Tingling fingers 40 hours after last dive

[boulderjohn]

My point was more that people usually try and convince themselves that it's definitely not DCS even though the symptoms appeared after diving. It's not going to hurt anything to take some aspirin, drink some water and breathe O-2 for a while.

From Medscape:

Aspirin: Aspirin blocks prostaglandin synthetase action, inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and preventing the formation of platelet-aggregating thromboxane A2. Its mechanism of action in the treatment of DCS unclear. It has been suggested that aspirin could do harm; therefore, it is no longer recommended for routine use in DCS.​

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From DAN

In some hyperbaric treatment facilities, aspirin is prescribed as an adjunct to hyperbaric therapy based on the hypothesis that it will “thin” the blood and increase offgassing, thus increasing the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).4 Although this sounds prudent, the evidence supporting its prescription is controversial; what are needed next are randomized clinical trials in which some patients receive aspirin and others do not. Until then we will not know for sure if aspirin is beneficial in HBOT.​

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[DreadnoughtNH]

Wow, look at all the armchair MDs!

I'm sorry to be blunt, but seeking medical advice from a forum -- however, well-intentioned the advice or seemingly minor the affliction -- is foolishness.

Please go visit an actual medical professional.

 

[billgraham]

One time, I was diving with a scooter that didn't want to go right, and I was muscling it around turns in the cave. When I got out, my index finger on my right hand didn't want to straighten out. Dove the following day and it resolved. Was it a DCS injury or did I just strain it? I'm not sure, but it happened after diving. Another time, I had a DSLR in a heavy housing with strobes and arms and I was diving with a CCR off a boat in Catalina, shooting in the kelp. I got back to the boat and everyone was asleep, so I waited for a large swell and muscled the camera up onto the swim platform like I was dunking a basketball. I ended up with some kind of tennis elbow thing that lingered for weeks. DCS injury? Hard to say. Both of those occurred when I had an O-2 bottle with a reg on it handy so I just stuck it in my mouth for a 1/2 hour, drank water and took aspirin as a precaution. Lots of things can cause you to sprain a finger or get tennis elbow, it's true.

 

[L13]

One time, I was diving with a scooter that didn't want to go right, and I was muscling it around turns in the cave. When I got out, my index finger on my right hand didn't want to straighten out. Dove the following day and it resolved. Was it a DCS injury or did I just strain it? I'm not sure, but it happened after diving. Another time, I had a DSLR in a heavy housing with strobes and arms and I was diving with a CCR off a boat in Catalina, shooting in the kelp. I got back to the boat and everyone was asleep, so I waited for a large swell and muscled the camera up onto the swim platform like I was dunking a basketball. I ended up with some kind of tennis elbow thing that lingered for weeks. DCS injury? Hard to say. Both of those occurred when I had an O-2 bottle with a reg on it handy so I just stuck it in my mouth for a 1/2 hour, drank water and took aspirin as a precaution. Lots of things can cause you to sprain a finger or get tennis elbow, it's true.

So, both occurred immediately after surfacing, not hours later as in OP's case.

Why 1/2 an hour on O2? in neither case did your symptoms resolve before you stopped the O2. Why didn't you stop earlier or later? Are you under the (mistaken) belief that 1/2 hour of O2 is the magic amount of O2 to resolve DCS? What is the magic amount of water? Is it the same magic amount when symptoms start 40 hours later?

See DAN for recommendations about aspirin. You might learn something.

 

[Nedster]

I'm curious to know what the outcome of this was? Did you go and seek medical advice?

 

[billgraham]

So, both occurred immediately after surfacing, not hours later as in OP's case.

Why 1/2 an hour on O2? in neither case did your symptoms resolve before you stopped the O2. Why didn't you stop earlier or later? Are you under the (mistaken) belief that 1/2 hour of O2 is the magic amount of O2 to resolve DCS? What is the magic amount of water? Is it the same magic amount when symptoms start 40 hours later?

See DAN for recommendations about aspirin. You might learn something.

Dude, don't drink water, breathe O-2 or take aspirin, I don't care.

 

[midlifewoman]

Tingling in the thumb, index, and middle finger can indicate median nerve compression. Tingling in ring finger and pinky may indicate ulnar nerve compression.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (median nerve compression) can be exacerbated by activities involved with diving... handling tanks and lugging gear etc..

Median nerve can also be compressed in brachial plexus or cervical vertebrae.

Ulnar nerve compression happens commonly at the elbow (bent position... can even happen from reading books in bed or being on phone...) also may happen in other anatomical areas.

Just adding some info, physician advice is wise if it persists.

 

[midlifewoman]

FWIW, carpal tunnel often presents worse in the morning due to sleeping with wrists in flexion. A quick test can be sleeping with a splint on to keep wrist neutral... it relieves compression on the nerve. If you wake up with no tingling, good indication that it's median nerve involvement.

 

[BoltSnap]

FWIW, carpal tunnel often presents worse in the morning due to sleeping with wrists in flexion. A quick test can be sleeping with a splint on to keep wrist neutral... it relieves compression on the nerve. If you wake up with no tingling, good indication that it's median nerve involvement.

Are you a physician?

 

[boulderjohn]

Are you a physician?

Anyone who has gone through the entire carpal tunnel route knows this and more. I have certainly been there--twice. I don't think this needs to turn into a carpal tunnel thread unless the OP thinks it is a possibility.