Woman ends up in A&E after spin cycle class, gets diagnosed with serious medical condition
She was all excited for her first ever spin cycling class.
Days later, however, she ended up in the hospital because the pain in her legs was unbearable. To her horror, she was diagnosed with a serious medical condition that could have proved fatal or resulted in permanent disability.
A Lemon8 user named Vivien posted on July 20 of how she ended up at an A&E after her first spin class session that week.
She wrote: "The instructor was really kind and patient with me, (and helped) prepare me for the session."
When the workout began, Vivien said she managed to keep up with the instructor for about 15 minutes, after which her legs got tired and she simply sat on the cycle and “vibed” with the class.
When she stood up after the 50-minute session had ended, she almost fell to the floor.
"I laughed, everyone laughed, because it’s pretty normal for your legs to give way after an intense workout."
She shared that she does not live an active lifestyle and so, she expected her legs to feel sore after the spin cycling session.
However, as days went by, Vivien said the pain from her legs became unbearable.
"I knew something was wrong, very very wrong, as I could no longer bend my legs without this excruciating pain in my thighs," she said.
"I had so much trouble answering nature's call as I could not get myself to sit on the toilet bowl without screaming in pain. That's how bad it was."
She eventually visited Raffles Hospital's A&E department, where she was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis – a breakdown of muscle from extreme physical exertion.
She added that the Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) enzyme level – a protein that helps to elicit chemical changes in the body – in her blood was over 11,000 micrograms per litre (mcg/l). The normal range of CPK level is between 10 and 120 mcg/l, according to medical websites.
Even her doctor “got a shock” she said in her post.
Vivien was hospitalised for a week until her CPK level dropped.
"That level of pain is still haunting me. One of the worst pains I have felt in my life, goodness.”
Vivian said she hoped to remind people not to ignore their bodily signals: "If you do feel an increase in pain level after your spin lessons, this (might be a) sign that you are also suffering from Rhabdomyolysis."
She highlighted her relief in visiting the doctor in time, despite everyone around her saying her post-workout condition was “no big deal”.
“Always trust yourself; you will know it when something is wrong with your own body. Better to be safe than sorry."
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