Eager to start her fitness journey, a woman, who goes by the name Gloria, signed up for her first spin class.
Unfortunately, instead of looking forward to his next session, he said he ended up checking into the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department for a muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis.
He did not say which hospital he visited.
In a TikTok uploaded yesterday (Oct 11), Gloria shared that she had attended spin class on Friday (Oct 7) and started feeling some pain later that night.
He initially thought he had delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but on Saturday (Oct. 8), the pain “got worse” and on Sunday, his urine “turned brown,” he posted.
As he jokingly compared the color of his urine to a cup of kopi-o kosong (black coffee without sugar), the pain was excruciating to the point where he decided it would be best to visit a general practitioner (GP) for some medication.
However, she said her condition turned out to be so serious that her GP referred her to visit the A&E.
There, she said she was hooked up to an IV and underwent blood and urine tests.
The tests revealed that the levels of creatine kinase, which is the waste product of muscle damage — in his blood were abnormally high, he said.
Gloria said she was placed in an observation room where she was hooked up to more IV drips. She then she was protected, she published her.
While she shared that she feels better now, she added that the hospital will not release her until tomorrow (October 13).
https://www.tiktok.com/@redmily/video/7153244944944139521?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
In the comments, Gloria admitted that she may have had rhabdomyolysis because she “can’t ride a bike” and “has never used these muscles before.”
However, he also said that he “went slowly” and didn’t try too hard.
Some netizens pointed fingers at instructors for overloading students who had different fitness levels.
But Gloria said it wasn’t their fault, as the instructors had even reminded the students to move at a comfortable pace.
AsiaOne has contacted Gloria for more details.
After Gloria shared her story, several people commented that they, too, had had similar experiences.
In March of last year, a woman named Atrina Lau shared that she almost lost his life after suffering rhabdomyolysis.
She had also attended an indoor cycling class and after which, her legs became “jelly” and she could not sit or squat.
Like Gloria, Lau only realized her condition was serious after her urine turned a dark color.
The doctor also told her that her case was so serious that she was even at risk of kidney failure.
Last year, The Straits Times reported that Khoo Teck Puat Hospital saw an increase in rhabdomyolysis caseswith 27 registered in the first four months of 2021.
While spin classes are not the only cause of rhabdomyolysis, hospitals noted that there was “an increasing number of patients with spin-induced rhabdomyolysis,” especially after March 2020.
Rupeng Mong, a senior consultant with the department, also said at the time that the condition “can cause serious complications, including kidney failure or even death.”
Mong recommended that no matter what the exercise, people “should start with small amounts of exercise and gradually increase the frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity over time” to avoid exercise-induced injuries.
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