# Just got diagnosed with Rhabdo



## The Novice (Jan 25, 2011)

I went for two hard rides back to back days. The second day was a long flat road ride and the weather was cooler. I didn't drink a ton of water because it was cooler out. I woke up the next morning and my arms were so sore I couldn't move my fingers or tie my shoes. 

I was diagnosed with Rhabdo which is an elevation in muscle enzymes which can lead to some nasty side effects such as extreme muscle soreness/stiffness. 

The dr said no riding til my muscle function is back to normal. it is day five and I am still super sore. 

Has anyone e experienced this and how long did it take for you to get back to "normal" ? 

Thanks for any input


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## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

No underlying cause? Not on statins? Thyroid levels normal? Levels of electrolytes all normal? Do you consistently ride in very hot weather? Anything?


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## The Novice (Jan 25, 2011)

Not on any meds or stimulants other than coffee. All levels were normal on the blood panel other than my muscle enzymes (rhabdo). It was a mild case so the dr wasn't too concerned about it.


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## Jaysop (Jul 4, 2012)

When I was in boot camp on Paris Island a few people came down with that due to lack of hydration, mind you this was in the end of October. I remember the briefs we got about it. There's a lot to be said about drinking a lot more water than you think you need. That could be an underlying cause. You may have dehydrated on the first day and then sealed the deal on the second? I'm no doctor just passing on past experiences. 
As far as I know about recovery time, all the people who had it were dropped from my training platoon and set back two weeks. Id say keep hydrating up and taking it easy and you'll probably be back up soon.


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## AlienRFX (Sep 27, 2006)

On another forum I frequent, one of the members went through a police academy style bootcamp and had a severe case of rhabdo, His piss was dark brown like the color of burnt transmission fluid he said, and is or was bound to a wheelchair due the damage it did to his legs. He may have some kidney damage aswell.

If your body is saying no, listen to it.


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## Jaysop (Jul 4, 2012)

I forgot about this thread, update on your recovery?


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## LandSpeed (May 27, 2007)

The Novice said:


> I went for two hard rides back to back days. The second day was a long flat road ride and the weather was cooler. I didn't drink a ton of water because it was cooler out. I woke up the next morning and my arms were so sore I couldn't move my fingers or tie my shoes.
> 
> I was diagnosed with Rhabdo which is an elevation in muscle enzymes which can lead to some nasty side effects such as extreme muscle soreness/stiffness.
> 
> ...


Rhabdomyolysis is breakdown of the muscle tissue that releases muscle contents into the blood, most notably creatine kinase. So in a way, you're right... but you're describing how it's diagnosed, not what the problem is.

I've never seen extreme soreness like what you're describing outside of the gym. I suppose it's possible to be that sore after riding, and apparently you found a way to pull it off.

IF you're riding hard enough to get DOMS that bad, which is delayed onset muscle soreness to those in the know, you should be working on your rest and diet, and not treating the symptoms after it's already happened. There's nothing you can do about it, now, besides rest and diet, in other words.

What's your diet and rest look like? You need more protein, in short. Get you some eggs, son.

EDIT: there is the potential for permanent muscle cell damage if you're doing something like this.


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## The Novice (Jan 25, 2011)

update on the Rhabdo diagnosis: 
I have been tired and drinking tons of water but starting to feel much better. Went for my first ride yesterday. it was basically a soft pedal for a while to see where i stood. i drank 52 oz's of water and didn't piss for a few hours after. a little too dehydrated for my liking so i'm going to hold off on any other rides for a while. After reading more on Rhabdo, my case was pretty mild (all things considered) but it still wacked me pretty good. 

To answer LandSpeed's post, i have never been sore like this in my life. I played HS and college football and was a weight lifting freak (cross fit) for a long time. Never had any issues like this. The funny thing is the joint stiffness I experienced was in my arms. my legs were completely fine. I never had the brown Coca-cola urine they all talked about. My diet has been high protein and fiber and tons of fluid. 

Thanks for all the posts and help with this


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## xsive (Aug 1, 2012)

The Novice said:


> I went for two hard rides back to back days. The second day was a long flat road ride and the weather was cooler. I didn't drink a ton of water because it was cooler out. I woke up the next morning and my arms were so sore I couldn't move my fingers or tie my shoes.
> 
> I was diagnosed with Rhabdo which is an elevation in muscle enzymes which can lead to some nasty side effects such as extreme muscle soreness/stiffness.
> 
> ...


Typically resolves or causes kidney disfunction. Stay hydrated.

Did you take a serious fall or have a serious crash on one of your rides?


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## abegold (Jan 30, 2004)

I was dehydrated for 30 years! As a landscaper I'd always come home dead tired and starting out mountain biking the same. Had 1 recurring dream in my life, of drinking at a water fountain and still having cottonmouth. My urine was almost always dark. 
Now I know if haven't taken a leak in 4 hours I am dehydrated. Once a week I drink enough water to pee clear 3x within a hour to clean my kidneys and bladder and almost never get sick anymore. This helps recover from a cold faster, too.
PS, Soda is garbage!!!!!


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