Climbing after the flu

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 chev1n 21 Jan 2020

Hi there

A big thank you to all you guys who have helped me in the past. I have always received such wonderful and helpful advice on this forum. 

I have searched through Google and have been unable to find answers specific to my question. 

Basically I have had flu. I am mostly free of it. It's 2 weeks now since my symptoms came on and I'm starting to feel quite OK. I'm doing some of my normal stuff but I haven't been climbing or running. 

I have this persistent and annoying chesty cough still and I'm unsure when exactly it's going to go away. These sort of things tend to hang about for a while. 

But apart from this cough I am fine. Although quite annoyed at this thing messing my training schedule up during the important month of January when I was planning on taking my training out to circuits etc getting proper starting on winter training at the climbing wall. 

Of course it's quite obvious that training during flu is a bad idea and didn't want to do this, jeopardising a speedy recovery. I have made this mistake in the past, due to being over eager. But now I have learned to at least try to be patient lol. 

What I am wondering about now is the post flu period and how soon can I get back into it again? I have been wondering if a gentle run or some easy bouldering might actually loosen my cough. It feels as if it's hanging about and having trouble getting through my system and taking its time and easy Boulders or a run may help. That is my question. I definitely don't want to prolong my illness. I want to speed up my recovery the best I can and get back to things. I have already been on some very easy bike rides which have been more necessity to get to work which I'm back doing but it's part time.

Hopefully I can get some helpful advice

Happy climbing 2020 to you all 😊

 Jon Stewart 21 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

I've had a couple of very heavy colds that have lasted 2/3 weeks+ in the last year. Once you're at the stage when you just feel tired and shit with a cough, I'd just do what you can. I don't think there's a risk of making it worse - if you can manage something, do it.

I have no reason to believe this, but I kinda think if you remind your body it's got shit to do, it might get back to form quicker than if you just continue to rest until you feel totally fine.

It is a f*cker though, isn't it.

In reply to chev1n:

Based on absolutely no science and just my gut feeling and experience I'd not bother with running and just do some light climbing to test the water. If you recover in a normal time period then do a bit more next time. Definately don't do anything that leaves you totally wiped out! Trust how you feel. 

OP chev1n 21 Jan 2020
In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Thank you guys. Really good replies. 

I think its going to be some light bouldering very soon. Not sure if it should be the wall or outdoor Boulders. I'm wondering if I'll put people off with my barking lol. People might think I'm still infected with it which I'm not lol. 

Thanks lots for the advice. I was thinking running might be a quick way to get things cleared up. But just as likely make things worse. I wasn't sure. Thanks 😊

OP chev1n 21 Jan 2020
In reply to Jon Stewart:

I really like this idea. It does make Kind of sense. Wonderful lol 😊😂

 David Cowley 23 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

Do you have a heart rate monitor and aware of your resting heart rate?

After past experience and reading a few articles I now always ease my way back for at least 1 or 2 weeks after I'm 3/4 days clear of any symptoms. Start back at 60% heart rate and go steady away for a 1/2 weeks gradually increasing your heart rate training zones till you're feeling better. I've read this puts less strain on your heart and doesn't weaken your immune system after an infection allowing it or others to come back. Also before/after and during infections don't train on days when your heart rate is say 10-15 bpm over its normal resting when you wake up. It can indicate your body is still fighting an infection and outs extra strain on the heart. 

I used to jump straight back in and beast myself due to feeling guilty about not trakning for a while only to weaken myself even more and catch more infections. 

Hope this helps

 gravy 23 Jan 2020
In reply to David Cowley:

Box of man size tissues, couple of paracetamol and a mug of tea, now crack on.

climbingnoob 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

Not come back from China recently have you? 

 Timmd 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

My take is that in the bigger picture, eating resting and sleeping without any thought about training plans is possibly most helpful towards getting well again. There's the 'bleargh' feeling which can follow being poorly, where you're definitely sub optimal still, while in this I'd just think about ticking gently along until you feel full of bounce again. 

 Timmd 27 Jan 2020
In reply to David Cowley:

It's heart strain (and scare stories of people keeling over) which is behind my thinking,  I think one sometimes knows from a sense of not being quite right still if everything feels harder than it should do, and it's time to go steady still.

There's an 'empty shell feeling' I liken it to, where one isn't actually ill still, but not quite well yet either...

Post edited at 13:12
Rigid Raider 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

Was it genuine influenza or just a cold? 

If influenza you would still be feeling too weak to contemplate going climbing. If just a cold, crack on. 

cb294 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

I came back with the proper flu from the New Year's Eve party 1990/91. Next judo training I managed was in May (tried a couple of times in March and April, but no chance, had to stop after a few minutes). If you had a true, influenza virus flu rather than just man flu, be prepared for some down time.

That said, other respiratory infections also can knock down your physical ability. Whatever I had in beginning of December did not make me take a day off work, but training was crap until a couple of weeks ago, always short of breath and with a much too high pulse rate.

The heart risk is deadly serious, though, especially for some other viruses that may initially present only as a cold.

CB

 Timmd 27 Jan 2020
In reply to cb294:

> That said, other respiratory infections also can knock down your physical ability. Whatever I had in beginning of December did not make me take a day off work, but training was crap until a couple of weeks ago, always short of breath and with a much too high pulse rate.

I once had a guy in his 60's cheerily say 'Or perhaps you're just getting older' when I mentioned having chatted to my Mum about colds etc seeming to be longer lasting and harder to shake than they used to be. It's hard to know.

