[chriss]

I was under the same impression as Ed, but also prepared to get educated... Did you absolutely hammer it & drain yourself.

Two weeks on & still having symptoms I'd definitely get a DR appointment just to be safe.

Take it easy man.

[webbo]

As above I would be going to docs. A run then going bouldering that’s really not a lot more than a big day out and running out of food and not getting much afterwards. However If you started eating reasonably normally even with a reduced appetite over the next days, Given your current symptoms GP appt.

[SA Chris]

Went to see one on Monday, got full bloods etc. Scheduled for another appt a week on Monday.

I went pretty hard in the first half of the HM, but according to HRM nothing like i have done in the past. It started at Midday, which is a tricky time, quite a while after cramming in as much porridge as I can, like I usually do. I thought it was unlikely too, but of the signs here https://www.medicinenet.com/top_11_signs_you_are_in_ketosis/article.htm I have had them all except 6 (and possibly 2, the response i got at home was "no worse than usual". I've stopped caffeine too, as my pulse was going through the roof.

Might be a bit late, but I have ordered some strips, see what result they show.

[Stabbsy]

FWIW the majority of those symptoms along with raised HR are what I’ve had since June and have been putting down to some sort of post-viral/long Covid type thing. Sleep has finally started to improve and HR getting slightly less “over-responsive” in the last month.

[slab_happy]

Went to see one on Monday, got full bloods etc. Scheduled for another appt a week on Monday.

I went pretty hard in the first half of the HM, but according to HRM nothing like i have done in the past. It started at Midday, which is a tricky time, quite a while after cramming in as much porridge as I can, like I usually do. I thought it was unlikely too, but of the signs here https://www.medicinenet.com/top_11_signs_you_are_in_ketosis/article.htm I have had them all except 6 (and possibly 2, the response i got at home was "no worse than usual". I've stopped caffeine too, as my pulse was going through the roof.

Might be a bit late, but I have ordered some strips, see what result they show.

As I understand it, if you went back to eating normally (assuming your "normal" isn't super-low-carb) after that day, you shouldn't still be in ketosis 2 weeks later, even if you dipped into it then.

[SA Chris]

I've been eating as much as my appetite allows me without feeling sick, so less than normal, but not like I am starving myself. I would have though the same about going out of it, but still getting the symptoms, especially the coppery taste in mouth. I lost about 9lbs in about 2 weeks, but not underweight yet according to BMI charts.

[lukeyboy]

I don't have anything helpful to contribute, other than to say - that sounds shit Chris, hope it's nothing serious and you're back to full health soon 

[seankenny]

FWIW the majority of those symptoms along with raised HR are what I’ve had since June and have been putting down to some sort of post-viral/long Covid type thing. Sleep has finally started to improve and HR getting slightly less “over-responsive” in the last month.

I also thought the symptoms sounded a little long covid-esque - I’ve had similar.

Stabbsy - are you au fait with things like non sleep deep rest/yoga nidra and various breathing exercises that are recommended for post viral HR issues? Happy to suggest some things if you like, they’ve been very helpful for my long covid.

Chris - hope you get some swift and successful resolution of your symptoms, good luck!

[tk421a]

Doesnt sound like ketosis to me. From my experience / memory, ketosis is hard / slow to get into and easy / fast to get out of. If you wanted to rule it out have a few gels / sugary sport / haribo if you can stomach it. One gel is pretty much the carbs a normal keto diet would be doing.

Hope you feel better soon.

[SA Chris]

Thanks for all the good wishes guys. I have been trying to eat as much carbs as I can stomach, lots of small meals. A lot of the unpleasant signs have settled down and I don't feel weak or anything, and managing some reasonably fast paced short runs. Still off caffeine.

I had COVID back in July, suffered worse for a few days, but recovered quicker than last time (April last year). I did have a bit of a mild sniffly cold for about 10 days the week after we got back from Mallorca (COVID test negative, but given the age of the kits it could be a false negative) and took it very easy for 2 weeks  / 10 days, then did a few runs before the HM, and felt fine. I also felt fine during the race, just dropped off pace in the last 3rd.

Hopefully get bloods back soon.

[Stabbsy]

Stabbsy - are you au fait with things like non sleep deep rest/yoga nidra and various breathing exercises that are recommended for post viral HR issues? Happy to suggest some things if you like, they’ve been very helpful for my long covid.

Thanks Sean, I'd be interested to hear what you've tried. I tried a few breathing exercises over the period that is was at its worst, but I'm not sure how successful they were. It was usually in the middle of the night when I'd wake up with my HR pounding, so it's maybe harder to judge if it's working. By the sounds of it, my symptoms were never as severe as yours - if I wasn't a runner (and therefore hyper-aware of my HR when exercising), I might have put it down to being very rundown/stressed.

Possibly/probably just coincidence, but my biggest improvement started not long after I started taking a vitamin D supplement. Sleep improved, recovery improved, headaches reduced, mood improved. There are some papers saying there could be a link, but it could equally have just been reversion to the mean.

[SA Chris]

So, if anyone is still interested, bloods show high level of bilirium. Getting a retest next week. Could be a worry, could just be higher than "normal" due to strenuous exercise, stress  or cutting out caffeine.

