Fast Running Blog

I have been running pretty consistently (20-50 miles a week) for about 3 years now. Lately about 1-1 1/2hrs after running I am getting sick. It happens at random. One day it happens the next it doesn't but seems to be more consistent- it doesnt seem to be linked to a hard, easy, or hotter days. It just happens. I start feeling lightheaded, dizzy, nauseated, sweating, really pale and lately have been throwing up. It usually last about 5 hrs and progressively thoughout the day gets better. I have checked my glucose and also my electrolytes which have been normal. I am not pregnant- have checked a few times to be positive. The reason this worries me is because I had a really bad experience at the St. George Marathon last year. I woke up in an ambulance at mile 23. I dont remember anything after mile 20. Luckily my husband was there with me. He states that I started getting weird and at mile 23 I fell down, began vomitiing, passed out, became unconscious for about 10min when he called an ambulance. I was taken to the ER, given 7 liters of fluid and had a work up down. My electrolytes were normal. It did show that I was dehydrated and that my kidneys weren't functioning properly. (I had drank at every aid station) I am begining to train for this years marathon and am getting concerned. I have talked to my doctor and can get some additional testing done- EKG, treadmill test, tilt table testing. I am just wondering before forking out a ton of money if any one else has had this problem or has any ideas on what could be going on?

I've sometimes felt the same way after a run, but I have never passed out from dehydration. I've noticed that I feel sick after runs because of some food problem. Either I ate something that isn't good to have in my stomach while running, or I haven't eaten anything and I am starving. I don't know if this is helpful, but that's my limit of experience with it.

Overhydration could be causing some problems, if you are chugging straight water.  Doesn't sound like your problem at St. George, and maybe not now, but watch out for it. 
http://josse.fastrunningblog.com/blog--Got-up-nbsp-and-ran-down-to-my-hubby/05-19-2008.html

Do you wear a heart rate monitor? If not, get one and start wearing in it to see if there are any patterns with your HR when you start feeling sick. Also, get a blood glucose monitor and measure your blood glucose as well.

You can also try a proactive approach - eat very very healthy, no junk. Low on meat, high on fiber. You may never find out the exact problem, but that may cure it.

Felicia,

I think Sasha has the best idea.  I have a buddy who was having the same problems and couldn't get any answers.  He and his family raised $15,000 to go back to the Mayo Clinic.  The first thing they did back there was slap a heart rate monitor on him and put him on a treadmill (with some safety restraints, of course).  They said that was the first thing they do in any of these cases.  Best of luck and God bless.

Thanks, I appreciate your suggestions. I have a heart rate monitor with my garmin. I am going to wear it tomorrow on my long run. I also have a glucometer and am going to check my blood sugar regularly. I do try and eat healthy- I could try and do better though.

Brad- did your friend ever find out anything? 

I've actually had the exact same thing happen on and off when training and after marathons 2 and 3 for me, but not marathon 1, then on random races like a half marathon here, a 10 miler there (throwing up, cramps, diarrhea, shaking, feeling faint and like I was going to pass out, etc. for about 1-4 hours after).  I finally went and talked with a local MD who works with serious athletes (like those who train for ironmans).  He said that in some cases, runners and athletes in general can have a low level of something in their body like potassium, sodium, etc. that will cause a variety of severe symptoms if they get too low during a race.  He said usually the effects occur after you stop (like within 5-15 minutes) because while you are running, your body goes into a different mode, but when you stop and everything comes back online, but that one level doesn't come back online because it is so low, you can have major problems and actually go into a type of coma.  He said over the years he has seen a few different things be off in people and once he did blood tests at the end of a few of their races and identified the level that was low, they simply needed a shot of that and they were fine.  In my case given my symptoms, he thought I was likely deficient on sodium.  His first suggestion was to load up on the gatorade and other types of electrolyte drinks during the race (stop at every drink station faithfully and go for the gatarode).  Second, to drink a ton of gatorade at the end to replenish your levels as quickly as possible, and third, get your blood tested within a few minutes of finishing your next long race so they can find out if one of your levels is really off.  I have never gotten to step three because now I faithfully drink gatorade every 2 miles on every run and usually about 1-2 bottles as soon as I am done.  Since doing that, I haven't gotten sick after any big races, but I have noticed that if I don't drink enough (I always have to drink more than I really want), or if I don't drink it soon enough, I will start to feel the nausea and cramps come on.  Hope that helps.  I know for me it was a huge frustration because I felt like I was a good runner and I would feel good during races, but then after my body would just flip out.