etc). If you focus eating on a whole food approach (starch, veg, fruit and water) you will probably see a huge difference. I had a horribly achy food and a stiff joint in my hip for years, even after being vegan, until I moved into whole food :)

SurlyGrrrly · Answer

It sounds like you are not eating healthfully. Vegan does not automatically mean "healthy." Eat processed foods in minimal amounts and otherwise fill up on fresh veggies, beans, and whole grains. Eat a lot of variety and don't limit your portions of fresh vegetables.

PlantBasedPunjab · Answer

I recommend watching Dr. Greger's Daily dozen videos. He also has many other health tips on youtube and his website.

Adonis21 · Answer

Morning all- something similar with me- went vegan six months ago- and for the past few weeks- have no energy- legs ache and just feel tired all the time- my vegan diet would be 95% home made meals with mix of veg/beans and take supplements daily
Not sure if im lacking protein /iron or what it is- but am beginning to think that maybe its not for me ie full vegan diet? (my sister is a nurse and said I prob am now low in iron)
any thoughts?

JonB52478 · Answer

There is zero correlation between health problems and a PROPER vegetarian or vegan diet.

Now, if you have not researched the diet forms properly and are not getting all your nutrients, then, sure you can have problems.

I became a vegetarian back in the 70s.  Back then about 80% of the folks who tried a vegetarian diet were just winging it and plenty of them made HUGE mistakes.  And dangerous mistakes as well.

If, by some chance you did engage a proper vegan or vegetarian diet and ran into health problems, then those health problems are not related to your diet.  You need to see a doctor and find out what is going on.

The only general kind of problem that you might encounter from a vegetarian diet is that it might reveal a food allergy that you previously did not realize you have.  So, for example, many people are allergic to soy.

If you only had a tiny bit of soy before and now that you are vegan, you are having a lot of soy...yes, like any allergy, that can cause problems.

So, when you see the doctor, you could mention the potential problems of any food allergies and have the doctor also assess that.

BlueChiDog · Answer

I am currently going through this. I have been 100% vegan for 3 months now, eating healthy beans, legumes, rice, green vegetables, tofu, berries and nuts mostly. In the beginning, all was good, I felt great, my arthritis even went away for a while. As the days went by, by the 3rd month however, I noticed I was feeling weaker by the day. I used to carry 50lb glass water bottles and by the 3rd month, I could no longer lift them. I added essential vegan vitamins which included omega 3, vitamin D and other vitamins. This helped a little initially, but then same weakness came back . I'm wondering what to do now -- for ethical reasons, I do not want to eat meat.

VegMaster · Answer

Doctors don't know everything. Get full blood work, and try a fast. Also, a methylation test maybe?

MichaelGlidden · Answer

You said your vitamin D level was low. This can cause low bone density and joint pain.

AliyahDay · Answer

Your experience going vegan and then having these health issues is interesting, and  it  highlights that diet can play a big role in how we feel.

Here are a couple of things to consider (and definitely discuss with your doctor):

    Nutrient deficiencies can cause problems. While your blood tests showed most vitamin levels were fine, some deficiencies can take time to show up. Vegan diets can be low in vitamin B12, iron, and vitamin D, all of which are important for joint health and muscle recovery. These might be worth exploring with your doctor.

    Processed vegan food might not be the answer. It sounds like a lot of your vegan diet was processed foods. These might be lacking in essential nutrients and could be contributing to your problems.

    It might not be the vegan diet itself. There's a chance your new joint issues started around the time you went vegan, but weren't necessarily caused by it. It could be a coincidence, or there could be another underlying factor. Talking to your doctor about your overall health history might be helpful.

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