Was I narc'ed?

[fatsuki]

I'm hoping some of you more experienced divers can share your insight on this situation.

Last November I was on vacation in the Philippines. My husband and I decided to get certified for nitrox. We were both open water certified in 2002 and now have about 120 logged dives each. This was our first trip to the Philippines, we'd been diving there for about four days when we did our first nitrox dive. The dive plan was for a wreck dive (the Alma Jane) to about 90 feet. The dive plan was fairly simple...stright down the buoy line to the wreck, cruise around a bit and stright back up (with a 3-5 minute safety stop at 15 feet of course). At around 75 feet I started getting tunnel vision and my heart was racing. At 85 feet or so I was seeing spots and feeling very weird. I decided to ascend a few feet to see if I felt better. At 70 feet I was feeling better but my heart was still racing a bit. I stayed at around 65 feet or so until the end of the dive, did my safety stop, and finished the dive. I mentioned it to my instructor and she really didn't have an explanation. Our second nitrox dive was shallower and I didn't have any problems.

We dove a few more days on nitrox and then did the Alma Jane again on nitrox. Same story...heart racing, tunnel vision. So what's the deal? Was I narc'ed? I didn't think so since we weren't that deep and using nitrox.

Since then I've done several dives using air (some of them to 80-90 feet or so) and have been just fine. We're all set to go to the Philippines again this November. I'll be interested to see if maybe the Alma Jane just has it in for me.

Jeni

 

[Diver0001]

What you had doesn't sound at all like narcosis to me. Narcosis can cause some of those symptoms but in my experience most people have to be a lot deeper than 75ft to get that bonked.

Maybe it's a good idea to ask this question on teh Medical forum. I think you need a medical opinon.

R..

 

[Diver Dennis]

What you had doesn't sound at all like narcosis to me. Narcosis can cause some of those symptoms but in my experience most people have to be a lot deeper than 75ft to get that bonked.

Maybe it's a good idea to ask this question on teh Medical forum. I think you need a medical opinon.

R..

I agree. Last week I was narced at 130' but have gone a lot deeper than that without problems (on air). As you have probably read on this board, every person and every day is different. These were your first Nitrox dives so that could have some bearing on your reaction. I dive Nitrox as well but never deeper than the MOD, with out problems. Get a medical opinion.

 

[gecko3s]

What mix were you diving?

I'm not medical, but is it possible you were approaching the MOD and your PPO was getting high, and that your tolerance is lower?

Just a thought, again I'm not medical and I'm fairly new, and I could be way off base.

 

[Snowbear]

... but is it possible you were approaching the MOD...

:11: At 75-85', that would have been a pretty high percentage O2 mix for a Nitrox certification dive... or someone with a very, very low tolerance.

As Diver0001 stated, most folks don't start getting these symptoms of narcosis until they're much deeper. But most doesn't mean all....

IMO, on any given day, depending on environmental, physical and mental conditions that particular day (and dive), symptoms can be noticed shallower or deeper. Either way, whether you feel it or not, a diver IS experiencing some narcosis at that depth. What differs between individuals (and within an individual on different dives) is how it's perceived.

 

[gecko3s]

:11: At 75-85', that would have been a pretty high percentage O2 mix for a Nitrox certification dive... or someone with a very, very low tolerance.

As Diver0001 stated, most folks don't start getting these symptoms of narcosis until they're much deeper. But most doesn't mean all....

IMO, on any given day, depending on environmental, physical and mental conditions that particular day (and dive), symptoms can be noticed shallower or deeper. Either way, whether you feel it or not, a diver IS experiencing some narcosis at that depth. What differs between individuals (and within an individual on different dives) is how it's perceived.

Yeah good point... I don't have my tables with me, I'm at work.. and I just can't remember the formulas, so I was taking a long stab in the dark, anywho...just a thought

 

[jopperdepopper]

Hi,

during my last holiday, I went to about 100feet for the first time. We went straight down from the surface. Because it was my first deep-dive, I was quite exited, and felt the adrenaline pumping, it wasn't easy to relax my breathing. We got down, everything was ok, breathing stabilised, and I did not have the idea that I had Nitrogen narcosis, just being exited of going deep like this.

Could it maybe be that you where simply exited, first nitrox-dive, going straight down, that made your adrenalin run, heart race, and the rush made you go tunnelvision and see spots?

Just a thought,
Best,

Job

 

[DameDykker]

Hi,

during my last holiday, I went to about 100feet for the first time. We went straight down from the surface. Because it was my first deep-dive, I was quite exited, and felt the adrenaline pumping, it wasn't easy to relax my breathing. We got down, everything was ok, breathing stabilised, and I did not have the idea that I had Nitrogen narcosis, just being exited of going deep like this.

Could it maybe be that you where simply exited, first nitrox-dive, going straight down, that made your adrenalin run, heart race, and the rush made you go tunnelvision and see spots?

Just a thought,
Best,

Job

Going down quickly? (Too quick?)
First Nitrox - excited
Going to 90 feet first time?
A little more than 21% oxygen at that depth - maybe Nitrox 26, 24

Result could be overbreeding - CO2 load - more overbreeding etc.

But ask a medic......

Nice to hear you came out allright!

 

[fatsuki]

Thanks for all the replys. I didn't think I was narc'ed either, but really couldn't find an alternative explanation. To answer a few of your questions: I can't remember what the mix was...it was either 32% or 34%. I've been deeper than 90' before (deepest was 120') on air without any problems. I guess I could have been kind of excited, but I didn't breath my tank down. After our first two nitrox dives we dove nitrox the rest of the trip. I didn't have any problems anywhere else except on this wreck.

 

[wreckchick]

Did you analyze your tanks or did someone else? It sounds more like a tox than narcosis to me.

Rachel