Mild DCS ongoing effects

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Thank you for all that info. I definitely won't be diving again, unfortunate but not worth the risk.

I've had no issues in the past I terms of bad covid or anything like that. I'm not a smoker and no inhalation of anything either.

If it is an overexpansion, is it OK to fly? Also do you think its strange that I seemed to make a full recovery and then some cardio exercise set me off or is that typical of something like over expansion?

Also, while I think overexpansion seems like a better explanation of what's going on, I'm confused as to why it seemed like I made a full recovery after the chamber and over the past few weeks. Can you shed any light on that?

Thanks again for your time replying to me about this

These are great questions. Re flying, if this was an overexpansion injury, the pressure changes involved in that are much smaller than with diving so there should be little risk with air travel, but if you are concerned, I'd recommend seeing a physician in person before you fly.

Regarding the re-injury, with no more details than 'scarring' on chest x-ray, it's hard to provide a specific answer. If you did have a lung overexpansion injury and the damaged area had not healed, it's theoretically possible that you had additional air entering the chest cavity.

It's also possible that this is muscuolskeletal or spinal in origin. That would explain the lack of response to treatment, the re-injury when the area was stressed again in a specific way, and the slow resolution of symptoms. That's not to discount the x-ray finding of lung scarring, which should definitely be explored further if you want to continue diving.

Where is home for you?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[sophieg1995]

Thank you DDM!

Interestingly since I last wrote I have moved to a city. Before I was in a remote location and I think that was having a psychological impact which was making it worse. Once I moved to the city I noticed a shift in the pain.

I flew today and thankfully all went well however I do feel the symptoms more intense again and they had calmed down a lot over the last 2 days. I'm not sure was it travel stress or the actual flight.

The other interesting thing is the variety of symptoms Ive been feeling. At times it feels like I'm 'chesty' with mucus on my chest. Then at times it feels like what I can only describe as having a stich and feeling little shoots in different parts of my body when taking a breath and then at times its a more central pain to the heart/chest area and feels like there's a weight on it. On more intense moments I feel it almost all at once.

I'm from Dublin and currently travelling South East Asia for a year, so I'm a long way from home!

My plan now is to see a pulmonologist I Manila and hopefully get some answers before travelling again next week. I'm working in staying calm and focused on getting better for the next 8 months of travel.

Hopefully I can get some clarity and report back.
Thanks again DDM

 

[sophieg1995]

In the vast majority of injuries of all kinds, the injured person gets better over time.

Duke Dive Medicine knows what he is talking about. The chances that you had decompression sickness after the dives you describe are incredibly slim. A very mild lung overexpansion injury is a better bet, but still not likely. If I were to place a bet, it would be that your symptoms had nothing to do with the dives.

Thanks for your input boulderjohn! I've been reminding myself of your first sentence a lot over the last few days after reading it. Thank you

 

[Wallowa]

Curious you said: " had DCS at the end of September this year and I went to the diving centre to do 2 hyperbaric sessions of 2.5hrs each.".

Where was the chamber, what was the pressure [schedule] of the chamber and were you on only 100% oxygen or also air in the chamber? And what exactly did the person putting you in the chamber say the hyperbaric treatment was meant to resolve?

"DCI" includes embolism/overexpansion injuries mention here, along with DCS. Were any of the doctors you were seeing trained in diving related injuries? A "diving doc" is invaluable in problem solving and diagnosing then suggesting effective treatment. Otherwise it is a crap shoot.

Sorry for your issues. DAN med gives good advice suggest you follow it.....