Seeking folks that may have run into similar health issues after completing IM race, or can direct to old threads that may be related?.
I am 3 years removed from what was my very first IM in 2012 (Canada…last one in Penticton). Goal was to complete in under 12hrs and ended up with a 12h15min finish (1:10/5:47/5:01) …marathon was my first and just didn’t come together for me but thrilled to get my first under my belt!
In the months following the race I developed major fatigue issues. Very small bits of exercise would devastate me. I would be overcome by muscle fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and dizziness and would take days to gain back normal energy. This would come on from such minor things (at least to me) as raking leaves in the backyard. As time passed, about a year, I began some running again. Very slow pace for the first few runs. Typically as I get a few under my belt I would notice some improvement in my conditioning which would allow to increase intensity and also distance. This has not been the case. I can not maintain a strong pace for long at all without becoming short of breath, fatigued and leg muscles feel weak. This has continued to today (3 yrs post IM). Although some improvement has been observed, and I can pump out a 10K run, in order to do that I have to push myself through my symptoms in order to do so. The other thing is I can not complete without several walking breaks. Prior to IM I was able to hold a 4min30sec-:45sec/km pace over 10K and now it takes all I have to manage a 6min/km pace.
With my swimming I can manage a 1500m moderate workout including drills, kick and such but then I’m done!! Haven’t been cycling due to a tailbone injury which I suffered prior to IM and was able to manage it then but now has been more challenging and limiting. To note: even walks on the beach with my dog cause me fatigue with dizziness and muscle fatigue/weakness (more often than not in my legs).
I have seen medical professionals on various levels. Illnesses such as Mono have all been ruled out. My heart has been inspected thoroughly as a result of all this and although, lucky for me, they found I have a congenital heart issue that is now being monitored regularly, it is not related to my symptoms according to cardiologist and surgeons.
I am a bit at a loss and certainly frustrated with not being able to progress with my fitness. I would like to compete again someday but as it stands if things don’t improve I will have to walk away from the sport entirely which is a sad thing because I have been doing it for over 10yrs and enjoy it so much.
So I am putting this out there to the masses in the event someone has come across this before and perhaps can shed some light?
Thanks to those who have taken the time to read this, much appreciated!
I would go back to your general practicioner and see what type of diagnosis they can deliver. They may tell you to get a second opinion with additional testing from another cardiologist. It may not be heart related, but I would seek further evaluation and rule it out. Dizziness and shortness of breath can be caused by low oxygen levels. A family member is awaiting a heart transplant and their oxygen drops all the time. It does cause a lot of symptoms you are describing, which makes me wonder if the symptoms are heart related.
Thanks for the reply to my post. Through discussions with my GP we sought the second opinion from a heart surgeon given I wasn’t happy with the cardiologist at the time. The surgeon confirmed the same as did cardiologist. Not saying I wouldn’t consider yet another opinion (3rd) but thought I’d post that a second opinion had been sought out.
Thanks for the reply to my post. Through discussions with my GP we sought the second opinion from a heart surgeon given I wasn’t happy with the cardiologist at the time. The surgeon confirmed the same as did cardiologist. Not saying I wouldn’t consider yet another opinion (3rd) but thought I’d post that a second opinion had been sought out.
same thing happened to me after my last ironman. ended up with hypothyroidism - whether they are connected or not, it just happened after my race. Also was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue by my east-west doctor. some GPs aren’t really sure this is a thing but maybe others on here have experience with it.
Get your vitamin levels checked. I was having serious fatigue problems and it turned out I was very low (almost none) on Vitamin D and B12. I started taking large doses of D and getting B12 shots, really helped a lot. It seems like an easy answer, but if you hadn’t had these levels checked its worth a try.
Assuming a complete bloodwork / cardiac screen is essentially normal ( cbc, bun, lft’s , esr, electrolytes inc. ca/mg, thyroid tests, ecg ,echocardiogram, cardiac nuclear studies etc.) I’d be seeing an Endocrinologist for adrenal assessment- possible ACTH stimulation test. May take a while for the appointment though. All the best.
thanks everyone for chiming in, all very good points!!
