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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Medical Advice On Switching Over To Vegetarian From Non Vegetarian

I decided to become a vegetarian and have been working into it gradually over the past months. I have completely meat-free for the past two or three weeks and have found myself feeling listless and lethargic, constantly tired, cold when others are not, more susceptible to motion sickness and frequently woozy/mildly dizzy, and my ability to concentrate and my appetite have decreased. I have also experienced tension headaches and occasional trouble focusing my eyes, though my glasses prescription has not changed. My mother tried to be vegetarian once and had similar symptoms, though they were traced to complications with her thyroid, and as I am under 25 I do not believe this is the case for me. I have been sleeping fine, but my sleep pattern has been very irregular as I am going through an extremely stressful time in my life. Also, my physical activity and time outdoors has decreased over the past month. I have been very careful to monitor my protein intake and eat lots of whole grains & lentils etc. Should I be concerned that I am still iron and/or protein deficient, or are these symptoms more likely related to stress, lack of exercise and irregular sleep and likely go away when my life returns to normal?
Mon, 8 Sep 2014
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Psychiatrist 's  Response
It is more likely to be related to stress and irregular & inadequate sleep. Merely shifting to a vegetarian diet is not likely to cause these symptoms.
You should take vitamin supplements because Vit B12 is available to us only from animal products (including milk and milk products).
Most important thing is to get adequate sleep.
If you still have these symptoms after adequate sleep, you should consult a doctor.
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Medical Advice On Switching Over To Vegetarian From Non Vegetarian

It is more likely to be related to stress and irregular & inadequate sleep. Merely shifting to a vegetarian diet is not likely to cause these symptoms. You should take vitamin supplements because Vit B12 is available to us only from animal products (including milk and milk products). Most important thing is to get adequate sleep. If you still have these symptoms after adequate sleep, you should consult a doctor. I hope this answer is helpful.