low protein questions

how low does it have to get to start having symptoms? for those who have had problems with low protein, what symptoms did you notice first?

I haven't had any problems but I recall reading about swelling of the legs.

 Low protein will start to screw with a lot of other levels. Swelling of the feet and legs are typical. You will also probably experience fatigue. There's a host of problems that can follow once your body starts finding your protein from your body parts....heart...muscles...etc. It's nothing to take lightly!

Early out, I had protein malnutrition, and the first sign was swelling in my lower legs. I recognized the symptoms, because another DSer I knew who was much further out than I was having protein issues.

I am proactive about protein intake now. I have a 75 cm common channel, and I was put on Viokase, then Creon(digestive enzymes) to improve absorption. I also do two ~ 64 g shakes daily, in addition to my food intake.

Some people gain weight with the enzymes, which are actually a phamaceutical reversal, as they add the enzymes which now flow through the biliopancreatic channel, but I didn't. I kept losing, and got the protein malnutrition under control.

If I ever see or feel leg swelling which is very rare for me now, the first thing I do is grab a shake!

My ankles and feet started getting puffy.  Elevating them helped, but didn't make the problem go away.  As the defeciency got worse, the puffiness increased, and traveled up my legs, until my belly started getting distended.  It took several months of misery (and the feeling that my legs were going to pop every time I sat down) to get my protein levels back up to a healthy enough number that the water went away.
I've never experienced such prolonged misery, and would encourage you to get it fixed YESTERDAY, rather than go through what I did.

The first symptom was fatigue. My legs, head and arms felt "heavy." Yeast and thrush problems were either next or right along with it. The next was the swelling of feet/ankles. Lack of appetite, strangely enough...or craving odd things was also part of it.