A personal trainer has shared her harrowing experience of being hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis, a condition caused by extreme muscle damage, after what she described as an intense workout. Madina Alam, 34, recounted how her arms swelled significantly, leading to a week-long hospital stay.
Alam's ordeal began after performing a set of eccentric pull-ups, an exercise she was unaccustomed to. Despite her fitness background, she pushed herself too hard. "My arms were swollen immediately after," she told The Post. Initially dismissing it as post-workout soreness, her condition worsened over the next few days.
Unable to move her arms comfortably and experiencing significant pain, Alam eventually sought medical attention. At the emergency room, her creatine kinase (CK) levels, a marker for muscle damage, were found to be alarmingly high at 80,000, far exceeding the normal range of under 200. This confirmed she had rhabdomyolysis, a condition where damaged muscle tissue releases proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream, potentially overwhelming the kidneys.
Alam was admitted to the hospital, where she received IV fluids and electrolytes to help her kidneys flush her system, along with pain management. She noted the rarity of her case, with medical staff bringing in student doctors to observe.
The severity of her condition became starkly apparent when Alam learned of the death of 24-year-old marathoner Rachel Apa, who succumbed to rhabdomyolysis shortly after completing the NYC Marathon. "It was just like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe someone like passed away from that,’" Alam said.
Rhabdomyolysis can be fatal if the kidneys are overwhelmed by the release of muscle proteins and electrolytes, potentially leading to acute kidney failure. In severe cases, imbalances in potassium can also cause fatal heart arrhythmias.
Alam hopes her story will raise awareness about rhabdomyolysis, encouraging individuals to listen to their bodies and seek medical help if experiencing severe symptoms. She also urges personal trainers to be educated about the condition, as she believes a lack of awareness contributed to her initial delay in seeking care. "Trainers will look at me and go, ‘What’s rhabdo? Oh wow!’ and that makes me honestly cringe," she stated.