decreasing performance, out of breath at night

Liliacea

I've been trying to run for over two years now, other cardio before this. After 5 weeks of C25K I managed to run 400m without walking. This is significant as I could not run all my life. Hated Easter or hide and seek as even as a preschooler I could not run like other kids. Muscle strength always way below average depsite strength training. Muscle endurance almost completely absent (few brush strokes on wall: painful arm muscles, whole body weakness, heavy breathing. Same with walking uphill). All usual childhood medical checks normal. Had no additional checks. Running has not increased my ability to use fat stores as fuel at all. Every light or heavy activity leaves me hungry, weak, slightly disoriented and shivering after one hour. Same happens if my second breakfast or lunch is ever so slightly too late. Seem to digest fats poorly and mainly live of carbs as also proteins don't still hunger too well.

Now for about three years I often wake up at night after a cardio session and I'm out of breath despite having no blocked airways. Hyperventilating/just breathing faster gives relieve. Taking calcium seems to stop this breathlessness, otherwise it vanishes after a few hours to return the following nights. Never got a blood test during this due to waiting times in A&E. In the last few months my runing, which has always been fairly poor has gotten even worse, and the next day I often feel completely drained, muscles like jelly, extremely tired.

GP insists there's nothing and doesn't feel like initiating some proper tests. I also have the feeling she doesn't know what to test. I've had overtraining syndrome in the past, after just 10 or so light stationary bike lessons, but this is different. Unless there is perpetual overtraining that doesn't go away despite longer running breaks due to injuries (I'm also massively clumsy). Thing is: I need to do cardio. Even as a teenager I was scared I'd be a candidate for a mobility scooter at 50 if I don't get moving. Not that I cared enough then.

Any ideas? Anything specific to ask from my GP?

Little M.iss Happy

I would have thought that some standard blood tests wold be indicated if you haven't had them - FBC; TSH; ESR; B12; Hb and Ferritin possibly also Vit D. 

Liliacea

Little M.iss Happy said:

I would have thought that some standard blood tests wold be indicated if you haven't had them - FBC; TSH; ESR; B12; Hb and Ferritin possibly also Vit D. 

Yep, all those are under control or fine (not at lower end of range fine but properly fine). I also feel completely healthy as long as I've not worked out the previous day or am not walking up a hill. Only other thing tested so far is lungs and heart when I ended up in A&E first time I was so out of breath at night, and those tests were fine.

Little M.iss Happy

Ah - sorry. When I read your post I thought that you meant that your GP hadn't investigated. The only other things I could think of would be blood sugar or asthma.

Liliacea

Little M.iss Happy said:

Ah - sorry. When I read your post I thought that you meant that your GP hadn't investigated. The only other things I could think of would be blood sugar or asthma.

No problem. This all started nearly three years ago and my GP seems to think "she's still alive, can't be that bad then". But it's been getting worse and, looking back I think I might always had this problem. It only got worse in say the last 10 years and really acute in the past three. Asthma has been ruled out as there's no blocking of the airways at all. And blood sugar.. in a way there is something going on considering I nearly completely live of carbs and don't seem to be able to use fats or protein for energy very well, or utilise fat stores for running or any other activity.

Anyway, if the weather doesn't turn bad I will go running again tonight. My NHS region (Scotland) wasn't hit by this virus, thus worst case I get another free ride to hospital tonight. Otherwise I'll just be tired and weak tomorrow I guess.

Liliacea

Right. Had a fantastic run last night. Lungs and heart no problem, muscles kind of ok. It felt fairly easy. But i had a spoon of baking soda and calcium two hours before, an idea I wanted to follow up with. So does that mean even during a slow 5k, at a speed most people would not call running I have a lactic or otherwise acid problem? One thing is certain: if I do something heavy, like running over a speed bump (not joking!) or fix a screw overhead all my muscles get weak and I have to breathe heavily, and all energy is gone. That did not happen at last night's run. 

bol sauce

'Second breakfast or lunch'? How much do you weigh & height?

Liliacea

bol sauce said:

'Second breakfast or lunch'? How much do you weigh & height?

Absolutely normal. 169cm and about 60kg. I just get hungry quickly again regardless of eating a massive portion or a small one. Thus I eat many small portions throughout the day. And if things get really wrong, if I do one of those things that I should not do (fix a screw overhead) then I just get hungry and weak immediately, regardless of when I ate last. Don't seem to have a blood sugar problem. Just an energy mobilisation and utilisation problem it seems. 

Nessie

Sorry to be blunt, but do you have "digestive issues" - regular diahorrea and/or constipation? Foul smelling poo that is light in colour? 

Sounds possibly like you are not absorbing what you need from your food (my hubby had similar issues before being diagnosed coeliac, although if you had that something would have shown in your bloods, e.g. low iron).

Liliacea

Nessie said:

Sorry to be blunt, but do you have "digestive issues" - regular diahorrea and/or constipation? Foul smelling poo that is light in colour? 

Sounds possibly like you are not absorbing what you need from your food (my hubby had similar issues before being diagnosed coeliac, although if you had that something would have shown in your bloods, e.g. low iron).

No problem All looks normal apart from fats that don't get absorbed well it seems. I had a blood test for coeliacs recently (went for something else) but my GP would have called if something was wrong. I'll make an appointment next week probably. 

Only thing comes to mind is that people regularly ask me whether I am hypermobile. There seems to be something with my looks that seems to attract this question. I' not particularly mobile though: some joints are, others completely refuse to become more flexible. And I don't see the connection with poor and worsening strength/strength endurance and nightly breathing issues.