Narced???

[boulderjohn]

I have a friend who once experienced almost exactly what you describe. He was pretty sure it was narcosis. It is the only time it ever happened to him, and he is a tech instructor.

No one is really sure what causes narcosis, but it is not caused by nitrogen alone. All gases have the capacity to bring on narcosis. According to the most accepted theory, oxygen has more potential for narcosis than nitrogen, but the effect is hard to measure because it is metabolized and because testing it in high concentrations is dangerous. Although there is controversy about this, that is why most people believe nitrox gives no benefit in terms of narcosis. Helium has a very low potential for narcosis, which is why deep divers like to replace nitrogen with helium on those dives.

Carbon dioxide has a high narcotic potential. That is one reason why vigorous activity coupled with high levels of nitrogen (because of depth) can lead to a higher potential for a narcotic episode. You have two factors working together.

Carbon dioxide buildup also leads to a sense of panic. If you hold your breath long enough to get that panicky urge to breathe, it is not because you need oxygen. Your body has nearly no signal for that. That panic is caused by CO2 buildup. People who are getting therapy for panic attacks frequently are taught to use diaphragmatic breathing, a long, slow breathing pattern initiated by the diaphragm and stressing a complete exhale to remove CO2.

 

[Jayde323]

I've experienced that same feeling while diving. I was not exerting myself when the feeling came on, we had just left the mooring line and hit 97 feet when the "panic" feeling hit. We called the dive and I was fine as soon as we hit 80 feet. My husband and I concluded I was narced, but after some research on DAN's site, we found it may have been a reaction of the Afrin and Claritan D I had taken. Looking back, it was a dumb move on my part to take those meds before diving. I put not only myself, but my buddy in danger.

 

[elmer fudd]

One thing I notice brings on anxiety like nothing else and that's disorientation. I'm trying work through it, but a silt out at depth freaks me out. I've got no real problem with it at 60', but if the same thing happens at 120 I'm suddenly gulping my air.

I did a wall dive to 120' today and had no issues until I was out a ways from the wall and surrounded by blackness. That got a little anxiety going, but as soon as I was back in by the wall again and had a reference point everything was OK again.

I'm guessing that I'm just going to have to confront this over and over until I work through it.

 

[DennisW]

You've got some good advice in these posts. However, don't discount Nitrogen Narcosis, as boulderjohn said, no one really knows what causes it. If you dive and breath air (even Nitrox) you are under the influence of Nitrogen Narcosis at any depth below the surface. You might not feel it, but you are being influenced. A "dark narc" is what you described and that feeling can be caused by CO2 build up or Nitrogen Narcosis. At 90 ft, it very well could be Nitrogen Narcosis. It took me over 10 years of diving before I felt that bad feeling on a dive at about 100 ft. I ascended and at about 60 ft, it went away. I went back down and everything was good. Next time, you can ascend slowly and slow your breathing, calm down and when you feel better, and you should, then continue the dive.