Altitude sickness after diving vacation?

[Rupert Maclanahan]

I live in the mountains, at 8400ft (2560m) above sea level.

I recently took a trip to the Red Sea with a live aboard for a week and returned home. I had waited 26 hours from my last dive (50 feet, 50 minutes, no decompression, 5 minute safety stop, Nx28 Nitrox) before I got on a plane to Italy, where I spent 14 hours in Milan, and then flew home. When I finally got home 16 hours later I felt lethargic, weak, and lightheaded, and had a slight headache. It was very similar to altitude sickness that I had felt when I went to Cuzco (11,152ft, 3399m) a few years ago, back when I lived a couple thousand feet lower in elevation. Thinking that this might be some delayed onset DCS symptoms, I called DAN the next morning when the symptoms were even worse, and they said that what I was describing and the timeframe was almost certainly not DCS.

The symptoms have slowly decreased in the same fashion I would expect from altitude sickness, and 36 hours after arriving home I would say I'm about 80 percent back to normal.

I travel a lot. I have never had an issue with altitude sickness returning home before, including from a diving trip. I can't find anything online about diving a lot causing altitude sickness upon a return home, but I can think of a hypothesis in that over a week I spent something like 14 hours breathing pressurized gas, which is the equivalent of being way below sea level as far as my body is concerned, so maybe the re-acclimatization is functionally greater than coming back from a sea level trip. Or more likely it's just a random thing that happens from time to time, regardless of diving.

Anyway, I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this.

 

[boulderjohn]

It could be a result of your changing personal health. In my old age, I have a much harder time returning to Colorado from sea level than I used to. If you are not in that age category, it could be due to something else in your overall health affecting your oxygen needs.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I live in the mountains, at 8400ft (2560m) above sea level.

I recently took a trip to the Red Sea with a live aboard for a week and returned home. I had waited 26 hours from my last dive (50 feet, 50 minutes, no decompression, 5 minute safety stop, Nx28 Nitrox) before I got on a plane to Italy, where I spent 14 hours in Milan, and then flew home. When I finally got home 16 hours later I felt lethargic, weak, and lightheaded, and had a slight headache. It was very similar to altitude sickness that I had felt when I went to Cuzco (11,152ft, 3399m) a few years ago, back when I lived a couple thousand feet lower in elevation. Thinking that this might be some delayed onset DCS symptoms, I called DAN the next morning when the symptoms were even worse, and they said that what I was describing and the timeframe was almost certainly not DCS.

The symptoms have slowly decreased in the same fashion I would expect from altitude sickness, and 36 hours after arriving home I would say I'm about 80 percent back to normal.

I travel a lot. I have never had an issue with altitude sickness returning home before, including from a diving trip. I can't find anything online about diving a lot causing altitude sickness upon a return home, but I can think of a hypothesis in that over a week I spent something like 14 hours breathing pressurized gas, which is the equivalent of being way below sea level as far as my body is concerned, so maybe the re-acclimatization is functionally greater than coming back from a sea level trip. Or more likely it's just a random thing that happens from time to time, regardless of diving.

Anyway, I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on this.

In addition to what @boulderjohn said, you could have picked up a respiratory infection that was subclinical but affected you enough for you to notice a change in your ability to re-acclimatize to altitude.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[tursiops]

OP, did you test for Covid?

 

[Rupert Maclanahan]

OP, did you test for Covid?

It did not occur to me to do so, as I don't any coughing, sneezing, fever or any of the other stuff I had when I have actually had COVID, but I might test myself now that you mention it.

 

[Rupert Maclanahan]

It could be a result of your changing personal health. In my old age, I have a much harder time returning to Colorado from sea level than I used to. If you are not in that age category, it could be due to something else in your overall health affecting your oxygen needs.

That's good advice, and almost certainly correct.

 

[tursiops]

It did not occur to me to do so, as I don't any coughing, sneezing, fever or any of the other stuff I had when I have actually had COVID, but I might test myself now that you mention it.

I'm asking because Egypt is where I caught it....and the time frame for symptoms to appear is about right.

 

[Zef]

Let's see if I have this correct:

You vacationed for a week in a far away land where you enjoyed diving, good food and drink, and the company of others. Upon return you experienced lethargy, headache, weakness, and lightheadedness.

Hmmm...your history/symptoms seem to align pefectly with a RETURN TO REAL LIFE!!!

The only symptoms missing are uncontrolable eye-watering and your vocal chords parasympathetically vocalizing "why" in a repetetitive manner as your eyes involuntarily gaze upwards.

Without medication your sympstoms will last about 14 days....with medication they will last about 2 weeks. But you should be aware that even when asymptomatic, you are indeed infected with it, and Life can sometimes last a long time.

For most cases, treatment is as follows:
1. Deep heavy sighs (the more audible the better)
2. 1000mg of FUKITOL taken as needed whenever symptoms are present

I wish you well and good luck. Remember, this disease won't last forever.

-Z

 

[kinoons]

Travel to 8000 ft is where mtn sickness could in theory be possible, but usually higher elevation is needed for healthy people.

Travel to High Altitudes | Travelers' Health | CDC

Travel to High Altitudes

wwwnc.cdc.gov

In NM we get a few people each summer that visit from sea level and get off the plane at a mile high and the elevation kicks their ass; however nearly all of them have underlying cardiac and resp issues to start.

I wouldn’t expect that a week at sea level would completely un-acclimate you to living at 8000ft. Instead, as noted by other posters, I’d hazard a guess that you picked up a virus of some form or another.