health
Normal muscle soreness
goes away on its own
in a couple days. With
rhabdomyolysis, the
soreness may be extreme
and you may have
muscle swelling as well
as dark colored urine or
lack of urine.
version of the days you walk out of
the gym feeling a little “wobbly” or like
“jell-o” after a tough workout.
That was on a Tuesday morning. I
assumed the soreness would settle
within a day or two like it usually does.
Wednesday, I noticed I had trouble
lifting my tote from the ground. My
arms were struggling to function. Small
movements, like opening the car door
handle, felt painful and my biceps
and the muscles around my elbow
were swollen.
I soon realized this was not
just usual soreness. It felt like my
muscles were broken. My husband,
a regular CrossFitter, had heard of
rhabdomyolosis but he thought the
tell-tale sign was dark or coloured
urine. My urine looked completely
normal all week, so we ruled this out
as a possibility.
By Friday evening I was beginning
to feel lethargic and like I wanted to
stay in bed. I felt drained of energy
and my arms were still swollen (4 days
post workout). I began Googling why
I would still be sore and swollen 4
days after a workout, and LUCKILY I
stumbled upon an article titled “The
negative pull-ups workout that nearly
22
www.playtimes.com.hk
killed me”. The author’s story sounded
exactly like what I had experienced.
(Article: www.shape.com/lifestyle/
mind-and-body/the%20pull-up%20
workout%20that%20nearly%20
killed%20me)
It was around 9pm when I read
that article and we headed straight
to Canossa Hospital to request a
blood test. My husband and I had
“rhabdomyolosis” and the name of
the blood test written down in case
the doctor on duty wasn’t aware of
the condition. (The blood test is for
creatine phosphokinase or CPK).
Thankfully the doctor knew exactly
what it was and called for the blood
test immediately. (Apparently, they get
at least one case a week at Canossa).
I was told the test results would be
ready within 4 hours, so I could go
home and wait for their phone call. I
was woken at 2am by the nurse’s call
telling me my levels were extremely
high and I needed to be admitted
ASAP. My CPK levels were at 17,000
U/L which carry risks of cardiac arrest
and kidney failure.
I was met back at the hospital by
a Nephrologist who then did further
testing and monitored me daily.
How did treatment go?
The treatment was a slow, steady
process. I was hospitalized for 5 days
and on IV fluid drip the entire time. The
slightest bit of dehydration could be
dangerous because the muscle proteins
are floating around the bloodstream
which could literally choke the kidneys.
The treatment plan was designed to
flush the toxins from my blood. I was
to urinate every 1-2 hours and ideally
400 -700ml each time. I had to measure
how much I drank and urinated.
How long was the treatment?
Treatment lengths can vary. In my case
the doctor agreed that I could go home
if my levels hit 1000 or below (this is
still 10x the normal range). Luckily, my
kidneys did not show signs of damage,
so as my CPK levels dropped, my
condition was improving. My muscles
were still weak and painful though.
How long did it take to recover?
It took 7-10 days for my muscles to
feel normal and my energy levels to
return. The doctor said I should avoid
all arm exercises and general exertion
until one month post-treatment.
Until that point, there is a risk of the