Excessive muscle burning

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

Any other changes recently in diet, activity levels, medications and/or other health issues (physical, psychological or otherwise)?

What is your diet like generally? How active are you?

Comment by Archived User

No big change in what I’ve been eating, but I am hypoglycemic and the past few months I have been undereating and overworking. I ride my bike 20miles a day for school. Sometimes I would stop at the gym on my way home. And I haven’t been eating near enough. I started getting tidal burning from my kidneys but that pretty much went away. Now the only residual symptom is the muscle burning and my endurance has been very low.
I’ve been eating regularly now. Still pretty active…have to bike to school but I’ve been taking it easy and no gym for a couple months because I can’t handle it. It’s been hard to accept that reality.

Comment by Archived User

My diet is usually an egg sandwich for breakfast, protein shake when I arrive to school. Leftover rice and meat with steamed broccoli for lunch. Same for dinner.

Comment by Archived User

No medications. Just occasional tinctures like nettle seed, ashwagandha, American ginseng, eleuthero.

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

This is not exactly a Chinese Medicine idea, but from the looks of it you are probably having issues with low potassium which can both affect the heart beat and is a common cause of lower leg cramping, etc.

In general eating better to support your level of activity would be important, obviously. Specifically, staying better hydrated and perhaps trying to eat a banana or other high potassium food later in the day would be good.

In technical terms from a Chinese Medicine perspective you sound like you are kidney yin deficient (explore the kidney system with my “My Kidneys Are What?” article). If I’m right, you are more “tired and wired” (i.e. yin deficient) than truly tired (i.e. yang deficient). Accordingly taking herbal stimulants like ginseng, etc. will only make the causal conditions worse - even if you will feel marginally better energy wise.

Technically there are herbal formulas which could help you quite a bit, but you really should see someone locally to make sure the diagnosis is correct before going down that road. Liu wei di huang wan is the base for most of these issues, with many variant formulas to better suit each individual.

Comment by Archived User

I will definitely increase my potassium intake, I think you might be on to something.
Tired and wired describes it for sure.
And I will go see someone locally, I’ve just been tight on cash through school.
Thank you so much for the recommendations, I truly appreciate it.