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Flu-like symptoms after exercise

I love running, using aerobic equipment and lifting weights; however, I ususually experience flu-like symtoms for days, sometimes weeks, later. For years now, I have felt as if a virus surfaces in me everytime I exercise.
My PCP is unhelpful.
My ENT recommended L-Lysine which I have been taking with a multi-vitamin everyday for a year.
Any suggestions?
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Avatar universal
have had similar symptoms on and off for a LONG time now (going on 10+ years).  have had it up to here with it and am approaching my wit's end.

Prolonged physical exertion first brings numbness in my muscles.  If I take quite a few days off after one short round of physical exertion I'll eventually feel ok.  If i push it and workout anyways i'll feel even worse.  It is after a couple consecutive workouts that the flu/fever sets in.  When it first happened i thought i just needed to push myself even harder.  that's when i would start waking up with a numb face in the middle of the night and that was happily followed by eventually having numbness in my feet and lower legs.

Wit's end comes with having little or no energy and prior to this happening i got my energy by expending it!  feeling low?  get into shape!  feeling lethargic?  get out there and get after it with a workout - always gave me a bit of a high.

this is no longer the case and i'm devolving into some serious depression.  it's a cyclical mess and it's very hard to see a way out.

i like some of the posts regarding the symptoms being an answer to the exertion - is a protein no longer being processed?  is there some sort of virus which is released which attacks the muscle membranes?  Dunno the answer to these but i'm about done.  and all any primary care physician wants to do is give me an anti-depressant (been tested for anything and everything under the sun).  thanks for that, i'm depressed 'cos I sit around all freakin' day and come home and...guess what...sit around all night.  ugh.  will look into the nutritional/allergic side of things.
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Avatar universal
Hope this is an appropriate reply. I just signed up on this site tonight and am not sure how this works. .Anyway, all these symptoms sound like fibromyalgia, which I've had for 35 yrs.  Whenever I do anything for too long a time, like walking, cleaning, gardening etc, I feel very nauseous that evening and next day and my muscles will ache to the point where I can't even comb my hair.  Do you think your program of minerals etc will help fibro? I always thought fibro may be a mineral deficiency and/or immune system problem but can't find any new articles supporting that. You sound like a very informed person and any info you could give me or any sites you know would be very much appreciated.  Thanks
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Avatar universal
I can relate to these posts!

I'm a 42 year old male. Until a couple months back I was a (fairly) competitive club runner. At the end of March I contracted a flu-like virus, during which I rested and (so I thought) let it take its course.

After 2 weeks or so of feeling fine I did some fairly intense speed work at a running track. The next day I had flu like symptoms: aches and pains and a strange 'fizzing' sensation all over. This lasted 2-3 days.

I reduced the intensity of training and no problems, but then a further less-intense speed session brought the symptoms back. So I decided to try a 3 week break with no exercise at all other than walking - felt fine. At the end of this period I did a gentle 30min jog keeping my HR around 120bpm. Result? Wham! Flu-like symptoms 24 hours later lasting several days.

The doctors have no answers so far, so I have requested blood tests and will update if any of these shed a light or if I find another solution. Until then I am stuck like the rest of you, unable to take part in my favourite activity and generally feeling crap all day at work :-(

Will let you know if anything works...
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Avatar universal
This forum is great - I thought I was the first person to have experienced these symptoms but it sounds like I am far from being alone. My issues started in march 2008 when I was training for the London marathon. Towards the end of my three months training I suddenly starting feeling odd after training - flu-like, tired, mild sore throat, disturbed vision and a sense on imbalance. I ran the marathon but after that I have never felt the same. Any exertion beyond a 15 min walk leave me feeling rotten with these flu symptoms, and even when I avoid exertion I still feel unpleasant every day. I am constantly congested, my glands are mildly swollen and I just feel generally miserable. I am a 36 year old man with 2 young kids and a busy job, and whilst I can handle most of what life throws at me I can't exercise any more as I want to avoid feeling dreadful and I have to put up with these symptoms every day. I'm convinced it is due to my immune system being generally messed up - and the cytokines theories sound to me as though this is the problem. The only things that has ever improved things for me was bit b12 injections, but these are prescription only in the uk and whilst they helped they certainly didn't solve the problem.
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Avatar universal
Are you now able to exercise ?  I have ME and have had huge improvement drinking pure aloe vera but still have problems with exercise even walking for more that 10 mins .... I certainly don't crash as hard but if I do it every day I do and it seems to cause inflammation but one work out and  I crash.
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Avatar universal
there exist several lymph nodes in the arms. Muscular activity will physically push toxins out into the blood stream.
"Instead, lymph vessels are squeezed by your muscles when you move. Therefore, exercise plays a vital role in lymphatic fluid circulation".
http://www.livestrong.com/article/420539-exercise-lymph-nodes/#ixzz2SGALVTAx

"Lymph nodes act as filters or traps for foreign particles...." (wikipedia)
lymph nodes act to trap foreign particles and filter the lymph fluid. Activity will promote movement of lymph fluid through the nodes. Excersise is essential for lymph movement. nodes have a limit in what they can handle. toxic release from muscles and fat during excersice can overburden handling capacity of lymph nodes. This sets off a chemical reaction in body and immune response. My two cents.
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