S’pore Woman’s Pee Resembles Kopi O After First Spin Class, She Ends Up In Hospital

Woman Spends 3 Days In Hospital With Rhabdomyolysis After First Spin Class

Most of us who begin to adopt healthier lifestyles do so with the hope of avoiding serious illness. So you can imagine the shock a woman in Singapore must have felt when she experienced excruciating pain after her first spin class — only to end up in the hospital later on.

While she initially thought the pain was merely from her sore muscles, the woman eventually sensed something amiss when her urine came out the colour of “kopi O kosong”.

Her ordeal ended with her spending several days in the hospital recovering from rhabdomyolysis.

Pee appears a strange brown colour

In a TikTok video posted on Tuesday (11 Oct), a woman named Gloria shared her experience following her maiden spin class.

Right after attending the class on 7 Oct, she told MS News that her legs started “feeling wobbly or like jelly”. She struggled to climb up or down the stairs and platforms without any support and nearly tripped at times because her legs “just went limp”. Gloria also shared that she couldn’t balance while in the changing room.

She continued putting up with the pain that night, thinking it was Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).

Though it grew worse the next day, it wasn’t until 9 Oct that Gloria knew something was wrong when she saw that her urine had turned brown like “kopi O kosong”.

At that point, the pain had apparently worsened to the point where it was unbearable.

Referred to hospital A&E to treat pain after first spin class

Without hesitation this time, Gloria consulted a GP who referred her to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department at Sengkang General Hospital (SKH).

Once there, she was placed on an IV drip. The healthcare staff also tested her blood and urine.

After finding that her creatine kinase (CK) levels were exceedingly high, they quickly admitted her into a ward. According to the Cleveland Clinic, high CK levels usually indicate that the patient has suffered some form of muscle damage.

Doctors eventually diagnosed her with rhabdomyolysis, a medical condition where damaged muscle tissue releases proteins and electrolytes into the blood. It can reportedly damage the heart and kidneys and result in permanent disability or even death.

Gloria spent the next three days in the hospital, where doctors monitored her condition and advised her to stay hydrated.

She was discharged at noon on Friday (14 Oct) but would need to return for another blood test on Monday (17 Oct).

Although her CK levels were still high, she had shown signs of improvement.

Doctors have also advised her to drink at least three litres of water a day for the next few days.

In a comment on her TikTok video, Gloria claimed that doctors told her that what she experienced was normal, especially after the first class. Nevertheless, she encourages everyone to be wary.

Beginners should take things slow

Speaking to MS News, Gloria shared that she had attended a cross fit class the week before the spin class.

The “pretty intense” class, which involved mostly weights and going on a treadmill, went smoothly, though she admitted that she “took it a little easier than everyone else”.

Besides being a bowler, she didn’t partake in many regular fitness classes but wanted to start with cross fit and spin.

Reflecting on her experience, she has this advice for first-timers who’d like to take spin classes:

Really take your time to warm up and hydrate. It would also be good to go for a beginner class and take things slow, like pedalling or sitting down if you feel tired.

Should they feel pain the next day and see their pee starts “turning colours”, they should keep drinking water till their condition improves.

Gloria sheepishly confessed that she doesn’t “ever drink nearly enough water”, which could be why she’s in her current position.

While what happened certainly seemed horrifying, we’re glad Gloria shared her experience so others can be aware.

We wish her a smooth recovery and hope she’ll be well enough to exercise again.

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Featured image adapted from @redmily on TikTok and Instagram.