headache and miserable 1st dives

[loudgonzo]

I just did my first "real" dives outside of OW cert. and am sad to say I had a miserable 1st experience. I had planned 2 am dives and 2 pm dives, the first time out was a wall dive planned to 80ft. Once in the water, everything was great, we made our descent and followed the guide along the wall at about 75 ft. I was mostly focused staying close to my buddy and not on the wall, I was trying to stay close behind him and at the same depth.
After about the 1/2 way mark, I noticed I started to get a headache, but paid little attention to it, thinking it was mostly just me focusing too hard on the dive. Coming up to our safety stop, it was worse, and by the time we were back on the boat, my head was about to explode. I sat out the 2nd dive. We went back to the docks, had lunch and after a while, the headache was mostly gone.
I went back on another boat for the pm dives and I was feeling a lot better, no headache. The first dive was another wall to 80ft, and exact same situation as the first dive, after a little while in the water, I started to get a headache and at the safety stop, I couldn't wait to get on the boat, the waters were rough and I was about 5 in line to get on the boat, I threw up twice in the water and then again once I was on the boat. I sat out the second pm dive and was feeling miserable.
Right now I'm at the airport waiting to go back home and was searching for "headache" and "naseua" and found some old threads describing CO2 effects. I'm thinking back and I don't recall taking shallow breaths. I remember being calm and controlled, I do remember being intently focused on my buddy on both dives. I might have not been breathing properly, and not know it. I do remember taking a few very deep breaths, when you get the feeling that you need to fill your lungs with air quickly, like a yawn.
All in all, I had a miserable first ocean experience. Only 2 dives of 4 planned, vomiting, massive headaches, and I did not enjoy the underwater scenery. The boat captain said not to be discouraged, it happens to everyone, and that it would only get better. My next dive is in 2 weeks in Key Largo, and I will take any advise I can get.
Thank you in advance!

 

[RonFrank]

Wow, bummer.

From DAN here are a list of causes for headaches from/while diving:

* Anxiety / Tension
* Sinus or Ear Barotrauma
* Sinus and Ear Infections
* Cold
* Saltwater Aspiration
* Mask Squeeze
* Temporomandibular Joint Pain (TMJ)
* Dental Problems
* Gas Toxicity (especially high CO2)
* Decompression Illness
* Migraine
* Hyperextension of the Neck
* Cervical Spondylosis
* Caffeine and Other Drugs

Here are a few links that discuss diving headaches:

http://scuba.about.com/cs/medicine/a/divingheadaches.htm

http://scuba-doc.com/headache.html

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=61

Don't give up yet, but you would be well advised to read up on the subject, and maybe see a doctor to attempt to determine what is up!

Did you get headaches while doing your OW certification? Maybe it is depth related? You are breathing higher concentrations of Nitrogen when you are deeper.

When diving in FL, maybe do a couple dives on the shallow reefs, and see if the problem reoccurs. Pay close attention to your breathing, and make sure you are takings steady deep breaths.

 

[fisherdvm]

I would say, don't dive again until you are evaluate by a good physician. Either a neurologist or a respected dive medicine physician.

 

[Warren_L]

Headaches are not that uncommon amongst divers. I get them once in a while too, but a lot of the time, the culprit is CO2 retention. I find most often when I get headaches, it happens when I have been working hard on the dive - as often happens in a strong current. This can promote some CO2 retention.

I would perhaps try to keep your diving to some shallower depths. 80 ft for your first dive out of OW class might be a bit much. Once you get more comfortable and your skills improve, you may not experience these headaches as easily, then move onto more challenging dives.

The other possibility is the presence of contaminants in your breathing gas. If there was a funny smell or taste to your gas, this would certainly indicate a problem in this regard. I would say this wouldn't be very likely, and if you continued to experience the headaches on subsequent dives with different air sources, then rule this out.

 

[fisherdvm]

Since this is only your first few dives (outside OW), and since you've never dove deeper than 60 ft in OW, I would approach any more diving with extreme caution. If you did not have a good physical exam done before your diving, now is the time. If everything is fine on your physical, I would still don't recommend diving until you are cleared by a neurologist.

 

[ianr33]

Were you using rental regs? If they were badly serviced and had a high Work of Breathing that could cause CO2 retention and the headaches.

Could also just be dehydration. Flying,lack of sleep and sun is a bad combination.

 

[Damselfish]

You say you're at the airport, does that mean you flew someplace for one day of diving?

I suspect part of the problem is you were stressed out about the whole thing. (Good chance you were breathing shallow sometimes and didn't realize it, or maybe it was a tension headache.) 4 dives is a lot of dives to try and cram in on your very first day of diving on your own. 80ft is too deep to be doing your first dives to. Had you been diving from a boat before? That would be another new thing. And you said it's your first ocean dives, and it was rough. Just too much new stuff at once, and pressure on yourself to cram it all in.

 

[Kingpatzer]

I'm wondering about the depth.

My cert agency (PADI) states that the limit for OW only certified divers should be 60 ft. You're going to 80 right out of the gate?

That seems to me to be pushing it a bit. I really am new to this and probably don't know enough to even be posting, but for me personally, I know that I don't know enough or have enough experience to be going that deep.

Maybe your headaches are just a result of pushing your body past your experience limits?

 

[loudgonzo]

Thanks to all for quick replies...yes I'm at the airport now, I'm in Nassau for business, but I did my dives on Sunday. I do agree that planning 80ft was pushing it, but I did agree with my buddy that I was to signal him if I got uncomfortable, dizzy or anything, then we would go to 40ft, and if needed, to the surface. I was comfortable at 75-80 ft, no stress, no anxiety, it was during the last half of the dives when the headaches started. I did a general physical about 4-5 months ago. All OK.

I will not plan on going deeper than 50 ft during my next dives, and focus more on my breathing and see if there is any change. I did not get any headaches during OW, but the deepest we went there was 30 ft. I feel completely comfortable in the water, but will still limit my depths in the Keys.

The boat captain did tell me that if I forget anything about this trip, then to remember the word "dramamine".

 

[Scubakevdm]

CO2 is sometimes the problem, but one thing you may want to check out that I see often with newer divers is how tightly you've adjusted your mask strap. Your mask should lay pretty comfortably on your face. Often, with some of the less expensive masks, they have to really crank them down to keep the water out. I have found that this gives me a very painful headache every time.