Unpleasant Experience

[c-dog]

What the heck, I guess I'll share an experience that has concerned me for a while.

While diving on a wreck in about 130 foot of water with NITROX 30% I started to feel as if I was going to pass out. The current was strong and I had to swim pretty hard for a few moments. I felt a sensation through my whole body and could feel my heart beat. I felt slightly starved for air and adjusted my second stage a bit. After a few minutes of feeling like I was going to pass out and die, I acsended to about 70 feet. I hung on the anchor line for a minute or two and the feeling went away. For some reason (Yes, I know this was stupid) I went back down to the bottom. Immeadiately the feeling returned. This time I ascended and got back on the boat. During the safety stop I felt as if I was sweating in my wet suit. The water was about 80F and I had a 3mm on, no gloves or hood.

Back on the boat I felt light headed and clumsy. After about 2 hours I still didn't feel right so I sat out the second dive. In hind sight this was obviously the right choice but at the time it was a difficult desicion. (I invested a siginificant amount of time and money on the trip)

It was very rough that day and I might have been slightly sea sick. I didn't puke or come close to puking. After sleeping the whole ride back I felt fine. After taking several months off, I have been back diving a bunch with no problems. I've even returned to the same site. I still do not understand what was wroung with me on that dive

I had performed many similar dives, and conditions that day were fantastic, so I do not think I was nervous or stressed out. And I typically do not have any significant problems with narcosis. It was my first dive that week and I was well within the no deco limits. I'm young and I wasn't exerting myself that hard so I do not think I was having a heart attack.

My max depth was 128 feet. Maybe I pushed the PO2 too far? Was it a C02 build up?
Did I get a bad tank fill? Anybody ever have a similar experience or think they can shed some light on the situtation?

(Is there a Spell Check on this board?)

Thanks

 

[Rick Inman]

(Is there a Spell Check on this board?)

Thanks

www.iespell.com

 

[Uncle Pug]

dark narc <- CO2

 

[Foo]

C-dog,

First of all, welcome to Scubaboard! I'm not able to answer your question, but one of the things that I was wondering, while reading your post, was how long you were that deep before the sensations began? I would think that would be important info for someone who has more technical knowledge than I have (I have very little.) And, did you go see a dr., or call DAN about your experience? I'm thinking I would have been pretty freaked out if I felt like that, especially the heart-pounding part. Or did you immediately feel better after the ride, never felt strange at all?

Foo

 

[redacted]

dark narc <- CO2

I'm really hoping you're planning on expanding on this a bit.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Just my guess: build up of CO2 caused a *dark narc*... not the warm fuzzy of nitrogen narcosis. High CO2 level produces a sense of impending doom/anxiety and SOB.

Supposedly CO2 is much more narcotic than nitrogen and on top of that high levels of CO2 exacerbate the narcotic effect of nitrogen itself.

The narcotic effect coupled with the other effects of CO2 retention produces what I call a dark narc.

The current was strong and I had to swim pretty hard for a few moments. CO2 build up.

I felt slightly starved for air SOB

like I was going to pass out and die impending doom/anxiety

I acsended to about 70 feet. I hung on the anchor line for a minute or two and the feeling went away narcosis

 

[c-dog]

Foo-I was at depth for about two minutes before I noticed the problem. I did see a doctor but he didn't know much about diving and wasn't very helpful. I never contacted DAN but that is a good idea.

Yes, I felt fine later that day and haven't experienced anything like that since. It definately freaked me out. I took several months off of diving.

I never had any problems before, and I had done many similar dives before this one.
The dark-narc sounds reasonable. I am curious if anyone else has experienced something similar.

 

[H2Andy]

While diving on a wreck in about 130 foot of water with NITROX 30% I started to feel as if I was going to pass out.

wow... you know that if you were in 130 feet of water with N30 you were over the
1.4 ata that is recomended for the "active" part of the dive? (not by much, true...
about 1.48)

but nevertheless, O2 toxicity is a concern here. just wanted to point this out

 

[zboss]

Just my guess: build up of CO2 caused a *dark narc*... not the warm fuzzy of nitrogen narcosis. High CO2 level produces a sense of impending doom/anxiety and SOB.

Supposedly CO2 is much more narcotic than nitrogen and on top of that high levels of CO2 exacerbate the narcotic effect of nitrogen itself.

The narcotic effect coupled with the other effects of CO2 retention produces what I call a dark narc.

The current was strong and I had to swim pretty hard for a few moments. CO2 build up.

I felt slightly starved for air SOB

like I was going to pass out and die impending doom/anxiety

I acsended to about 70 feet. I hung on the anchor line for a minute or two and the feeling went away narcosis

I definately agree with Pug... this is CO2 buildup all the way.

 

[redacted]

Thanks UP. I didn't realize CO2 also has a narcotic effect. I know I have overexerted myself before and had similar effects. I knew it was the CO2 loading and, for me, the cure is stop all unnecessary activity and "catch my breath". I also knew it turned the gremlins in my head on but I didn't realize it was the gas drugs.

Thanks