“Pushing” Yourself Too Far
Original Post: I've noticed for a few years now, that when I pushed myself either because I just want to, or because I need to. At the end of the day, maybe even 1 to 2 days later, I experience shivers or fever like symptoms. I've always concluded it was due to me pushing myself beyond my limits. Could that be true?
Dr. Bruno’s Response: At the Post-Polio Institute we call it the "48 hour lag." You beat yourself up on Monday, are surprised you feel good on Tuesday and then crash on Wednesday. Back in the early 80s people talked about PPS symptoms and described flu – like symptoms similar to those survivors had with polio originally. In the thousands of patients we've studied and treated, very few talk about shivers and fever – like symptoms. That being said, especially as the weather gets colder, the more fatigued you are the harder it is to control your body temperature and the more likely it is you are to feel cold inside when you overexert yourself.
It’s always good to remember that PPS IS A DIAGNOSIS OF EXCLUSION. If you're feeling cold, general blood work, thyroid blood tests (TSH,T4) and for new or increased cold legs & feeds get Doppler and ABI to make sure arteries and veins are open for business.