Has anybody else experienced extreme bloating to the stomach? I am not eating any differently apart from maybe a few more carbohydrates such as fruit and vegetables. I look as though I've gained a lot of fat within two weeks which I'm pretty sure isnt the case. I expect there to be a little as I've not been active in the past 2 weeks but was wondering whether anybody else experienced a puffy bloated feeling?

Rich: I'm a small woman, 4'11" and 95 lbs., but last summer I really noticed a poochy stomach. I figured it was from so much H20 that I was drinking because I really didn't gain weight but I did notice no longer having a flat stomach.

Rich, I do believe it is normal. As I am holding 10-20 lbs more water. I think one thing rhabdo does is affect your red blood cells, in which they are constantly dilated, when this happens they tend to take on more water, which is what my doctors told me. Also statins are cholesteral medication.

I've been taking liver care 52 and Cranberry for my kidneys and liver. It does work! I've taken blood test while taking those and not. When I took the herbs my blood tests improved until eventually normal. When I wasn't taking them my kidney and liver test was horrible.

I'm nine months out from my rhabdo hospitalization and I'm finally feeling something like my normal self again, yay! I still tire easily, my arms are weak, I still experience the electric-shock-type twitches, and I have the extreme bloating that Rich mentioned -- but I'm so much better! I can live with all of these things, happily, but I what I want to know is, where, oh where has my memory gone? Both my long- and short-term memory have been affected, and I don't know if it's rhabdo related or if it can be attributed to my statin use pre-rhabdo. Is anyone else is experiencing this?

Good day to everyone!

RhabdoBKJ, memory loss? I had it for quite a while after my incident-at least a year out. I also suffered hugely word association. I knew what word I wanted but could not find it. Actually had a neurologist say it was due to age. I am getting past it now but I still have incidents.

I am almost 2 years out from my incident. I still have twinges. These last couple of weeks have been off. I have a lot of the "electrical twinges' that some else referred to (I hate these because no one can see them and some people think it is literally in your head - it is not). I also have had some pain in my leg again. I had some visible twitching also in my hands. I am hoping to be able to see someone soon at the University of Colorado teaching hospital. They have been great with a friend that has had cancer.

I believe there is so so much that the doctors are ignoring about this disease. It really angers me that most sites say you will be better by a month out. We all know this is not true.

Everyone stay strong and keep moving forward. This disease sucks but everyone is making progress and we need to keep as positive as possible.

HUGS to everyone!

Thanks everyone for following up and posting how you're doing.

I'm now at 20 months and still am not back to 100% but much, much better!! You're right, Dark Angel, so many sites say it'll take weeks to a couple months for a full recovery and that is so NOT true. I really didn't feel significantly well until 15 months, although by about 8 months I at least felt like I was headed in the right direction. But I still get the humming in my legs and tire easily, but I must say, memory hasn't been a problem for me. Also feeling cold hasn't been a problem for me, which I know a few people have mentioned.

So even though we don't share ALL the same symptoms, we share a significant amount of the same feelings and sensations that it has to somehow be related to the rhabdo.

Dark Angel, if you see a doctor and learn anything useful, please keep us all informed.

Thanks again everyone. I can't tell you how much it helps me to know I'm not alone with this. xoxoxo

BBK I am sharing the same symptoms. I've become very forgetful and I have a hard time saying what I want to say. People sometimes don't understand me and I have to say it differently.

IT seems as though the longer I go the more symptoms I'm picking up. I went fron exhuastion and mylagia to being dizzy, having headaches very frequently and now i'm having ear problems. Both my ears are super senstive and ache.. Its gotten so bad that everytime I sneeze it is almost the worst pain I've ever felt. IT may be unrelated but I'm seeing a sports med Doctor on Wednesday who can hoefully find something, other wise I will be sent to Denver. The bad thing about doctors passing your around is they have to relearn your case and so each time its a learning curve as most doctors arn't sure what the disease is.

DarkAngel and Rhabdo, I read your posts thinking, "Me too! Me too!" Once again, it's a huge relief to see that my own issues are shared by others. Rhabdo, I have other health issues and it's difficult sometimes to identify which symptoms to attribute to rhabdo. In the past, I would have trusted my doctors to do that for me, but it seems that many of our docs have little or no experience with this disease and, shockingly, don't appear to want to learn about it. I'm so glad I found this group!

I was in the hospital for 4 days and discharged when my CPK went down to 1800. It was ~100K when I was admitted. I am having a horrible time with recovery, in that I want so bad to exercise, am gaining weight, and my muscles cramp all of the time. If I yawn, my neck cramps, if I stretch or lay down, my back cramps, if I point my tow putting on my shoes, my leg cramps. I drink over a gallon of water per day, eat bananas, and even started drinking pedialyte. Not sure what to do. My doctor says my blood tests are all good now. Just lingering issues, and he won't release me to exercise at all.

Has anyone else experienced cramping like this?

Cramps is an indicator that you are not ready to exercise. How long have you been out of hospital? DO NOT rush your recovery or you will have a relapse and it could be worse this time. 100k cpk is lethal as your kidneys could have failed. The studys I have read say to stay away from high potassium foods. I haven't hada flare up for a few months and I'm still recoverying. I tried to exercise when I felt better and I just relapsed and it was like it started all over again. I know how hard it is to not exercise trust me...I've been dealing with it for over 3 months. Like the other members I can only do light walking and have to stay away from heat. I had the cramping for 2 months and i stil continue to have issues with my muscles. My doctor's told me this is something I will always have while the symptoms may go away the chance of a relapse is very high.

I have an apoointment with a SPorts Medicine Doctor that has dealt with the disease in Collegiante athletes. He was going to send me to a specialist at University Hospital in Denver but he is going to make sure there is nothing more he can do for me. I'm hoping he will find or do something that the other Doctors could not. I will keep you updated. As for how I'm feeling, very very tired. I can't seem to sleep enough no matter how much I sleep. The muscle ache's aren't near as bad. Every now and then I will have spasm 's but nothign near the extent as when It first started.

Thanks for the reply. I was released in mid-February, so I am almost three months into my recovery period. I go back to the doctor this week. I have been going to the pool and swimming, only breast stroke because of neck cramps. Thinking of going to yoga classes to do something. I am not very good at being a sedentary being. My rhabdo was from over exertion, Crossfit style.

I know what your feeling as I am a body builder and I haven't touched a weight in 3 months. I've had rhabdo flare ups 4 times in the last year. Mine was supposadly over exertion as well but My intensity was not near cross fits...Cross fit is notrious for rhabdo. The high intensity mixed with low calories is perfect condition for rhabdo. I'm not and have never been a sedentary individual so this has been very very hard for me as well, and I have been depressed for a while. I've had to find other activities which is helping. I'm so exhausted after a day or work Its hard to pull myself just to walk on a treadmill. I haven't felt normal in a long time. Back when I was first diagnosed with rhabdo a year ago most of the symptoms went away, except for the leg cramps, tightness, pain. It was still there, but I was able to exercise and lift hard without any problems up until the end of january..and I had a few days were i felt pretty good and had energy but most days I'm so tired and " out of it."