cujet

I've been an avid cyclist from High School on (with a few short breaks) I'm now 50 years old. 100 miles/week +/- a few has been my traditional norm.

As I've aged, I've had trouble with heart (afib) , thyroid (failed) , kidneys (30-50% function) , extreme fatigue and more recently pancreas (low insulin output) and massive inflammation, especially mid section. My diet has been exceptionally careful, healthy, low glycemic for a decade, and healthy before that. No alcohol, ever.

I was trending downward in my health, but more recently I had some sort of "event" after eating a veggie burrito at a quality mex place, I bloated up like a balloon, intestines swollen nearly shut, and pancreas nearly shut down. As one might expect, blood sugar rose from 70-100 to a fasting 160! But low enough during the day 60-120 due to diet and forced regular exercise. I felt awful, like I'd been poisoned, very short of breath and , but worse than that, unable to function normally. Found myself off the side of the road wondering how I got there, AND doing incredibly stupid things/not remembering. (possibly due to very low insulin levels)

My endocrinologist suggested a change to a high protein diet, and a gym membership, lifting weights at as high an intensity as I can stand. Back off on the cardio. I'm not particularly strong, so this was an experience in itself.

It worked! For 3 months nothing happened, and I still felt awful. Then for just one day, I felt human again. Waking/fasting BG 89, whoa, that's a big change from the 169 the day before. Then a month later, just as suddenly, I felt good. I had gained a bit of strength, but all the other problems were gone. Mostly due to the gym. It's been 6 months, and I feel like a normal person!

Ursa Minor

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. I wish I could help but I don't have any good advice.

Charlie

cujet

Thanks,

However, I'm doing just fine now. The high intensity workouts have been the solution. And, probably were the solution all along.

bmontgomery87

Glad you're feeling normal again.

The gym made a drastic impact on my health and the way I feel on a daily basis as well.

DEW21

My endocrinologist suggested a change to a high protein diet.
I hope you have discussed this with your nephrologist because that's going to put a strain on your kidneys which sound to be in poor condition already. Keep a close watch on BUN and creatnine levels!

cujet

Doc discussed this at length. On a temporary basis, the high protein diet should not be a problem. After getting myself in tight shape, the plan is to go back to a very careful and healthy diet with plenty of raw veggies. I get blood tests every 2-3 months. In the past, I've been able to keep creatinine levels hovering around 1.3, and cycling helped this greatly, as does an occasional diuretic. 1.8 or so without cycling. However, now with the combo of gym/less cycling, it's still looking OK so far.

dm83

Congrats on the hard work and you did a good job finding a competent doctor. Resistance training is always better than cardio. Many recreational cyclists would benefit from learning the truth.

DEW21

Sounds good.

Fat Boy

Dew is mistaking the chicken and the egg. If you have prior kidney damage, you will not process a large amount of protein well. However, if your kidney function is normal, then a fairly large percentage of you diet can be protein without an issue.

The new diet is obviously working for you, so congrats. Also, I think adding a bit of weight lifting to anyone's training is a good idea for overall health.

therhodeo

So what was the actual condition you had and its cause?

cujet

I contracted a nasty virus as a young man. It resulted in heart damage, spleen damage, kidney damage, dead thyroid, completely failed testicles, and more. I now have a nonspecific autoimmune disease, in addition to Hashimoto's that inflames my intestines, leading to pressure on the lungs and shortness of breath, along with a distended belly. A bout of pancreatitis late last summer (no alcohol, prob due to autoimmune)

It's not just one thing.

Off to the gym for my daily cure...