Chest pain after almost every dive

[8675309fan]

Call DAN, they will give free, qualified medical advice to anyone (even nonmembers) and can refer you to local docs.

But since this is scubaboard I might as well jump aboard the speculation train and ask if it's possible your wetsuit is very tight and constricting?


Question to the board - has anyone else experienced chest pain on inhalation in the 24hrs after aspirating SMALL amounts of salt water? I remember having that happen fairly regularly as a kid in the evening following a day of surfing and getting hammered by waves. Is that a common thing? If so, wet-breathing regs could explain some of the mysterious temporary post-dive chest pain posts we see here.

-The chest pain was happening in scenarios where I didn't wear a wetsuit

 

[Esprise Me]

- Yes they did do labs and all was normal except low vitaman D (I work at night so that is expected)

Oh interesting. I'm no doctor but I just Googled "low vitamin d chest pain" and got a bunch of hits, including: Non-cardiac Chest Pain and Anxiety: A Possible Link to Vitamin D and Calcium - PubMed

 

[8675309fan]

Oh interesting. I'm no doctor but I just Googled "low vitamin d chest pain" and got a bunch of hits, including: Non-cardiac Chest Pain and Anxiety: A Possible Link to Vitamin D and Calcium - PubMed

-Oh wow, maybe the low vitamin d and the anxiety of my first few pool dives just carried over to my other dives and I never was able to get over it because of my low vitamin d? (I just recently started taking vitamin d supplements after it was recommended by my doctor) Thanks for looking that up!

 

[Esprise Me]

Pretty sure taking a Vitamin D supplement would be at worst a harmless experiment.

 

[8675309fan]

Pretty sure taking a Vitamin D supplement would be at worst a harmless experiment.

-My doctor recommended I take them so I hope they help

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Okay, first, you need to rule out heart disease. See your doc, and do it soon. As a former USAF Pararescueman (PJ) and EMT paramedic (many, many moons ago), we've lost PJs to heart disease, and it may mimmic your asthma. Get that checked out, and have your doc contact DAN at the same time. But since this is happening in very shallow water, in pools, etc., I doubt it is related to diving.

SeaRat
John C. Ratliff, MSPH--Industrial Hygiene emphasis

 

[8675309fan]

Okay, first, you need to rule out heart disease. See your doc, and do it soon. As a former USAF Pararescueman (PJ) and EMT paramedic (many, many moons ago), we've lost PJs to heart disease, and it may mimmic your asthma. Get that checked out, and have your doc contact DAN at the same time. But since this is happening in very shallow water, in pools, etc., I doubt it is related to diving.

SeaRat
John C. Ratliff, MSPH--Industrial Hygiene emphasis

I'm thinking this is like anxiety because I have no problems when I'm underwater only after I surface. The first pool day of diving I was really really nervous until I started breathing through the reg and realizing that I was going to be fine and the air wasn't going to trigger my asthma.

 

[Ghost95]

Do you have any other exercise related chest pain? If so, get checked out by a cardiologist. If not, then at least follow up with your PCP. Chest pain should always be taken seriously unless you can pinpoint a non cardiac cause.

I have had heart issues so I always tell people to get their Doc to schedule a nuclear stress test if they can afford it. It's not a perfect test but it will show low blood flow to areas of your heart.

You don't have to have bad cholesterol to have a blockage.

 

[8675309fan]

Do you have any other exercise related chest pain? If so, get checked out by a cardiologist. If not, then at least follow up with your PCP. Chest pain should always be taken seriously unless you can pinpoint a non cardiac cause.

I have had heart issues so I always tell people to get their Doc to schedule a nuclear stress test if they can afford it. It's not a perfect test but it will show low blood flow to areas of your heart.

You don't have to have bad cholesterol to have a blockage.

-I do not have any other exercise related chest pain and have already done a stress test with an EKG and another with just the EKG and all was normal

 

[Ghost95]

Well, to me, not a medical professional, then it sounds like muscle strains like your original doc said. Cardiac pain is weird in that moving or changing position doesn't really change it. If you move and can make the pain worse or better it's usually muscle pain.

Good luck with figuring this out. Enjoy your dives. You'll get more relaxed as things progress and things will probably get better. If you have any doubts however, get in touch with DAN and a Diving Doc they'll get you straight.