Flu symptoms the day after exercise

[Gareth]

Hi there,

Does anyone on here have, or know anything about, CFS?

I went to the gym for the first time in a while (as we all know, exercise is great for your well being! I did half an hour on the treadmill) but it did the opposite of make me feel better. I was OK immediately afterwards and went to see a friend for dinner afterwards and went to bed pretty tired.

The next day however I woke up with a really sore throat, headache, in a lot of pain in muscles, really sweaty and feverish - basically symptoms really like the last time I had flu. It got worse as the day progressed to the point where I could hardly sleep last night due to sweating so much and having the symptoms of fever.

Today I am a little better. No feverish symptoms, just a bit drained. Its clear that I DON'T have any kind of fever / flu or cold.

I googled and CFS is the thing that comes up most consistently. I am pretty exhausted pretty much constantly, and have been "ill" for about a year. My doctor has mentioned it as a possibility but there aren't really any tests for it.

I was just wondering if anyone gets this after exercise, or if anyone has any experience of CFS?

Thanks,
Gareth

[becky000]

Yes, I've been ill for years - not continuously but every six months or so. Each time I take myself off to the doctor and although they never find anything they usually give me anti-biotics and maybe something for anxiety.
Finally I've found a doctor who knows what it is - you're right CFS - I think they used to call it Yuppie Flu.
Have a look at my post about Adrenaline and Cortisol. I'm still a bit confused about how it all works but mainly if we suffer from anxiety we definitely produce too much of these two hormones and they do eventually cause inflammation in the body.
That's why I'm now having accupuncture and taking supplements.
I'm tired of doctors who treat the symptoms and not the cause so I'm really pleased to have found a doctor who understands and believes in helping the body to heal itself and treating the root cause.
I'm still feeling ill but my anxiety has eased off and I'm patiently waiting for the "flu" to leave too.
I think it's a matter of looking after our bodies and minds so I'm trying to do exercise, eat right, take supplements and also look after my mind by avoiding stress.

[Gareth]

Thanks Becky for your interesting post. I have been ill for over a year now, and exercising was a way of starting a more healthy regime, but it completely flattened me!

I'm confused though, are you saying you have actually been diagnosed with CFS? My understanding is with this condition that it is what is says on the tin, "Chronic" and there isn't really a lot you can do to make yourself feel better if you have this.

Or is CFS just a "label" for a set of symptoms that are brought on by not treating the body very well? This doesn't add up because I've seen athletes on forums saying they suddenly "got" CFS, which put a stop to their careers.

Thanks,
Gareth

[becky000]

Hi Gareth
well, I'm a bit confused too! The doctor I'm seeing doesn't actually put a name to an ailment but he explained in great detail how this has happened to me due to an excessive amount of adrenaline and cortisol being produced by my body, which obviously, wasn't used for what God intended it. It has therefore caused physical problems and inflammation which is why I so often feel "flu-ish".
He then used the example of Yuppy Flu which is now called CFS and he also likened it to post traumatic stress disorder.
But I have now read that CFC is also ME which can be caused by a virus? So I'm a bit bewildered about the whole thing. I also read that if you have it, physical exertion can make you feel worse. Maybe that's why you felt so bad after your exercise? Try walking, it's very calming and is very good for you without putting too much strain on your body.
(this is when a little knowledge can be dangerous I think!)
Maybe someone else reading this post can shed some light?
I don't really know the name of what I have but I know that it's been caused by anxiety, that I often feel ill and doctors can't seem to diagnose what's wrong.