Does Guinness contribute to DCS?

[serambin]

Nitrogen in your GI tract (even in solution) is not going to be absorbed into your circulation nearly as well as Nitrogen in your lungs, and you're getting exposed to PLENTY of that post-dive with each breath you take. You also likely have plenty of air in your esophagus and stomach anyway. Most burps consist primarily of air that's been swallowed rather than other gases generated in or released by the GI tract.*

As long as you can find alcohol-free Guinness, go for it. If not, wait as others have suggested.

*For the curious (such as my 12 y/o), farts usually consists primarily of nitrogen from swallowed air and CO2 produced within the GI tract. This underscores that nitrogen absorption from the GI tract is quite poor. In 2/3 of humans they rarely contain significant amounts of methane. Finally, there is no good word for a fart in English other than fart. Flatus is the name of the gas mixture itself, whether it's in GI tract waiting to leave or wafting about your office. Go ahead and call it a fart. As Ben Franklin wrote, "Fart Proudly!"

Yeah! What about it.

 

[mstevens]

As long as you are doing safe dives within limits and hydrating properly, having a couple of pints after diving is fine.

Can you provide some evidence for this claim?

 

[Flatliner]

I am not a medical professional, I just play one at work. I would suggest that the suggestion to abstain for 2 days is a bit extreme. Drinking to excess after diving would definately be a mistake though.

If you are going to drink a pint or two I would humbly suggest that you drink 2 to 4 pints of water at the same time.

Flatliner
aka Robert

 

[jbichsel]

While I will definitely hold my own with the best of them when it comes to downing Guiness, I make no claims as to being an expert on alcohol consumption after diving.

That said however, there is still much we do not understand regarding the interaction between nitrogen absorption and alcohol consumption.

As stated by Don Wray above, alcohol consumption can mask signs of DCS.

My own personal choice is not to consume any alcohol for 24-hours before and after diving.

Kind od that "better safe than sorry" thing.

 

[Stogie8]

I am sure all of the abstainers above are correct, however there is nothing like a little "Vitamin G" back at the dock after a dive.....I have never worried about a pint or two after a dive and fortunately never had a problem.

Cheers!

 

[NadMat]

If you ascend to quickly and blow safety stop in rush to have one

But I am never in a hurry to leave water

But when gear secure at end of dive day, then is time for some adult beverages in moderation, and of course plenty of H2O to offset dehydration.

This has been my practice for many years, and has never caused me any problems.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Can you provide some evidence for this claim?

No, just experience and the people I dive with have been doing it for a long time. Of course I could have worded it better by including "should" be fine. I would be much more worried about divers driving home after a couple though. There are people who get hit in 60' of water sometimes for no apparent reason. I'm not going to be worried about a minute statistical number, if there even is one.

As a physician, do you know of cases where a couple of beers after diving has directly or even remotely contributed to DCS?

 

[DeepBound]

As long as you are doing safe dives within limits and hydrating properly, having a couple of pints after diving is fine.

YEEEEE HAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :light:

 

[pakman]

OK now that we got that settled, who's buying the next round?

 

[letterboy]

Can you provide some evidence for this claim?

I can, I am not dead and I drink after dives. . . As does just about everyone else at my LDS. . . and if I am not mistaken we are all still alive. . .and haven't gotten DCS yet. . .