[Dear Dr. T-Dub,]

I've been having a problem lately where I get the most excruciating headache I've ever felt at the back of the base of my skull while working out. I'm not doing anything ridiculous (I have Marfan syndrome, so I never do any weight that I can't do at least six reps of at a minimum), but at the end of a hard set, my head will start to explode. It first happened when doing a set of chin-ups, but since then I've gotten it from pushups and also once on a set of leg extensions. I thought it was from straining my neck too hard, but the leg extensions are making me rethink that; now I'm not sure what's going on.

It doesn't seem to matter if I've warmed up or not, as I've gotten it on nights when I ran to the gym before working out, and also gotten it while doing pushups at home first thing in the morning. Any thoughts on cause or remedy?

11/23/2010 4:55:50 PM

dehydration?

11/23/2010 5:14:45 PM

I don't think it is; I'm usually pretty well hydrated. I have coffee in the morning and often a small cappuccino in the afternoon, but I spend the rest of the day downing water like it was my job. I don't really drink alcohol, either. Yesterday my morning coffee was the only caffeine I had all day and I got the headache working out at the gym at 9pm.

11/23/2010 5:18:50 PM

Whoa Marfan Syndrome.

Do you have pectus excavatum as well?

11/23/2010 5:43:03 PM

or really long limbs and fingers??

11/23/2010 6:46:21 PM

Thankfully, no. I'm lucky enough that I don't have any of the more severe complications (yet, at least) associated with it. My chest is pretty flat, but that's more on account of being a skinny bitch than the Marfan's. Working on changing that, though.


Yeah, I'm abnormally tall (6'7") with long monkey arms and spindly fingers. I basically don't wear long sleeves except for dress shirts, because I have to get them custom tailored for my arm length; big and tall shops don't start making sleeves long enough for me unless you also have a 21"+ neck. I've also got some of the annoying features that aren't terribly uncommon in the general population (GERD, deviated septum, sinus cysts, malocclusion, crowded teeth and a long face, to go down the list of symptoms on Wikipedia), and some of the cool but harmless features like arachnodactyly (I can bend my fingers directly backwards to touch the back of my hand) and general hypermobility (can put legs behind my head and other silly tricks like that). But thankfully, I don't have any problems with my heart, lungs or eyes at this point.

[Edited on November 23, 2010 at 7:00 PM. Reason : ]

11/23/2010 6:53:37 PM

11/23/2010 6:56:03 PM

I do . Pretty minor. Its a popcorn bowl for the lazy.

11/23/2010 8:34:21 PM

^i did THREE pull ups the other day

11/23/2010 8:51:47 PM

i want to be your spotter

11/23/2010 10:14:56 PM

Quote :

"I can bend my fingers directly backwards to touch the back of my hand"

Whoa, that's pretty neat.

11/23/2010 10:22:59 PM

I'm giving a big presentation on Marfan next week

Do you have the mutation or just a clinical diagnosis? Do you get an echo at least once a year?

11/24/2010 4:22:04 AM

Do y'all use any sites or phone apps to track your workout/fitness and progress?

This one is fun for comparing your workouts with friends:
http://www.dailymile.com/

I also dig Map My Run: http://www.mapmyrun.com/
I run with my iphone and run the program ... which rocks, because if I get lost, I can easily find myself on google maps and also determine my distance/pace.

I know a lot of us use The Daily Plate. Any other suggestions?

11/24/2010 9:24:40 AM

^^ I just have a clinical diagnosis, and I'm pretty sure mine is inherited rather than sporadic. I'm not very close with my family and haven't talked to them about it, but my mom and brother display signs that are consistent with it, albeit milder expressions of it.

11/24/2010 1:10:57 PM

so i cant hide behind the camera anymore

this is the result of not watching what i eat (at all!) and only going to the gym about 1-2x a week for almost 6 weeks!

ignore how crappy i look...ive been studying today and JUST got done with an insanity video
strangely enough im only about 4-5 lbs havier here than i was for majority of this challenge! (about 146-148)
i havent really changed sizes, still in my 6's but they are a little tighter in the hips, but thats it!
my waist has actually shrunk. i looked at past pics and i think you can tell!:

(ie from lat may-


but anyway. im slowly getting back into the swing of things but with a totally different perspective.

i was putting WAYYY too much emphasis on my weight and looks. during this 6 weeks, i went out and didnt worry about calories or all that shit. last week 3 other girls and i downed a pound of twizzlers while studying the reason im telling you this...i realized that no one else cares but me, so why should i put such a huge burden to be so thin or whatever. i feel like i was close to assessing my self worth based on dumbass numbers on the inside of my jeans.

now, dont mistake me, im still gonna try and drop a few lbs but im not gonna be so freaking consumed with it.
im gonna eat healthier but im not gonna track every single one of my calories.
im gonna hit the gym and even record weights when i lift, but im not gonna miss hanging out with my friends for it.

you get the point

i actually feel much happier about myself now

and also to toot my own horn...i really, really liked the way i looked in the dress i had to wear in paris:




lol.

i will keep you all updated on my new "casual" workout/diet





[Edited on November 24, 2010 at 1:57 PM. Reason : html fail]

[Edited on November 24, 2010 at 1:57 PM. Reason : pps- i know i am a giant]

11/24/2010 1:54:24 PM

it is impressive that you look like that after only going to the gym 1-2x per week. congrats.

