OW Swim... UH OH!

[jesvetmed]

OK... I'm a little worried here.
I'm a decent swimmer (not great, not bad). I've swam lakes before, swam a tri before. No problems.

Tonight I added in a wetsuit. I was excited to get out in the lake and give it a try. I got in the suit, no troubles. Got in the lake -- not that cold with the suit on! In my excitement, I took off swimming without a warm up, immediately focusing on my stroke.

Suddenly I realize how much trouble I'm having breathing. I feel like someone is standing on my chest. I pull the suit around a bit, keep going. No better, getting worse. I undid the neck and unzipped about 3 inches to see if it was truly the suit -- I felt like I could pull the chest away from my body with some ease, so it didn't seem that tight.

Soon, I started coughing up lots of liquid -- I had not inhaled any water that I can remember. But my chest was tight and the liquid seemed to be pouring out with each cough -- each deep breath I tried to take in sounded rattling -- wet. I immediately though that this must be what asthma is like. But I don't have asthma!

It has been 3 hours since I got out of the lake -- breast stroked all the way back, calm, but coughing constantly. I am still uncomfortable breathing in deeply, and with any effort to talk or move around, I'm still coughing (improving, but not over it yet).

I'm a little freaked out now -- never been an issue before! What happened?
Any ideas?

I know I didn't warm up, get comfy with the suit -- I will do that next time. But is there such a thing as some type of induced asthma that I could have triggered somehow? I know that cold can, but honestly, I didn't FEEL that cold. My tri last summer was MUCH colder and I didn't have the wetsuit.
Jes

[Wahine]

Jes - I want you to know that I just walked away from my computer to take compose myself before responding to this because my first reaction was...

WTF was she doing goin for an OWS alone?

Now that I got that off my chest.

I would guess that it started out as shortness of breath from the suit. That's not uncommon and you will get used to it with practice. Likely during the SOB episode you inhaled water. Asthma will usually start out as wheezy and doesn't get rattly until later.

To get used to OWS with a wetsuit I usually have people go out and breast stroke until they are sure their breathing is even, then we do face in the water for 10 to 20 strokes and check in again by breast stroking. If all's well, then you can go for it.

It used to take me 3 trips to the lake in the spring before I could get in the water and just start swimming without hyperventilating.

[kelownagirl]

Jes - I want you to know that I just walked away from my computer to take compose myself before responding to this because my first reaction was...

WTF was she doing goin for an OWS alone?

Now that I got that off my chest.

I would guess that it started out as shortness of breath from the suit. That's not uncommon and you will get used to it with practice. Likely during the SOB episode you inhaled water. Asthma will usually start out as wheezy and doesn't get rattly until later.

To get used to OWS with a wetsuit I usually have people go out and breast stroke until they are sure their breathing is even, then we do face in the water for 10 to 20 strokes and check in again by breast stroking. If all's well, then you can go for it.

It used to take me 3 trips to the lake in the spring before I could get in the water and just start swimming without hyperventilating.

Ooh, glad I'm reading all of this before I make my trip down to the water. I was thinking maybe after school tomorrow, or sometime this weekend. I was planning on going alone. Uh, maybe not. OK. I promise not.

[jesvetmed]

Thanks Wahine, I did need that! But you can relax some... there were several other swimmers out there tonight, and my DH on the shore (not that he could have helped from there). I PROMISE to have a kayaker by my side next time. I figured with 7 other swimmers doing the same route, I'd be ok. But I didn't know them, and they would likely have not noticed if I disappeared in mid swim! I'll definitely do it differently next time.

I found this posting about pulmonary edema and swimming, found it quite too familiar to what I experienced tonight. Very scarey that it can get as bad as described here. Maybe this wasn't it, but the symptoms are eerily similar... the wet wet wet coughing that continued until just a bit ago. All through dinner I kept coughing up liquid. I'd not heard of this before.

I will try again with the suit, and take your advice on the warm up, get used to it before immersing the face, etc. I'll let you know how it goes. Yes, I'll take a friend by my side just in case. (My hubby suggested tying a buoy to my back end!)

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE RESPONSE.
Jes

[Wahine]

Well that does sound eerily similar. Thank you so much for that link. I had not heard of SIPE. Very interesting.

And I've officially forgiven you... the only thing I would have done differently is introduce myself to the other swimmers and see if someone would be my buddy. The circumstances that you described were much safer than what I imagined.

[jesvetmed]

And I've officially forgiven you... the only thing I would have done differently is introduce myself to the other swimmers and see if someone would be my buddy.

THANKS... I feel better.

Actually I did say hello, and check on the distance, etc. So they were at least aware of me heading out. I guess I had more confidence that there would be no trouble.... never again! Hope everyone else learns that lesson! KG!!!!

[rocknrollgirl]

Jes, I am glad you are ok. My first wetsuit swim last year was a disaster, I had a panic attack from the constriction, but nothing as scary as what you have been through. That sounds really tough.


