Sudden loss of energy

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
My DH has been cycling a lot during the summer, as usual. He goes anywhere from 20-60 miles on his rides, and sometimes even does the century in September, which is 100 miles. During these rides, he is usually able to get his heart rate into his target zone for most of the ride.

On Saturday, he went riding but only made it about 15 miles, and never even made it into his target zone. He actually had to WALK his bike back up the Brooklyn Bridge, which he's never had to do before. He spent the rest of the day resting, and rested on Sunday and Monday. He says he feels "wiped". He hasn't developed any cold or flu symptoms. If he continues to feel this way for a few more days, he's going to see the doctor.

I know these symptoms are incredibly vague, but I was wondering if any of you more advanced exercisers have had similar experiences? My DH is 57 years old and has a BMI of about 32, so, of course, I'm worried. :( We have our annual physical exams scheduled for the end of August, but we may not wait that long.
 
How hot was it on Saturday? Maybe he got wiped out because of the heat. Is he careful to hydrate during his rides? Does he usually take vitamins, and if so, did he forget to take them on Saturday? At his age, of course, you know he shouldn't mess around - so I'd get him to a doc if he doesn't feel better by the end of the week, or even sooner.
 
Well, Nancy, I've been experiencing the same thing for about a week, accompanied by a loss of appetite. My doctor is convinced I'm working out too much, and I think he's nuts. An hour or a bit over a day isn't too much, and that's about all I do. The only thing I could do was rest, and I guess it helped. I have no idea what the problem was - some sort of strange bug maybe?

Take care of the DT!!
 
Thanks, cakebaker. Nope at his age (and weight) we will not be messing around! He keeps 2 bottles of water attached to his bike, and stays hydrated throughout. He takes vitamins every day. What worries me is that two days later he was still feeling "wiped". :eek:
 
Thanks, Shannon. Do you exercise an hour 7x week? That sounds like a lot to me. I'm glad you're feeling better.
 
Hi,

I'm not a doctor or affiliated with medicine in any way, but the first thing I thot of when i read your post was your DH's heart. My father is considerably older than your DH, but my father was chopping wood one day and had a pain in his chest. He took a break and tried again and still had pain. So, he took a two hour nap, went back out and chopped all the wood, moved stuff around the yard and did a bunch of other chores and was fine. But then he slept all night that night, all day the next day, and all night that night - which my mom immediately picked up on because my father is THE insomniac. She piddled around Friday morning waiting on him because he turned white walking up a flight of stairs.

Turned out he needed 4 stints (sp?) in his heart. His main artery was 95% blocked and the doc joked with him saying his blood cells had to line up and go thru one at a time! He's fine now, but this came on without any warning at all. It just came on him out of the blue. If I were in your situation, I would recommend he go for a full physical and have his heart checked out just to be safe.

Hopefully it's something much more simple though, like the heat, as another person mentioned.
 
I'm glad your father is doing well, reese! That sounds very scary!

My DH hasn't had any chest pain, but his father died of congestive heart failure brought on by lifelong high blood pressure and guess what? My DH has high blood pressure too. The other thing that worries me is that my DH never complains about anything. If it were me saying "I feel wiped" it would be just another day, but for him, it's so unusual. Maybe I should just go ahead and give in to my worry-wart side and call the doc today.
 
I rarely post, but please don't mess around here, just call the doc.

If it turns out to be nothing, you'll be so relieved and if it is something, you'll know that much sooner and can deal with it.

My DH called me at work one day and asked what I was doing. I said I was writing a presentation. Then he was quiet. I got suspicious, so I said, "Where are you?" He was in the emergency room of the local hospital. He had chest pain when he got to work, called the doctor's office and they told him to go to emergency. They gave him the stuff you dissolve under your tongue if they think you're having a heart attack. His blood pressure dropped an amazing amount and it freaked him out. At that point, he told the tech, "I better call my wife."

By the time I got there they were still running tests. It turned out to be indigestion! So, they gave him some really strong antacid and sent him on his way.

So, even though he probably didn't need to go to the hospital, I'm glad he did since now we know he was fine.

I'm not suggesting your husband needs to go to the emergency room, I just think it's a good idea to call the doctor's office and tell them what you've told us.

