CK level help!

[jennaervin]

Hi there, my husband is currently serving in Iraq. He just got there a week ago and yesterday he had a full body cramp and blacked out. Im guessing his body had a shock from the heat. They took him to the hospital and set him up on an IV. They told him he had protein in his urine. He said the doctors seemed worried, but his unit put him back to work. Today they sent him back to the doctor to get a blood test. He called me and informed me that his CK level was 4375. I started to research and realized that is very very high. He does not drink alcohol. He said he is feeling really weak and dizzy and sore from head to toe. Im really worried... because i asked him what else the doctors are going to do and he said nothing.. that they are sending him back to work. Is there anything i can do? Or can someone help me to understand what is going on with my husband? Thank you.

[caregiver222]

First of all, I have a great deal of confidence in military physicians. But, in fairness, this may be an exception to the rule.

The way to get an immediate re-evaluation of his status is to contact your congressman, personally, and request a "congressional inquiry" as to his medical fitness for duty. Be prepared to immediately provide his unit, unit commander's name, his rank, DOB, date of enlistment, SSAN (now this is used as the service number), name of the military physician who provided treatment and the unit designation, and the autovon number(s) of his unit. The autovon system is the direct military phone system, which can be used by congressman.

If nothing else, this will "get them off the dime".

[jennaervin]

Mick553.. thank you so much for your post,
I was thinking maybe excessive heat but he has not been doing much exercise due to recently deploying. He was literally over the a week before this happened. So, no training or excerise. Maybe, lifting heavy bags and carrying them.. but thats about it. I dont get to speak with him often but he did recently respond to my 5million worried emails... He says "No, they didnt send me back to the doctor for a re-test or for any further blood testing. They put me on light duty for a week and sent me back out in this heat! Other than being extreamly tired and weak, i guess you could say im feeling better" He also stated that the army doesnt do much for them in these situations which i think is rediculous. Its work before health. Pretty sad. Theres not much he can do on his own over there. Every move is ordered (so to speak). He cannot pursue the doctors on his own.. It has to be ordered by his unit and his unit doesnt seem to care. Thank you so much for your concern on my husbands behalf. I am at a dead end and dont know what else to do.. i guess one voice isnt loud enough in this situation.. and theres nothing i can do from here in the states. If my husband were home, we would be at the doctor figuring this out. But to the army.. he is just another soldier. What scares me is, it so very easy for him to have another heat stroke under the same conditions.. and the risks are brain and muscle damage, coma, and even death!! How can i not worry? This is a very serious issue and i have no control. Its killing me.

Doctornee Medical: Your concern worries me, but thank you so much for the medical advice. I wish he could stop work but they wont let him. If it were any other job, he could quit or take time off.. but in the army you cannot. As with heart attack, ive heard your CK level can increase with stroke, in his case heat stroke, as well.. am i correct? Because i do believe that he may have had a heat stroke.. and i wonder if the doctors believed that as well since they ordered a CK test. While researching, i read that the test is ordered if patient had a heart attack, stroke, or something else. But, after seeing his CK level.. You would think the doctors would take further action.. instead of sending him back to his bunk on light duty. I do not understand the army. Soldiers are not super heros. & mine may not be valuable to them but he is very valuable & irreplacable to his wife and two daughters.

And to samanthauriza.. i really appreciate your post, i also agree he needs a better doctor and a second opinion. But i do have to correct you on one part. They techinally CAN make him work under those conditions.. They can make them do anything. Its rediculous, dangerous and not right :(  & thank you for the advice, i have talked to my doctor about it and he said he would do further testing as well.... but then it goes back to how theres not much i can do for him over here... when he is way over there in Iraq. Its all up to his chain of command, and they dont care.

[samanthauriza]

he needs a better doctor and a second opinion this is very wrong they cant make him work under these conditions call you local hospical and talk to a nurse to see what can be done this is not right at all

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
I would stress that your husband should immediately consult a doctor—preferably a cardiologist and stop work until this is sorted out.
Creatinine kinase increases with increase in muscle activity such as after strenuous exercise or it can increase with heart attack. Diseases like hypothyroidism, or heavy exercise or drinking alcohol (this is ruled out as he does not drink—still check) in the recent past before the test can show an abnormally high CK. Hence this aspect has to be ruled out. If CPK is high, ask your doctor for a CPK isoenzyme test. CPK-1 or CPK-BB is elevated in brain or lung pathology. CPK-MB or CPK-2 in heart pathology and CPK-3 or CPK-MM is elevated if skeletal muscles are the cause.
Please follow this up urgently. Take care!

[mick553]

From what I was reading the high level can also come from excessive exercise. Or damage to the muscles. I'm wondering if he had been training a lot and the cause is from exercise. But I would want to be checked out really good because it can also be high when you have heart problems. I don't know if this will help any. Please let me know how he makes out. And Thank him for all that he is doing to keep America free.