Question Chest pain at depth?

[freeflowigb]

Hi all,

I recently got my sidemount cert and the following day celebrated it with 3 amazing dives to 40-44 meters, in total of 5 hours of diving.
Everything went amazing, I had zero issues with the gear or narcosis, but I noticed something weird.
On every single dive as I approached 40 meters I'd get a noticeable and painful squeeze in my chest. I was wearing a rash guard under my neoprene hoodie, so wetsuit compression is not an option. This alerted me and I decided to turn back, and at around 30 meters it was gone and I was able to proceed. However, on the consecutive dives it still returned. I don't have blood pressure issues, or any heart problems I am aware of. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

 

[BoltSnap]

What regulators were you using and when was the last time you had them serviced? Were you using one of them specifically when this happened or did it happen with both regs.?

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi all,

I recently got my sidemount cert and the following day celebrated it with 3 amazing dives to 40-44 meters, in total of 5 hours of diving.
Everything went amazing, I had zero issues with the gear or narcosis, but I noticed something weird.
On every single dive as I approached 40 meters I'd get a noticeable and painful squeeze in my chest. I was wearing a rash guard under my neoprene hoodie, so wetsuit compression is not an option. This alerted me and I decided to turn back, and at around 30 meters it was gone and I was able to proceed. However, on the consecutive dives it still returned. I don't have blood pressure issues, or any heart problems I am aware of. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Can you describe exactly where the pain was and exactly what you were doing when it happened? Were you exerting yourself? You said it was relieved by ascending; did anything else go along with the ascent, like a decrease in activity?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[John C. Ratliff]

It might be helpful for DDM to know whether you were diving air or nitrox too?

SeaRat

 

[ps444mike]

so after the first dive you had chest pain but still kept diving.. where were you getting your tanks topped off.. were others having chest pains ?

 

[Imla]

What kind of pain? Burning? Hugging? Stinging? Trouble breathing? Where in the chest? Left? Right? Center? Front? Back?
I was thinking heartburn.... I dont know how your trim was in BM. But people are often very flat in SM.
So... food/stomach/eosophagus reflux related?
Disclaimer: SEE A PROPER DOC. I am not a doc, and I only pose questions that can help the proper doc find his way....

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

What kind of pain? Burning? Hugging? Stinging? Trouble breathing? Where in the chest? Left? Right? Center? Front? Back?
I was thinking heartburn.... I dont know how your trim was in BM. But people are often very flat in SM.
So... food/stomach/eosophagus reflux related?
Disclaimer: SEE A PROPER DOC. I am not a doc, and I only pose questions that can help the proper doc find his way....

I was wondering about the same thing, especially if the OP was descending in a head-up position.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[freeflowigb]

What regulators were you using and when was the last time you had them serviced? Were you using one of them specifically when this happened or did it happen with both regs.?

I used newly purchased ScubaPro g260 with MK11

 

[freeflowigb]

Can you describe exactly where the pain was and exactly what you were doing when it happened? Were you exerting yourself? You said it was relieved by ascending; did anything else go along with the ascent, like a decrease in activity?

Best regards,
DDM

it was right in the area where the heart is, and it felt like a sudden sharp squeeze that lasted for a while. I was going with the current at that moment, just frog kicking down the slope, and my breathing rate was normal. The ascent was just kicking uphill, so it was more strenuous as the current was going sideways in the direction of the deeper waters.

 

[freeflowigb]

It might be helpful for DDM to know whether you were diving air or nitrox too?

SeaRat

That was my first guess, I thought at that moment they messed up my tanks and gave me nitrox instead of air. they usually have 32%, so at 45 meters that could have been a problem. But it was air.