A KARATE student thought she was just sore after an intense class – only to discover it was a deadly condition breaking down her muscles and turning her pee into ‘COLA’.
Gemma Underwood, 41, was left in hospital for five days where she was put on IV fluid and had a catheter fitted after she woke up unable to move her upper body.
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When the mental health ward manager noticed she was passing very dark urine that ‘looked like cola’, she was rushed to A&E where blood tests revealed she had rhabdomyolysis.
The serious illness is a life-threatening condition caused by high-intensity exercise which causes muscles to break down and release harmful substances that can cause organ failure and death.
Keen gym-goer Gemma, from Ayr, said: “I first noticed something was off when I couldn’t move my upper body to get out of bed the next morning.
“I thought I’d just over done it a bit at karate but the pain was disproportionate to the workout. I always get slightly sore muscles after exercise but certainly not as intense.
“When I noticed my urine was very dark I looked online and I was alerted to the condition rhabdomyolysis.
“It’s something that can happen to anyone and what doctors said was that I wasn’t hydrated enough while doing an intense workout. I should have been drinking more water before.
“It felt really scary, it can be life-threatening so I panicked.
“That gave me the motivation to go to A&E because obviously I didn’t want to die.”
Gemma is now resting at home and drinking plenty of fluids as recovery can take months depending on complications.
Despite being out of danger, Gemma said her muscles are still sore and the experience has left her feeling drained.
She is now warning others to stay hydrated before working out and to watch out for symptoms of rhabdomyolysis.
Gemma said: “They said treatment can take a few weeks or a few months depending on complications.
“I’m currently resting – no exercise at all for at least three weeks – and drinking plenty of fluids.
“It’s really important to know the symptoms, which are muscle pain, weak muscles and dark urine.
“Make sure you’re hydrated before any workout, it doesn’t matter how intense it is.”
WHAT IS RHABDOMYOLYSIS? (Info from NHS)
Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the rapid breakdown of damaged muscle with the release of the intracellular muscle contents, including myoglobin, creatine kinase and various electrolytes, into the bloodstream and extracellular space.
