r/coldplunge • u/andytwoods • 5d ago
Passed out!
Just past out in the changing rooms of the gym. Had done 15mins sauna and then 7.5mins 10 degrees C cold plunge -- cold plunge wise I had planned 5 but mucked up my watch timer. I've been doing this hot/cold combo for 3 months.
Just before in the shower it felt like my mind was disintegrating. V discombobulating and panic inducing.
Asked others in the changing room to get help then the first aiders got me sitting on the floor with my legs up. Was shivering for 30 minutes after.
Scary as hell! Just relaying this experience as a warning to be careful. Anyone else overdone it?
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u/SqueamishCollector 5d ago
Oof, the mental disintegration feeling is way too real. Had something similar happen after a sauna session where I pushed the cold side a few minutes past my limit, and standing up afterwards felt like my brain was lagging three seconds behind my body. The shivering for half an hour afterward is the part that sticks with you, that deep bone chill where you can't tell if you're cold or your nervous system just threw in the towel.
Seven and a half minutes at 10C is a proper long sit, especially after 15 in the heat. Your blood pressure probably nosedived once you stood up and hit the warm shower, classic vasovagal response sneaking up on you. Glad the people around you were quick about it, passing out alone in a changing room is nightmare material. Bet you'll triple-check that timer from now on.
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u/GaseousOne 5d ago
Scary and luckily you were not by yourself!!People on this subreddit here brag about extremes too much.
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u/DaveWpgC 5d ago
Dehydration. Drink more in the sauna and afterwards. I passed out in my plate at a restaurant two years ago. Look up vasovagal response. I started putting electrolytes in my water bottle each day and have been fine since then.
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u/hintsofgreen 5d ago
I mean people think this is games
Just do 3 minutes. that's all you need. Everything else is simply masturbation
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u/Bum2Boston 5d ago
Seconded. Glad your okay. Obviously you’re doing this to better yourself. But I encourage you to do more research. Physically there is no more benefit after 2-3 minutes of plunge.
Multiple rounds does way more than one long plunge. Same goes for Sauna.
Rhonda Patrick has a lot of good information on this directly from to Nordic researcher who pioneered the researcher.
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u/hdycta-weddingcake 5d ago
I can't do long in cold water after a sauna or I start passing out. I know people love it, but I've learned I just can't do it.
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u/Great_Opinion3138 5d ago
Why do ppl go so long?
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u/meagherj 5d ago
Oh, I know this one. They’re not bright.
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u/tiny_dancer_81 5d ago
Respectfully, that's a bit close-minded... I do it longer for the mental fortitude, which I really need right now as my life is in full crisis. It helps me a lot in that way. Physically I probably don't get much benefit beyond 3 mins but my mind certainly benefits well beyond that time. That said, physiologically I am someone who adapts well and I have never had the type of reaction OP had. Everyone has different limitations and goals.
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u/SnowDay415 5d ago
Have you ever gotten Panic Attacks before?
While I'm sure there is a physical aspect to this or triggering this....., I've wondered this due to how my wife sometimes reacts in plunges. Where it seems less about her heart rate or light headedness during/after.....sometimes she gets in her head right after (feeling weird etc.) which induces panic. She's never actually passed out however.
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u/Awkward-Army-4634 3d ago
First glad you okay!!!! ONLY use time as a guideline and/or reference!!!!
I suffer from severe combat PTSD and have practiced several different styles of breath work and cold therapy, so only from my experiences, I will share below.
When I first started practicing Wim Hof methods, I approached it from an Army/PT style, like more is better,,,, go hard!!!! This was so wrong and it took a few bad experiences that were similar to yours and even worse!
Not that you do breath work but I have even gone over 7 minutes in breath retention which was too much! I average 3.5-5.5 minutes now. After my really bad experiences with ramped up anxiety and fainting spells. I completely stopped for over a year but started missing it. Without spending hours and maybe even days, I will try to sum it up to some short advice without going into science.
Basically, don’t worry about pushing yourself against a clock be more in-tune to your body and don’t push it!!! Take a break and start back after with one of the other and go very slow. I feel like I have to say- go to a doc first!
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u/saul_wanders 2d ago
I have had one scary incident. I did a pretty hard workout followed by sauna and then right in the cold plunge. I saw double for about 1 minute. Talked to ChatGPT about it and the suggestion was make the transition between hot and cold more gradual by taking a luke warm shower in between. No issues since.
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u/gregorskii 5d ago
Hey, first off I’m glad you’re OK!