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.
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Former Member
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:
This would be my guess as well. Of course I hope this is the issue and not a chlorine intorlerance. Sometimes viruses can take a while to run it's course, and constantly wearing yourself down (swimming) may extend the life of the virus. However, I had a bout with Strep in November - no big deal took a round of antibiotics and assumed it was gone. Was feeling exhasted around the beginning of Feb - went back and still had strep. It took a higher dose of anitbiotics along with a strong steroid to knock it out.
I hope you get it resolved and can get back into the swing of things.
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:
This would be my guess as well. Of course I hope this is the issue and not a chlorine intorlerance. Sometimes viruses can take a while to run it's course, and constantly wearing yourself down (swimming) may extend the life of the virus. However, I had a bout with Strep in November - no big deal took a round of antibiotics and assumed it was gone. Was feeling exhasted around the beginning of Feb - went back and still had strep. It took a higher dose of anitbiotics along with a strong steroid to knock it out.
I hope you get it resolved and can get back into the swing of things.
