Panicked, afraid it will happen again

[Bob DBF]

I tried to swallow and couldn't. I felt like I was choking that is when things started moving really fast

And thanks to @KathyV for the flashback, that's how acid reflux hit me the first time, but on dry land. Because I have asthma and diving for ages, I checked to see how my breathing was rather than how it seemed and realized my breathing was ok although my throat felt closed tight. Saw a doc and I've been good to go for some time now.

Being in flat trim or head down can make it worse, or cause the event.

See a doc, if this isn't the issue, your body could be telling you about something else.


Then address the panic response, it could kill you.



Bob

 

[dsp]

although 70ft is probably not deep enough, always be on the lookout for symptoms of narcosis. Specially if you had built up co2 before, lifting equipment or stressing out and then you did a rapid descent, it could well be mild narcosis that is giving you this uncomfortable feeling. when stuff doesn't feel right underwater on open circuit, if possible try to ascend a bit and reevaluate your situation. i would suggest in the future visualizing this before the dive so you develop a reflex to count the problem if you ever face it again.

 

[abnfrog]

you might be a co2 retainer ...I am so I watch how fast I hit bottom , co2 can make anxious which can lead to panic if you don't get a hold of it .. I strive for about 40 -50 ftpm descent

 

[Matinee]

It sounds like a panic attack, which actually could be triggered by a dry mouth if your brain is confused. this is often how panic attack start. Brain reads body symptom (dry mouth, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath) that has some random non-pathological cause. But brain is being reactive and says OMG - symptom is what i feel when I'm scared! Therefore I am scared - and induces the fear/panic response.

I had this start to happen to me when I was heavily pregnant and walking upstairs. "why am i short of breath... omg what's happening... wait I'm pregnant, this is expected, calm down brain". Your brain interprets changes and over-reacts.

I think a lot of the advice above to start slow with easy dives is great. Retrain your body to be cool with diving, and when you feel panic come on (diving, or everyday) STOP and assess. Think. Is that symptom really informative? Or is your brain just taking things to the wrong conclusion.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Get checked for GERD

 

[drbill]

Several years ago I had descended to about 80 fsw but had not carried my pony bottle as I had planned to go only to 40 fsw... until a bat ray lured me deeper. Once I hit depth I wasn't getting any air out of my tank and did an emergency ascent. At first I thought the fill station hadn't filled my tank, but then I remembered checking my SPG and the tank was full as I entered. Turned out the dip or debris tube had a particle fall right into it as I descended head first and that cut off my air supply.

For several months after that I felt anxious as I descended on a dive, but fortunately once at depth everything settled down. That anxiety can certainly limit one's diving pleasure! Fortunately after a few months it went away.

 

[MAGELLAN]

I believe this happened to my wife, it's been difficult to figure out exactly what happened, so we've been at a loss as to figure out how to proceed.

On a trip to Cozumel a year and half ago she had 3-4 instances of losing her cool, but it all was really about not understanding what happened the first time. Keep in mind we easily have 600-800 dives over almost 20 years. DM's forgot to change her tank, and since she never finishes a tank, it lasted for about 20 minutes when she finally looked at her gauge (terrible habit for her, because it's never an issue), and only had about 300# left. Fortunately, we were only in about 50' of water, but typical Cozumel current. She got my attention, and I tried to give her my spare reg - something she probably hadn't done in 10 years... But when she took the reg, she indicated she couldn't get a breath, so she took back her reg and started for the surface. The whole time I could see pulses of "exhaled?" air, so I didn't understand what was happening. We met at the surface and she said she couldn't breath, that her throat had closed on her. So we examined our gear, thought maybe she accidentally inhaled some seawater, etc. But we kept diving. Once more on the trip she bolted for the surface believing she couldn't breath, and on a few other dives she struggled not to panic and bolt - even though she was able to breath, she kept feeling her throat close. It didn't help that we did Devil's throat a few days later and she had ear issues, and on the dive right after my HP hose to the gas gauge popped (something I knew needed to be replaced but pushed - bad idea). She's been fearless since I've known her, but I do tend to push things more than she's often comfortable with.

All told, we think her anxiety levels rose along with some underlying health issues related to Lyme (whole 'nother topic...) - like dry mouth. Since then we've only been to Bonnaire, so we could control the dives, avoid heavy currents, etc. She did OK, but did have to turn around early a few times, and we didn't go past 50' (most the time). It's hard to know how to proceed, but we think that it will need to be baby steps in order for her to regain confidence and subdue the lizard brain, we both love diving so much it's hard to fathom not being able to go anymore. After that trip I did by the Bio-filter for her, but we haven't had a chance to use it. Would love to hear thoughts.

 

[scubadada]

So, you should always look at your SPG before you splash, and take several breaths off it to make sure the valve is open, right?

 

[Angelo Farina]

Wow. I am having trouble understanding why a dry mouth sent you into full panic mode.

In my experience, dry mouth is the effect, not the cause. I never experienced it underwater, but I often experienced this when under exam at the University. The examiner has just made me a difficult question, which I was not sure of being able to answer, and the mouth feels instantaneously dry, to the point that you gasp and have problem talking normally.
So the OP should investigate what caused the anxiety. Keeping the mouth wet is not the solution, it just alleviates the symptom of anxiety, but the problem, in my opinion, is elsewhere.

 

[Wathdoc]

It was panic, panic is rapid onset of terror with an overwhelming need to flee the stressful event. The fact that you pulled the regulator out of your mouth is typical of how people react when in the midst of an attack. Panic can be spontaneous, but I suspect that you had anxiety before going in, rapidly developed anxious thoughts and the autonomic system kicked in with dry mouth , hyperventilation and so on. As others have said easy dives, berhaps in a pool to begin with. Are you anxious now as you approach kit? If you are try just staying by it until the anxiety fades. If you do and develop another true panic to close to the other one you may massively reinforce it, producing potentially a phobia.
Try to look at why you went into scuba in the first place, were you eager, or with someone who wanted to do it and you were reluctant?