And Yoda, I am glad that I never posted that I OWS by myself often. I much prefer when DH goes with me, but sometimes he cannot. The folks that own the home on the lake where I swim are there when I go in, so someone knows, but it is just me and the giant turtles.

[KSH]

Yes, the wetsuit will make you feel like you can't breathe... but it sounds like something more serious was going on there. In fact... what you mentioned...

I found this posting about pulmonary edema and swimming, found it quite too familiar to what I experienced tonight. Very scarey that it can get as bad as described here. Maybe this wasn't it, but the symptoms are eerily similar... the wet wet wet coughing that continued until just a bit ago. All through dinner I kept coughing up liquid. I'd not heard of this before.

My friend had this happen to hear at Ironman Arizona this year! Because of it, she had to DNF the race... and even when I saw her an hour later, when she took a breath you could HEAR fluid in her lungs.

Please don't gloss over this experience. Get to a Dr. and have a discussion with them. What happened wasn't just because of the wetsuit. See what can be done to fix it, if it happens again.

Here is what she wrote about it:

I am still debating whether to do an actual race report, but the short story is...

I felt GREAT leading up to the race. I think it was the first time I did not have to run to the port-a-potty 10 times before the start.

As soon as I jumped into the water, I knew things were not right. At that point, I chalked it up to nerves. As I swam out to the starting point, I felt it getting harder and harder to breathe. I tried to just float and take deep breaths. When the cannon went off, I started swimming and felt OK for the first 100 or so. Then, the wheels fell off.

No matter what I did, I could not catch my breath. I tried breast stroke, back stroke, side stroke and nothing helped. That was the first time I hung on to kayak. After about 30 seconds, I swam a little more with the same results. Again, hung on to a kayak. This pattern continued until about 300 or so so yards before the Rural bridge.

The last time I was on a kayak (and I have to say that the support I got in the water was incredible), I knew it was over. My breathins sounded like I was a 90 year old emphasyma patient. There was so much junk in my lungs that my breathing rattled. I had no chest congestion prior to getting in the water.

Making the decision to get in that boat was hard, but I value my life and my health more than anything. It was the right decision at the time, and even 3 days later I have no regrets.

Expanding on that thought, I have no regreats about anything. OK, I'm not an Ironman, but I am still a triathlete, a wife, a friend and (I think) a good person. I am physically in the best shape of my life, and am more motivated than ever to keep training and improving.

[jesvetmed]

Thanks, KSH.. that sounds exactly the same as what happened to me. I'm glad she was ok, despite having to DNF... hard decision, but not when you cannot breathe.

I have an annual exam in 3 or 4 weeks and will discuss it then with the regular doc... (it will take me that long to get in anywhere else anyway unless I hit the er!)

I'm planning to hit the lake next Friday with my friend in her kayak -- I think I'll try no wetsuit first, then if going okay put the wetsuit on and see what happens. If I can't do it, I may scratch the tri until I get an exam and see what's going on. It is pretty scary to say the least. Will probably mess with my head a bit now!

Thanks for your support all.
I'll keep you informed.
Jes

[kelownagirl]

I was going to mention SIPE. I read about it in my latest Triathlete Magazine. They stressed the importance of getting medical attention. It can take weeks to recover enough for you to swim again.

[KnottedYet]

I have an annual exam in 3 or 4 weeks and will discuss it then with the regular doc... (it will take me that long to get in anywhere else anyway unless I hit the er!)

I'm planning to hit the lake next Friday with my friend in her kayak -- I think I'll try no wetsuit first, then if going okay put the wetsuit on and see what happens. If I can't do it, I may scratch the tri until I get an exam and see what's going on. It is pretty scary to say the least. Will probably mess with my head a bit now!

After reading about SIPE, I'd say bag that swim with the friend and the kayak; see the doc first! (please, please, please!!!) I don't want you to die! Your friend would have to jump out of her boat, drag your "flooded" body back to shore, and attempt CPR with the impossible task of forcing oxygen into lungs already drowning in their own plasma. She'd be left feeling like a failure, she'd blame herself for the rest of her life. And she'd lose her kayak in the process of rescuing you!

(scared yet?)

Seriously, please see the doc and tell him about SIPE and your concerns *BEFORE* you go swimming again.

[mimitabby]

wow, that's scary! I've never heard of this before (i read that link too, sounds just like what you went through)
make sure you're all cleared up before you try this again.

[NbyNW]

Jes,

I'm glad you're okay. I'm sure I would have panicked if that happened to me.

There was a story that circulated last week about a boy who died from "dry drowning" hours after getting home from the swimming pool. Very bizarre story, and very sad.

Take good care of those lungs

[OakLeaf]

wow. Very glad you're okay. Be careful out there.

[kelownagirl]

Hey Jesvetmed - how about an update?