These symptoms not only warrant blood work-ups?to check for anemia or?low serum ferritin, but also to check thyroid function, adrenal fatigue, mono-nucleosis?etc. From my own experience, Doctors are a big problem in treating this, even Sports Medicine doctors.
Every Parent needs to become aware and have the knowledge to be able to Advocate?for their child.
My daughter has been suffering through this since May of this year.
Despite the low ferritin/iron reserves, she still ran a PR in the 400m each week,?leading up?to?going to the high school State Championships meet.
This is when it hit her hard.? The first day she ran in the 4 x 200m and felt?she had a lack of power.
The next day when she ran in the 400m pre-lims, she went flat… she said she tried?everything she could but her legs were?”mush”, she had no strength/power, and no matter how hard she tried, she just could not run?faster.
She said she felt lethargic, and had no energy.
This was the worst timing possible for her, as she had?trained so hard since last September for this moment only to not be able to?run.
We were both very confused at what was wrong.??Looking at all the variables I could think of, I could not see?anything that?could do this.
Yes, there were some issues, a long taper, a lingering hamstring strain, but nothing that would do this.
I continued her training into the next week and the following weekend, she went to a high quality meet that had some of the best athletes in the northwest.
My daughter ran even slower, and the symptoms were more pronounced.
Took her to her doctor 2nd week of June, and asked for blood work to be done.? ‘K’ had a similar experience in 2011 when she was?training for cross country during the summer.
When?the results came back, the ‘Tech’ at the lab called and told me that?everything was ‘normal’
From previous experience, I?went to her doctors office the next day and ordered a copy of the blood work-up.
After a couple days, I received the copy and?sure enough, her serum ferritin was low, down to a 17, far from ‘Normal’
Previously?in 2011, her serum ferritin level was?down to 21.? It took about 4 to 5 weeks of supplementing her diet with ‘ProFerrin ES’, which is the best iron supplement made and most readily absorbed (but $60+ per 30 day supply), almost daily she ate beef/chicken liver or oysters?and?washed down with lots of orange juice..?careful, don’t buy calcium enriched orange juice…?(vitamin C enhances the absorbency of iron).??Need to be careful 2 hours before/after to not consume?calcium rich foods, milk,?or caffeine, as these block?the bodies ability to absorb iron.
Since going to the doctor and getting the blood labs a month ago we have played ‘the doctor game’.
‘K’s doctor went on?vacation the next week, and we were not told.
I had asked for a referral to a local Sports Medicine doctor who had a good reputation to deal with this, as the current doctor admitted?her ‘training’ was that if a persons Hemoglobin was ‘normal’ and the serum ferritin fell between 12-160 (for a female) that a 17 (or 21 in 2011) was in the ‘normal’ range.
A search online will give a wealth of information on this subject, and recent studies that debunk what some doctors say.
I contacted a local Hematologist by email, in hopes that he might actually reply… to my happy amazement he replied the same day and we had many exchanges over the next week or so. I also emailed him ‘K’s blood work from 2011, 2012 and the most recent, 2014.? I did not have blood work done in 2013, as she no longer ran cross country then and at the time, I understood iron deficiency to mostly affect distance runners.
He told me that “NO”, ‘K’s serum ferritin level was NOT normal, and that it needed to be ABOVE 50, and that with her serious symptoms, there could be other issues.
Continuing with the ‘doctor game’ I finally was able to get ‘K’ in to see the Sports Med. Dr. 2 weeks ago…up to that time, I was continuing ‘K’s diet addition of liver, oysters, iron supplements and lots of orange juice.
At the Dr. visit, I explained the situation, that this was something ‘K’ went through in 2011 and was fixed with iron supplements and diet additions and that she had all the classic symptoms of anemia: fatigue, lethargic, nausea, feeling like not getting enough O2, dizziness, loss of coordination, etc.
I also explained that I had been exchanging emails with a local Hematologist and what he had said.
I also added that this could be a thyroid issue, mono-nucleosis, or other health issues that?I felt she needed other blood?labs ordered.
This?Dr.?did not listen to anything I said.? He told me,?”yes, this could be?multiple things, maybe even 5, but I don’t think so”??he kept going on about how?even though the ‘evidence’ and ‘symptoms’?supported?my concerns and did not point to his, that he?still felt that?’K’ was suffering from?low Glycogen reserves…
I was in complete disbelief at this guy… he refused to do anything other than refer her to a Dietitian….. he then said?”I have had a couple girls come in that I recommended the same to, and?I have not seen them since, so it must have worked”…
I emailed the Hematologist and told him what happened.? He?replied that the Dr.?’doesn’t know the literature’ … a nice way to say he doesn’t know what he is doing!? He also said she needed?blood labs.
The same day I contacted the referred dietician, as I thought?at least it wouldn’t hurt… after?answering her questions and?also sending her the?copies of blood labs I had, she told me?that my daughter needed a bunch more.? She said?it was useless to even talk until the results of the labs?came back and?other issues looked at.
She said, first of all, the low ferritin levels need to be addressed, as that was a known given.
She?asked if I could go back to my daughters ‘normal’ doctor, and ask for more blood labs and to add some that she would like specifically.
She emailed me a copy of the labs she wanted done.
Last Thursday was able to see ‘K’s?Dr. and she ordered up a bunch of labs,?for thyroid, mono-nucleuses, adrenal?fatigue, etc.??including those from the dietitian.? She also has referred ‘K’ to the Hematologist.
Should hear back on all the labs by Tuesday.
During this time, I have reduced workouts in both number per week and work done in each.? One or sometimes even 2 days a week she just doesn’t feel good at all and we don’t do anything.
She has continuously gotten slower.? She is running now just for fun and being around her friends. She ran in the USATF Association meet a couple weeks ago and the USATF Regional meet last weekend, and it was a nice fun weekend for our family.
I have posted about this over at the charliefrancis.com forum:
https://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?22651-First-outdoor-meet-of-the-year&p=250084#post250084
and in another thread here:
2014 Oudoor season progression 400m
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This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by
Track Dad.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by
Track Dad.