[edshakey]

Definitely still interested - and safe to say I'd never heard of bilirium, let alone guessed that was the issue! Best of luck mate, hopefully it's nothing major and you're back to normal soon

[SA Chris]

Thanks, hopefully it's treatable, and not worst case..

[slab_happy]

Fingers crossed that it's innocuous or treatable and you're feeling better soon!

[Falling Down]

I hope you get treated Chris and get well soon.

[seankenny]

Stabbsy - are you au fait with things like non sleep deep rest/yoga nidra and various breathing exercises that are recommended for post viral HR issues? Happy to suggest some things if you like, they’ve been very helpful for my long covid.

Thanks Sean, I'd be interested to hear what you've tried. I tried a few breathing exercises over the period that is was at its worst, but I'm not sure how successful they were. It was usually in the middle of the night when I'd wake up with my HR pounding, so it's maybe harder to judge if it's working. By the sounds of it, my symptoms were never as severe as yours - if I wasn't a runner (and therefore hyper-aware of my HR when exercising), I might have put it down to being very rundown/stressed.

Possibly/probably just coincidence, but my biggest improvement started not long after I started taking a vitamin D supplement. Sleep improved, recovery improved, headaches reduced, mood improved. There are some papers saying there could be a link, but it could equally have just been reversion to the mean.

Yeah these things are super hard to untangle, even in the lab: it looks like long covid has several different types, so without separating patients out it's really easy to make an underpowered study that would lead to a rejection of treatments that might well work very well for a certain subset of patients. (I have no idea if this is a regular problem in medical research but scientists looking at long covid seem quite excised by it.) So there's tons of room for patient experimentation/folk remedies/charlatans, delete as appropriate.

I had gut issues early on and found a specially developed probiotic worked really well at clearing them up.
https://yourgutplus.com/
There's some evidence from a couple of years ago if that helps, anyhow I found it useful. The Phyto-V stuff didn't do much for me.

As for breathing exercises, I've been told to do them by my cardiologist but that is specifically because I have nervous system issues - other types of long covid/post viral illness might be a bit different. I have to say that I think even healthy people should look into this stuff as it's so good for getting really high quality rest, and I suspect that for some people a regular non-sleep deep rest practice would go a long way to helping alleviate their tendon niggles. I am a bit evangelical!


Lagers recommended me these body scans from Bangor Uni:
https://www.bangor.ac.uk/centre-for-mindfulness/audio

I like Ally Boothroyd, she will undoubtedly be a bit woo for most UKBers but as long as you ignore the chakra business I reckon she's good. This one is very short and straight, iirc:
https://youtu.be/_noquwycq78?si=xl3Mq_SW16bQxGuB

Something like this is really good for getting your HRV down which always makes me feel a bit better:
https://youtu.be/lRLQ6VtI1qQ?si=0gURRcekY-o6H1fG

This channel is recommended by my doctors, it's a very gentle breathing exercise:
https://youtu.be/Jm5dhUXIQmE?si=FDHN4KN4r_JqDIDj

I usually do this laying down, with a pillow under my knees and head, a blanket and eye-patches... sorry for the image guys but I find it helps with dropping down into a really rested state. Ten mins is the minimum that works for me, initially it was twenty but my whole body was aflame with sickness so calming down was super tough. I don't think any of these methods are necessarily instant fixes but over time they help me. Usual provisos apply - I'm not a doctor, this isn't medical advice just what works for me, etc. Good luck!

[SA Chris]

Well, second do visit, she seems to think it's this https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gastroparesis/ (doing too little core, or too much??) and has prescribed metacopramine, which seems to help. Bilirubin level still high, but she didn't seem overly concerned with that.

Appetite still very low, and feeling full, seems like I need to eat less healthy fibre, and drink more coffee! Weight loss has stabilised, mainly through using a calorie counting app and eating as much as I can stomach. Staying steady after losing about a stone. Hopefully it will recover, it's a weird feeling, never being hungry.

[steveri]

Blimey, get well soon Chris. I bet you could sell that condition on second hand.

[SA Chris]

Natural gastric band?

Hope that's all it is, on waiting list for a scan to see if it's anything more serious though, given that my brother died from cancer of the digestive system.

[slab_happy]

Well, bollocks. Acquiring a chronic condition is never fun.

But glad you have a potential diagnosis, and hopefully it is that rather than anything more ominous!

[Paul B]

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/01/jack_scott_wins_the_2024_montane_spine_race-73579

I've looked at this result a few times and it looks absolutely bonkers?

[edshakey]

Been following closely - I started the forum thread that's linked in the article.

And yes, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. Genuine contender for performance of the year across the world of ultra running, without a doubt, it'll take something huge to top that.
 
A record was maybe on the cards given the weather and strength of field, but never 10 hours taken off it. Incredible stuff

[slab_happy]

Holy shit. And remember Paris's record smashed the previous one by 12 hours.  So that's 22 hours off the record in 5 years.

[SA Chris]

and 54 minutes of sleep in 3 days of that much effort. Just insane.