How long does recovery take from rhabdomyolysis?
I am a healthy 54 year old male, and was diagnosed with Rhabdo five weeks ago. I was admitted to the hospital with CK levels reaching 73,000. After one week of IV ( and a compartment syndrome scare ) I was released. Primary MD told me to ease into running after one month, and crossfit after three. The Nephrologist felt that three months was extremely conservative, and suggested a one month hiatus from Crossfit. I feel great, and one month after release from hospital, I ran 2.25 miles with plenty of energy to spare ( My typical run is 5 – 7 miles ) – dont want to push it. I have decided to return to Crossfit after a 2.5 month break, and will do so in a cautious manner. The Nephrologist feels that the Rhabdo was a freak occurrence, and that Crestor ( 5mg daily ) played a role. He had indicated that most Rhabdo victims are much younger, and experience it while in high school i.e. football – dehydration and physical contact. He states that if I was prone to Rhabdo I would have experienced it while wresting in high school. He states that the chance of reoccurrence is very slim. What is really strange is that I walked into the hospital with a possibly fatal illness, and walked out seven days later feeling great. Words of advice – stay away from Statins – they are poison ( You can do it naturally with diet ), and stay in tune with your body – If you feel unusual muscle pain and swelling – go directly to the emergency room. Also hydrate before, during, and after workouts.
Okay, so here’s all that I’ve researched as I am 10 days post rhabdo after attempting to run a 13.1. From everything that I’ve read online, recovery can take anywhere from 1 to 3 (yes, I meant 3) MONTHS. Yikes. I will state that I spent 2 days in the hospital on an IV and then the past week at home on the couch. I was easily running 8 miles ( at 5/6 mph) every other day during training and I just attempted to walk 1 mile on my treadmill yesterday and I could barely stand walking it at 3 mph. Looks like it is a long , slow recovery. Sorry to drop the bad news on you. = ( Best of luck.