11/24/2010 3:31:21 PM

for the marfans you need to get checked for leaking cerebral-spinal fluid. also have you had your heart looked at?

11/24/2010 3:48:37 PM

Haven't been checked for leaky fluids, but I do get an echo periodically to make sure my heart's still there.

11/24/2010 4:12:21 PM

hey Shadowrunner, do you deal with glucose problems? Just wondering because I was having those headaches, ALL THE TIME, when I first started working out and the only thing I can think of is how my body regulating was my sugars to my workouts. I did not deal with dehydration either. Just a thought and only a thought.

11/24/2010 7:17:05 PM

No, I've never had to worry about my blood sugar or monitor it for anything, so I really know very little about such things. If you've experienced the same thing in the past, what did you do to deal with it?

11/24/2010 8:06:55 PM

I bet you they are just tension headaches. Where your neck right at the base of your skull is knotted the fuck up.

I had the exact same symptoms as you where i would try and lift something and it felt like someone just smushed my head between a vice clamp.

I took a few days off and tried to massage my neck out and the problems went away.

I would take a few days off, maybe get a massage and see if that helps.

11/24/2010 8:23:58 PM

Shadowrunner, I would really suggest you look into a genetic diagnosis (go see a genetic counselor )

I mainly say this because sometimes people are thought to have Marfan and can actually have Loeys-Dietz, which is basically a more severe form but with a different mutation. (Not trying to scare you or anything) Also, how many times do you get an echo each year? At least once?

Also, you might be interested in this (mentions leaking cerebral spinal fluid, like G.O.D. said, and Marfan-like skeletal qualities in people with a certain type of headache):

http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/jns.2002.96.3.0483


[Edited on November 24, 2010 at 10:08 PM. Reason : .]

11/24/2010 10:06:34 PM

Awesome pics, Joie!

11/25/2010 8:02:30 AM

My family are down at Hilton Head for Thanksgiving. I packed my vibrams and some running clothes to go out this morning. When I got in last night I was looking through the resort's itinerary and it listed a 5k this morning. So I got up and registered and ran it. I finished in first!

21:17

11/25/2010 6:26:34 PM

haha, congrats!

11/28/2010 12:12:13 PM

haha, nice work!

i went to the gym this morning and lifted. got it out of the way early today.

11/28/2010 12:26:27 PM

I unloaded a 2600 carton truck 2 nights ago. That's a work out.

11/29/2010 6:54:42 PM

Quote :

"No, I've never had to worry about my blood sugar or monitor it for anything, so I really know very little about such things. If you've experienced the same thing in the past, what did you do to deal with it?"

I just had to check my sugar more and carry glucose tabs, eat a protein bar before (~19g you prob will need more), drank milk/ ate high protein yogurt right after and then had a pack of nabs like 30 minutes after . That is if you are not dehydrated. I still drank like 96 oz of water per day at that point and still had excruciating headaches for like two weeks when I started working out more hard core. My heart rate came down a lot eventually so that was another thing.

Quote :

"My family are down at Hilton Head for Thanksgiving. I packed my vibrams and some running clothes to go out this morning. When I got in last night I was looking through the resort's itinerary and it listed a 5k this morning. So I got up and registered and ran it. I finished in first!"

That is awesome!!! WTG Allan!

[Edited on November 29, 2010 at 7:16 PM. Reason : Shadowrunner]

11/29/2010 7:10:01 PM

I met with a dietician at my gym yesterday, and we came up with a plan for me to eat 3500-3700 Calories a day. I haven't yet decided if this is going to be hell or awesome.

12/8/2010 9:27:23 PM

^good luck!

i would like to report i am back down to about 141/143
however i dont have nearly as much muscle mass as i used to.

:-/

[Edited on December 8, 2010 at 9:57 PM. Reason : dsfgds]

12/8/2010 9:56:49 PM

lol shadowrunner. how many months ago did i tell you that?

12/8/2010 10:16:50 PM

Hahaha, yeah, I know. But now I've got a good plan to do it without fast food or heavily processed stuff.


DAY 1 OF AWESOME TRAINING: 159 lbs.

12/8/2010 10:31:17 PM

I'm about 195 (fatty) right now, how about we meet near the middle at about 178?

12/9/2010 9:26:14 AM

I haven't pulled my scale out of the closet in 2 weeks now

I was at 192 during Thanksgiving.

Been doin work in the gym so I'm probably about the same, I know I'm not below 190 again, yet.

Workin on it.

