Nitrox Reaction

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Aquawoman

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I have a problem and am wondering if anyone else has had this reaction to Nitrox. I have been diving 12 years and have around 500 dives. A few years ago I decided to get certified to use Nitrox. When I did the required 4 dives using Nitrox, I developed a bad headache towards the end of every dive. I decided to go back to using Air and did not have anymore problems with headaches. I again had a problem with Nitrox when on a liveaboard they inadvertantly filled my tank with Nitrox. After two dives of getting bad headaches, nausea and vomiting at the end of the dive, I noticed they were filling my tank from the Nitrox whip instead of the Air whip. They replaced my tank with one containing Air and made sure they only filled it from the Air whip the rest of the week...I had NO PROBLEMS the rest of the time. I continued diving different places and had no problems until I did another liveaboard. I chose an Air tank for my first dive and also checked it with an analyzer to be sure it registered Air. Well, towards the end of my first dive I started getting a severe headache. I surfaced and went to my room where I became very sick with a severe headache, vomiting and profuse sweating. I felt like I might die! My husband double checked my tank and it registered 21.9% (air).
We found out they had two compressors (one for air and one for Nitrox) but they fill the tanks from the same whip. The captain decided to wash my tank out and fill it directly from the Air compressor after flushing all Nitrox from the whip. The rest of the week I had no problems. Each episode has gotten worse...this last one was very frightening! I have written and received responses from several physicians in the dive world. The general feeling is I have some allergy to an oil or cleaning agent used in the Nitrox compressor. I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this reaction. I can't be the only one in the world with this problem! It has made diving on liveaboards that use the one whip system a pain in the butt...they have to clean and fill a tank special for me, but it is the only way I can dive with them. Has anyone else had this experience?
 
Can't help with your problem, but I would be concerned about diving with an op that would fill my tank with nitrox and not label the tank with the mixture. Could have been a problem if you had exceeded the MOD while you thought you were diving air. Just something to think about.

Oil from the compressor? If you only had the problem on the liveaboard (same compressor)... maybe. But you had the same problem previously at a different location?

I know that a lack of oxygen can cause headaches (ie. altitude sickness), but higher levels?

Hmmm... the doctor(s) should be in shortly.
 
I was concerned and contacted the people who ran the liveaboard. After my episode, they changed the way they filled the tanks...good thing! They were using a weird system...not on the color of the tank, but where it was stationed on the boat. My husband and I changed spots (he used Nitrox). They did not tell us about their system until after my episode..oops!! After that, they color coded their tanks!

Apparently, with what I learned from others, the Nitrox compressors have to use special O2 lubricants and filters that are not used in regular air compressors.
 
Aquawoman once bubbled...
Apparently, with what I learned from others, the Nitrox compressors have to use special O2 lubricants and filters that are not used in regular air compressors.
Click to expand...

Yes, certain systems of blending nitrox require a different type of compressor oil, and if is possible that someone could have a reaction to miniscule traces of these lubricants.

To test the theory, I would find a shop that pumps nitrox from a membrane system to a bank, and then fills from the bank. In such a system, they need not use a different lubricant, nor treat the tank any differently than air as no part of the system ever exceeds 40% O2.

One place I know of that has this system in place is Pure Air in Grand Cayman. Tell your husband that it is time for a little research work on this issue, and come on down. ;)

I'm not a doctor, and I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
 
Another thought I received from the "experts" was I could be sensitive to the membranes (latex allergy?). The last liveaboard we were on in Truk said they used different lubricants in their Nitrox compressors than their air compressors. I had no problem when my tank was filled directly from the air compressor and bypassed the Nitrox compressor. I am afraid to "experiment" at all with Nitrox!! My last episode out in Truk was so severe, my husband, who is a physician, was very concerned. It seems with each exposure the symptoms have gotten worse. We are going to Fiji next month on another liveaboard. They have the same system as the one in Truk. They will have to clean my tank and fill it directly from the air compressor....I know it is a pain, but I am afraid of what will happen the next time I am exposed to whatever it is I am sensitive to. My husband is going to bring along medicine for an allergic reaction..."just in case."

We love the Caymans and have been there many times. We especially like the North Wall and Little Cayman. We have not returned for a few years. Seven years ago we discovered liveaboard diving and have been doing a lot of that instead of landbased. We have a friend that wants to learn to dive. We have talked about going back to Cayman for his check out dives...

Thanks for your input!
 
Dear Aquawoman

Finally someone else who has the same problem!! I qualified with Nitrox several years ago and even when training I was suffering terrible headaches. The following trip was to Cocos and I suffered terribly! To the point that I havent dived since! Noone has ever been able to come up with a possible reason simply suggesting that I was hyperventilating, dehydrated or ascended too fast. Some people have suggested that it could be a problem with the aluminum cylinders, in the UK we still use steel and havent had a problem with them. But I can't recall ever using alu with air or nitrox on steel, but expect in the US you mostly use alu?

Will keep an eye on your post and see if anything else comes to light, but at least we're not alone anymore and feel I'm not doing something wrong!

Chris, London UK
 
I use the same oil in my nitrox compressor as the air compressor (Chemlube 800). It would be interesting to test whether you got sick from my air. i.e. it's a reaction to the oil, or it is a reaction to the membrane....
 
Wookie:
I use the same oil in my nitrox compressor as the air compressor (Chemlube 800). It would be interesting to test whether you got sick from my air. i.e. it's a reaction to the oil, or it is a reaction to the membrane....
Click to expand...


Hi Wookie

Thanks for your comment, this would be interesting to check out. Its winter in the UK now so the diving season is over, come summertime next year I will be back in the water!!

Regards

Chris
 
Lee Taylor:
Pressure in the sinuses can cause sever headaches. Pressure in the sinuses above the eyes can make your head feel like it is going to explode.
Click to expand...

I have experienced sinus squeeze and this headache is quite different, thanks for your suggestion.

Regards

Chris
 
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