As far as vitamins, that is certainly a good point. I do already supplement with Vit D especially through the winter here in the pacific northwest with it being so dark and gloomy!
ACTH Stimulation Test - I’ve never heard of this one. I will be seeing my Naturopath and he typically deals with adrenal stuff. For whatever reason GP’s don’t delve into that realm here.
Intestinal issues - the only thing I deal with, and have had since I was in my late teens, is acid reflux and I take prescription medicine for that which has worked swimmingly for me!. I have no known allergies to dairy or gluten…I’m not Celiac and no other intestinal/digestive tract concerns
This post is a little freaky, because I have had problems with my kidneys since that same race, with very similar symptoms as you. Have you had kidney function/GFR levels checked? What about red blood cell count?
I have had GFR tests done and everything was normal. RBC was above the recommended range only reflected in a test I had done last October 2013, all other times normal. I do however have WBC below normal range EVERY single time. But I had that in the training year leading up to my IM and was ok. I may be one of those people that have a low WBC and that’s just my norm.
One test that did come back as a concern post IM was an enlarged spleen but that appeared to have corrected itself.
Intestinal issues - the only thing I deal with, and have had since I was in my late teens, is acid reflux and I take prescription medicine for that which has worked swimmingly for me!. I have no known allergies to dairy or gluten…I’m not Celiac and no other intestinal/digestive tract concerns
I thought it might be an intestinal parasite.
Triathletes are a high risk group for parasites as we are always swimming in open water.
Parasites can cause a huge variety of symptoms that look like something else and be virtually undetectable.
But maybe not in this case…
Have you considered your medication as a cause? Look at it’s side effects.
I think probiotics are a natural way to treat acid reflux…
i would pursue the endocrinology route and also hematologic route. check your iron panel and do basic adrenal stuff unless this has already been done. do you have objective data for your SOB (RR, o2 sats, peak flow?) or all subjective? i’d look for some hard data now, since it has been 3 years, instead of subjective findings…
Assuming a complete bloodwork / cardiac screen is essentially normal ( cbc, bun, lft’s , esr, electrolytes inc. ca/mg, thyroid tests, ecg ,echocardiogram, cardiac nuclear studies etc.) I’d be seeing an Endocrinologist for adrenal assessment- possible ACTH stimulation test. May take a while for the appointment though. All the best.
I ditto seeing an endocrinologist to rule out subclinical HYPERthyroidism and HYPOcortisolism. (They tend to run together and can mimick overtraining syndrome).
Have a read into Fibromyalgia (FMS) and see if this rings a bell. A friend has recently been diagnosed with this after a recent IM NZ and her symptoms certainly seem to match up with yours. Kinda like chronic fatigue but not…
The defining symptoms of fibromyalgia are chronic widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and heightened pain in response to tactile pressure (allodynia). Other symptoms may include tingling of the skin (paresthesias), prolonged muscle spasms, weakness in the limbs, nerve pain, muscle twitching, palpitations, and functional bowel disturbances.
Many patients experience cognitive dysfunction (known as “fibrofog”), which may be characterized by impaired concentration, problems with short and long-term memory, short-term memory consolidation, impaired speed of performance, inability to multi-task, cognitive overload, and diminished attention span. Fibromyalgia is often associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms.
The one major symptom with fibromyalgia is “widespread pain” which I do not have. Also many of these other symptoms listed, as well as within other online resources I’ve checked out, I do not suffer from.
Although my symptoms and those of your friend are similar in nature I believe these I’ve mentioned above are key indicators for fibromyalgia.
I’m going to do some more research on this one however…thank you so much for sharing!!
Get a complete thyroid panel: free T4, T3, and TSH. Subclinical hyperthyroidism is often overlooked if only TSH is done. Also, get the ACTH stimulation test.
I should mention that she doesnt suffer from the widespread pain - more like chronic fatigue symptoms. It took the doctors a LONG time to diagnose her as they had previously discounted fibromyalgia due to the lack of pain… but further specific blood tests confirmed it.
Just thought it should be something you should be aware of, and get checked out