12/9/2010 10:06:04 AM

SR : You're in for a tough ride. If you could eat that much food you wouldn't be that weight at this age.

I hope you're not lactose intolerant!

Go ahead and post your meals and intervals. Maybe I will try. I was 161 last night lol. 5'11"

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 11:01 AM. Reason : .]

12/9/2010 10:59:50 AM

Time to get back on the horse!


Started doing cardio and leg workouts again about two months ago after a two month hiatus of no gym visits at all. My regiment right now is mainly for endurance as I want to be in good shape for alpine ski season. Additionally the doctor gave me clearance to do light arm work outs starting last week, but nothing heavy and I am not allowed to do any chest or shoulder exercises until after my next doctor's visit, which is in February

Anyway, here's where we stand:





My lower back looks a little chub - I definitely need to work on that. Weight as of Monday is 205 lbs.

12/9/2010 4:03:38 PM

hi guys.

guess i might as well join in on this too.

we'll see how long i keep it up.

STORY OF THE YEAR:
december '09: running like 10 miles a week or so, partying a lot, clocking in at about 200 lbs. decide to do a half marathon.
may: trained for half (slacked my way through, which lead to the next point..), never ate right, still downing booze like water, but down to 175.
busted leg up, ate a bunch of opiates, didnt drink or eat much, down to 155 by july.
didnt do any exercise or really much of anything active but party and bullshit, up to 195 again by october.
eating right again, down to 180..
december '10: going to try and do a legitimate gym routine, and some cardio work other than just running.

after a week or so of going to the gym, my hip flexors are still f'd in the a. guess i never really got them used to doing things more than just walking around after being basically immobile for two months. thinking that should level out in a couple of weeks.

feels good. need more sleep.

12/9/2010 4:58:16 PM

Be careful with your hip flexors. Stretch and strengthen them as much as you can. Mine have always been sort of weak, but about a month ago I apparently strained one and can't run more than a mile without limping and barely being able to move my leg the next two days.

The doctor said it didn't seem to be related to my accident though. So I guess mine just really suck.

12/9/2010 5:11:45 PM

have any stretching recommendations for them?

12/9/2010 5:17:00 PM

Are there any personal trainers on here who'd be willing to caliper me for my body fat percentage. I can throw a couple of bucks your way if it's not too much trouble. The body fat reader at LFF is pretty much fail. It says I'm at 8% body fat, which I know is a damned lie. I got dat 190% skinny fat going on.

12/9/2010 5:17:45 PM

^pm sent

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 7:16 PM. Reason : assuming i have whatchu looking for ]

12/9/2010 7:14:59 PM

at least you're over the floor of 7.50 on that thing. I've gained 30lbs and it's never moved. I would guess I'm around 9%. If you can flex a six pack you're probably under 10-11. That's usually all anyone cares about bf wise right?

12/9/2010 7:58:54 PM

Here's what the sports medicine doctor recommended for me. Sorry for the shitty pictures but I had to find something like the handout online.
The first 3 are twice a day, 4 times each:

make sure your down leg is hanging off because that's the side that is being stretched


press toward your chest with the leg that's pointed down


bend standing leg slightly to stretch

Jane Fonda-style leg lifts (10, 3x a day):

Then something similar, except prop the outer leg on a chair and lift the inner leg upward.


lift each leg 10 times, 3x per day


bring leg up, down to floor and back. 10, 3x per day

Then what PackMan recommended:
Put your knee up on the edge of your bed then lean your torso down and stretch your hands out in front as much as you can. Do it to the middle and to each side and hold for 30 seconds or so.

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 8:41 PM. Reason : beast URL]

[Edited on December 10, 2010 at 11:28 AM. Reason : .]

12/9/2010 8:39:25 PM

Started p90x about 50 days ago. Ever since taking on a job with a beer company I have let my fitness and athleticism slide. Lucky for me I have good metabolism, but I was tired of feeling tired and shitty all the time. Changed my diet completely and started p90 to give it a shot.

50 dayz ago


Currently


Taking pics actually makes me really excited to grind the rest of the 40 days out!

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 9:08 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 9:09 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on December 9, 2010 at 9:09 PM. Reason : fack]

12/9/2010 9:06:32 PM

I thought taking progress pictures was silly at first. Actually the only reason I did them was for this thread. Then I was really glad I had them to show my weekly transitions. We just started Insanity the second time and haven't taken any more yet, but I want to before too long. They can be very motivational.

12/9/2010 9:29:00 PM

lookin good corey!

12/9/2010 11:04:34 PM

thnx!

12/10/2010 6:01:18 AM

Skwinkle, WTH. Can a mod please resize that photo so this page isn't completely wrecked.

[Edited on December 10, 2010 at 11:19 AM. Reason : k]

12/10/2010 11:16:31 AM

Holy crap. Sorry! It was NOT that big on my computer last night. It was showing up normal size. I dunno what happened.

12/10/2010 11:22:24 AM

way to go Skwinkle

12/10/2010 11:26:44 AM