Post edited at 14:16
 summo 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

I'd forget running for bit, but a hours walk in fresh air won't harm. Do a hours easy climbing and see how you feel the next day. Most viruses linger for weeks, even if symptoms have gone, so you need to build back up slowly, rather than expect to dive back in. Eat and sleep well. 

cb294 27 Jan 2020
In reply to Timmd:

Sure, age does not help, but there is some cold strain going around in Germany that is not so bad by itself, but the aftereffects of the immune response are rather longer lasting than normal (e.g. full body muscle soreness after moderate exercise, difficulty with heart rate control, etc.). Seems to be better now, so hope it stays that way!

CB

Rigid Raider 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

I have just had my first mild cold in 18 months, I know that because I broke two ribs and a collar bone 18 months ago and didn't want to get a cold, which would have meant sneezing and added pain and misery, so I took extra care not to rub my eyes or pick my nose, which is they quickest way to catch a viral infection. I also take zinc tables every day as there's evidence that zinc strengthens the immune system. 

No longer having our child in the house certainly helps us avoid viruses as well. My wife and I have a strict routine of washing hands on entering the house and I always wash hands before stitting down at my desk at work.  Lastly, being properly fit seems to reduce the frequency and severity of colds, so I recovered fast and was back on the bike by the end of the week. 

Post edited at 15:02
 toad 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

I got something in early December that gave me a horrendous cough/ sore throat and a fever for a couple of days. I’ve had proper flu before and this felt similar but much less severe, particularly the throat. Having said that I’m only just starting to shift the cough and I felt proper wobbly on and off up till Christmas. 

Dunno how this helps, other than to say that flu isn’t one size fits all. 

Rigid Raider 27 Jan 2020
In reply to toad:

It can't have been 'flu!  

I've only had proper 'flu once and it was amazing how ill I felt; it came on very fast so I took to my bed where I lay alternately sweating and shivering for about four days. I can see how somebody very young, weak or elderly could be killed by influenza and after WW1 most people were in a weakened state.  An overnight bout of violent D&V in a hotel in Pakistan was shocking in its intensity but was over by dawn and I was able to get up and move around.

Moley 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

The couple of times I had flu (as in flu not bad cold) were during times I was running and training quite hard, in both cases any attempt to come back after a couple of weeks were disasterous, enthusiasm rather than common sense leading me. I would allow a good 6-8 weeks before thinking about anything strenuous and even then it may not happen. Recall I was coughing and no strength for a good 2 months or more, I would avoid anything that increases the heart rate high and puts strain on it. Seriously, and back off if you feel crap, go very easy on it but everyone is different and maybe you will be fine. 

Good luck but err on caution.

pasbury 27 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

Real actual flu is a bastard. You probably need to take it easy for a month after recovery, I've found that the fatigue and sweats symptoms can return when you try to do too much for at least this long.

The last time I had flu I had an episode of alopecia beginning two months after recovery, I noticed my beard hairs all over my desk and soon after i was half bald. Never happened before or since.

Err on the cautious side even if it's frustrating.

 Timmd 27 Jan 2020
In reply to pasbury:

I think an extra gap of feeling well without doing much is possibly sensible whatever the lurgy, if generally active most of the time, some extra rest in the course of one's life won't lead to being unhealthy, only unfit it lasts long enough, but that's not hard to regain compared to starting from scratch.

Post edited at 17:30
 toad 27 Jan 2020
In reply to Rigid Raider:

Yeah. "Proper" flu led to 3 weeks off work, but this recent thing wasnt a cold. I suspect one of those myriad other viruses was to blame

 wercat 27 Jan 2020
In reply to toad:

you don't moan about feeling unwell with real flu - you haven't got the strength to get out of bed and even if you did it hurts too much, even just lying there.

 toad 27 Jan 2020
In reply to wercat:

Rotting fish were swimming in and out of the wardrobe one day. 

 Gone 27 Jan 2020
In reply to toad:

And then a day or two later you are lying in bed and realise you aren’t hurting all over any more, in fact you feel OK, and so you start thinking about all the things you can do now you are better, and then you get up and start bustling round the house and then you figure out the only reason you weren’t aching all over and the world wasn’t swimming is that you weren’t moving, and now you are. 
 

Repeat every few hours.

 Timmd 28 Jan 2020
In reply to wercat:

> you don't moan about feeling unwell with real flu - you haven't got the strength to get out of bed and even if you did it hurts too much, even just lying there.

I think I've only had it once - during childhood, and I was put in my parents' bed to be looked after, I can't remember where they slept, it didn't occur to me at the time. It's definitely a full on assault.

Post edited at 13:03
 petemeads 28 Jan 2020
In reply to chev1n:

I've had the chesty cough since before Xmas - son & I had a walk/jog up and down the Malverns in a biting crosswind, got home reasonably exhausted. Spent the next 3 days unable to warm up with a steady pulse rate of 62 (highish for me) and occasional dizzy spells. No symptoms of a cold, but the cough appeared after the next parkrun. I have carried on training, HR is back where it belongs but the cough shows no sign of going away yet. It does not seem to affect performance but I have had enough of it...

Rigid Raider 04 Feb 2020
In reply to petemeads:

My cycling buddy is a Dr and for persistent bronchitis he suggested Ibuprofen, which is an anti-inflammatory after all. 

 overdrawnboy 04 Feb 2020
In reply to chev1n:

Hope you get over it but its amazing how people use your intro to drone on and on about themselves. Is self obsession a medical condition?

2
pasbury 04 Feb 2020
In reply to overdrawnboy:

Hard bastard are you?

 overdrawnboy 05 Feb 2020
In reply to pasbury:

> Hard bastard are you?

Only the arteries, sorry they closed your charm school down.


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