help! swimming is killing me...i started a masters program 6 months ago, up to 3500 yrds 3-4 times a week, love it, feel great, more energy,lost weight however... started getting sick about 5 weeks ago after workout,labored breathing chills and flu like pain lasts 24 hours or so. my dr prescribed anti biotics and inhaler took 1 week off went back strong workout felt great, got even sicker next day better. now prednisone and 2 weeks off, feel great,go back, go easy 2000 yrds-sick again! my goal is to swim open water mile this june and i need to get this thing solved, i don't think it's asthma as the inhaler does nothing and also my eyes were horribly bloodshot when i was acutely sick, any ideas? i even tried another pool thinking same results.
I always feel sick to my stomach after a swim. I assume that I inadvertently drink, sip, swallow, choke on, or otherwise inhale some water during the workout, which is the cause of the feeling in my stomach. Maybe the water is not clean. Do you have this reaction at multiple pools or just the one you typically swim in?
My biggest problem swimming is reflux, especially if I recently had coffee or a large meal. Yesterday I had barbecue chicken for lunch, waited 2 hours, went to the pool and suffered through severe heartburn for 2500 yards. I rarely do that, usually I swim first thing in the morning or after a light breakfast. Learned my lesson yesterday. Anyone else with this issue?
I generally have to wait at least three hours after eating before I can swim, or else I feel nauseated.
I get the reflux thing sometimes. My coach said many of his swimmers carry antacids on their swim bags and pop one or two before practice.
Not a bad idea. Especially if I've recently eaten or drank coffee. I wonder if it's all the air I swallow. When you swim and take rather fast and forceful inhalations, some of it goes into your stomach. That extra air makes regurgitation more likely. Maybe I should try to breath a little more relaxed.
help! swimming is killing me.. started getting sick about 5 weeks ago after workout, labored breathing chills and flu like pain lasts 24 hours or so. my dr prescribed anti biotics and inhaler took 1 week off went back strong workout felt great, got even sicker next day better. now prednisone and 2 weeks off, feel great,go back, go easy 2000 yrds-sick again!
Stop looking for zebras, when the culprit is probably a pony.
Most likely your immune system is depressed, and as taruky said, it is merely coincidental that you have succumbed to illness so much recently. You probably had a relapse because you didn't give yourself time to recover completely. People don't develop chills and fever from pool water. Also, since you did not respond to the antibiotics, you most likley have a virus, no? Perhaps even influenza. True influenza takes a good 3-4 weeks to run its course. The shortness of breath thing may be a mild form of a laryngospasm rather than asthma (where you just can't get that good deep lung air?) - and you can help this by relaxing your breathing, and making sure you are exhaling all the CO2 - this is often helped by breathing every 3rd or 4th stroke for a while. Try and relax - this too shall pass. :blush:
I wouldn't try too hard to find a link between swimming and your problem. You have a pretty small sample size to make a conclusion. I think you need to simplify this and look at what is most likely; you have had a couple viral illnesses back to back. It happens. God knows it has happened to me. The fact that you show no response to Albuterol makes it unlikely it is asthma. Have you tried other types of workouts to see if you get the same effect? Also, when you say "sick", are you talking about chills and fever every time you swim? Or just body aches?
My biggest problem swimming is reflux, especially if I recently had coffee or a large meal. Yesterday I had barbecue chicken for lunch, waited 2 hours, went to the pool and suffered through severe heartburn for 2500 yards. I rarely do that, usually I swim first thing in the morning or after a light breakfast. Learned my lesson yesterday. Anyone else with this issue?
Not a bad idea. Especially if I've recently eaten or drank coffee. I wonder if it's all the air I swallow. When you swim and take rather fast and forceful inhalations, some of it goes into your stomach. That extra air makes regurgitation more likely. Maybe I should try to breath a little more relaxed.
I would guess the pressure of the water on the abdomen as well as the horizontal position in the water has quite a bit to do with it.
My husband said he read an article about getting sick soon after starting an exercise program. I've experienced it and so has he. He said exercise physiologists are aware of this phenomenon but they are not certain as to the cause of it.
Sorry no linkie to share. Just going off of his memory. :D
