Possible DCS symptom?

[SlapBassist]

I was diving this past saturday in Puerto Rico and didn't do things the way I would have liked to. It turned into a reverse profile dive. I'm new to diving, so I hired a dive master to take me and my friend out. It turns out that I was the only one wearing a dive computer on the dives. The dive master was not, which seems really sketchy to me, and I'm not happy knowing this after the fact. My first dive was 59 feet for 32 minutes with a surface interval of 1 hour and 4 minutes. My second dive was a maximum of 74 feet for 36 minutes. During my 2nd dive my dive computer beeped at me and indicated that I was nearing a decompression dive. It was one of those Oceanic Veo 250 models, which has a bar from green->yellow->red. When I looked at the dive log it looks like I was at the last bar of the green, which I guess is why it beeped. In any case, I didn't really know what it meant at the time and I didn't know what to do, and neither did the dive master when I pointed it out to him. I didn't hear any beeps after this, at least none that I noticed. Right around when it beeped the dive master and I realized I was at half tank and it was time to make our way back. So we started making our way up, as slow as I was able to, trying to avoid the computer from complaining that I was going too fast (a few times I had to slow down, but I never heard any beeps for overdoing it). I did my safety stop according to the computer at 20-15 feet and then headed up. That last dive ended at 12:30 pm.

To be on the safe side, I decided to call Dan about my dive profile and my computer complaining to me and the medic on call told me he didn't think there was anything overly dangerous here and he didn't think I had anything to worry about.

I did not feel anything wrong with me the entire day (Saturday). My friend and I drove through mountain valleys in Puerto Rico to get to another city. I don't think the elevation got anywhere over 300-400 feet during the drive. On Sunday, I went to visit a mountain that was at 1000 feet, which is when I felt a little odd in my head, like woozy. Since it had been 24 hours since my dives the day before, I didn't think 1000 feet would be a problem, since in theory I was over my dive computer's no fly requirement etc. Today, which is now Monday, the time of this post, the weirdness in my head has gone away, but I woke up with pain in my right knee. It was kind of out of the blue. It's been bothering me throughout the day etc. I called up dan again and spoke to an actual dive doctor and explained to him my symptoms, my profile, etc. He said nothing's 100%, but that it didn't seem like my knee pain is related to the dives considering it came about 48 hours after my last dive. I was to fly out of Puerto Rico today and asked him if it was ok to do so, so he gave me the go ahead as he didn't think I had DCS or that there was enough nitrogen to cause problems in my body. On the flight, I did not experience any other symptoms other than the knee pain. I'm still dealing with the knee pain tonight though while at home. Some positions I feel pain, some I don't. When I was at the airport and walking on it, it hurt a lot, but now it's not painful when I walk on my knee, just in certain positions. The knee pain wasn't any greater or worse on the plane ride home.

Ok, so that was a mouthful. I'm here to get a second opinion on everything that occurred. Thoughts on the dive profiles. Thoughts on the dive master (do they deserve a bad trip advisor review for the reverse dive profiles, for no dive computer, for not really ensuring that I was safe)? . Do I possibly have DCS?

 

[clownfishsydney]

Dive profile not that bad, a minor reverse profile is nothing to worry about. The first dive was well within all deco limits for 60 foot dives, hard to tell about the second one without knowing the profile. I would agree that it seems unlikely that you have DCS.

Finally, I cannot believe that a dive guide/dive master would take you on a dive and not have a computer. Amazing.

 

[Nirvana]

For someone to accurately judge how risky the profiles mentioned were, more details about it would be needed. That said, the maximum depths and total times you posted and the alarms the computer gave you do not seem worrisome. In addition, the pain resulting from DCS does not tend to be alleviated by change of posture (though I must say I am not a doctor and could not possibly diagnose you).

I would recommend you to seek an orthopedist to investigate your knee further.

About the dive masters on the trip, they should be using at least a bottom timer and depth gauge. On the issue of reverse profile, the last I remember reading on the subject, there was no evidence pointing towards it being more unsafe than a "normal" (deeper diver first) profile).

 

[DocVikingo]

In addition, the pain resulting from DCS does not tend to be alleviated by change of posture (though I must say I am not a doctor and could not possibly diagnose you).

Hi Nirvana,

You are correct. DCS-related pain is usually constant & only rarely alters with movement. OTOH, pain from over-worked or injured muscles or joints often lessens or disappears with appropriate positioning, such as upper extremity pain decreasing when the arms are rested on a table or the like.

Regards,

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

 

[Agility]

The whole story does not sound like DCS to me, but if you are unsure you should contact your doctor soon.

AFAIK the Veo can beep for a number of reasons e.g. depth, ascent rate, total dive time, NDL, or even when the countdown for a deep stop or the safety stop is automatically started. IMHO you should read the manual back to back with the computer in your hand and have a look at all the settings offered.

 

[DocVikingo]

...[48 hrs after the last dive] I woke up with pain in my right knee. It was kind of out of the blue. It's been bothering me throughout the day etc. On the flight, I did not experience any other symptoms other than the knee pain. I'm still dealing with the knee pain tonight though while at home. Some positions I feel pain, some I don't. When I was at the airport and walking on it, it hurt a lot, but now it's not painful when I walk on my knee, just in certain positions....Do I possibly have DCS?

Hi SlapBassist,

While not impossible, based on your descriptions to date DCS appears highly unlikely.

That the DAN medics indicated that they didn't think there was anything overly dangerous was going on & didn't think you had anything to worry about should be considerably reassuring.

Regards,

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.