Good luck!

anne
 
Nance, with DT's age and family history I think it's best to have it checked ASAP. It could be something as simple as the high heat and humidity dragging him down -- I know it does me -- but it's always best to err on the side of caution.
 
I have to agree with the previous posters. Call his doctor, tell them about his symptoms, and see what they have to say. The doctor will likely want to see him just to be safe. I quick check of his vitals and his blood work may not reveal the problem, but it can certainly rule some things out. Due to insurance reasons, the doc may not do his physical early, but he might order an EKG or stress test just to rule out heart problems.

You only get one crack at life. Make it a good one! Make the appointment and be rest assured that you are doing the right thing.:)

All the best to you and DH!

Angie
 
Hi Nancy,

I don't want to upset you anymore, but my father had the same experience as Reese's. He was taking down a tree and started having pains but just figured that he had pulled a muscle. So he continued on then the rest of the day he was wiped out, but would not call the doctor. And sure enough by morning he was having a heart attack and received two stents. Year later he received another stent. So don't wait.

Linda
 
Nancy,
I'll be your worry wart. Call The Doctor! Please.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible

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As the others said, call the doctor, especially since this was out of the ordinary. Better to be safe than sorry. I would like to add, however, that in June I was constantly fatigued for about a week or so and just didn't have the energy to work out or really do much of anything. I'm 32 and in fairly decent shape so it was very much out of the ordinary for me. My doctor ran a blood panel and nothing came up. He thinks that it may have been a virus whose only manifestation was a great deal of fatigue.

It could be his body was fighting something off. It could be that heat and humidity (is it humid where you live?) affected him more than normal. It could be something more, so it's best to have him talk to his doctor.

I hope all turns out well!
 
Hi Nancy

I hope your DH is doing better. As a RN, I would have to say always error on the side of caution, and call the doc. I remember having a patient who had exertional fatigue, sudden onset, and turned out it was a blockage in his heart. It could be NOTHING, and there are tons of benign viruses out there.. but as I said, I always error on the side of caution.drives my family and friends nuts by the way!!:eek: Let us know!
 
Thanks, folks. I really appreciate all the responses. I just left a message for our doctor. Actually, we're late on our check-ups, as we should have gone in May.

Perhaps I should mention that my DH just finished a very big project at work which went on for many months, and his adrenaline level finally has the chance to go back to normal. So he may just be tired.

Also, the overall project he has been working on for the last 3 years is ending. He loved it and loved his co-workers, and the group is breaking up and probably going in very different directions. In fact, the company may not even have positions for all of them, and they may have to scramble to find jobs next year. He says he feels "kind of blah", has been going to sleep early, and generally has low energy. His appetite is normal and he isn't in any pain. So, it may very well be emotional.

Nonetheless, I'm waiting for the doc to call back. Hey, we've only been married 6 years and NO WAY is he getting away from me that easily. ;) :+ }(
 
Nancy, sorry to hear about your DHs issue. I am glad that you are following through and checking with his doctor. ITA with what Ms Michele and some others have said. I could be nothing but good ole fatigue and heat, but why chance it. Please keep us up to date on his condition.

Catherine

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Thanks so much, Catherine.

Guess who just called me to say he's going out bike riding tonight and is determined to get his heart rate into his target zone?
 
Hey Nancy,

I'm glad you called the doctor. As a cyclist, that was going to be my first recommendation to you. We just don't walk our bikes unless we have a flat and no spare tube (and shame on us if that happens)! I'm sure it killed him to have to do that, so he must have really felt like crap. And he certainly should not have felt wiped for so long.

Please keep us all posted. You're a great wife! :)

ETA: Have I already told you I love your avatar?

Suz

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

http://www.picturetrail.com/dogs2birds
 
Suz, you are so right. For him to walk his bike is almost unheard of! He's the most competitive person in the world and he never admits defeat. The doc's office just switched his check-up from August 31 to August 8. I did not speak to the doctor, because he seems fine today and wants to go out riding. If he has any problems on the bike today though, that's it. He's going straight to the doc for an emergency visit.

Yes, Suz, you already told me you liked my avatar, but I have no problem hearing it again, I assure you. ;)
 
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