Was I narc'ed?

[gangrel441]

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

Rachel

I agree...first thing I thought of when reading the symptoms was that they sounded awful similar to ox-tox. While 75 seems awful shallow for an ox-tox hit, a higher than expected mixture with improper analysis, combined wit a potentially low tolerace and (perhaps) close to MOD given the mix....I suppose it's possible...

Also could have been psychosomatic symptoms mimicing ox-tox (after the classroom training) triggered by the adreneline of doing first EANx training dive...

 

[lamont]

what about CO2 hit? apprehension about nitrox or other factors of the dive, maybe combined with a badly performing regulator, leading to hyperventilation and CO2 buildup?

 

[fatsuki]

Since it was our first nitrox dive, each of us analyzed our own tanks and had it verified by the instructor, so I don't think that was the problem. Also, my regulator was working fine and I didn't hyperventilate or feel out of breath. My heart was just racing. I know it sounds weird and that's why I posted. Also, like I said in my other posts, I did other nitrox dives throughout the trip and had no problems until I dove this wreck again. Thank you everyone for all the input. I'm glad to find out I probably wasn't narc'ed. I've never felt the affects of narcosis so I have no basis for it. I read Shadow Divers recently and the author's description of narcosis (tunnel vision, pounding in the ears, etc.) sounded very similar to what I was feeling and it's what prompted me to post here. I was especially freaked out when I read the part in the book about the first guy who died on the U-Who...they think he just blacked out and drowned. I've never blacked out above (or below) water, but lots of people who have do see spots, get tunnel vision, etc right before blacking out. This coming November, when I'm back in the Philippines, I'm going to dive the Alma Jane again. If it happens again, I'll know that the wreck is cursed and just has it in for me.

Jeni

 

[Squalus]

I would suggest get a medical check-up before your trip.
Did you do anything differently from your regular routine of diving?
You may have had some sort of anxiety/stress(anxiety/stress attacks can occur without warning) seeing you have just moved to Nitrox.

Just my .02

 

[Taipeidiver]

what about CO2 hit? apprehension about nitrox or other factors of the dive, maybe combined with a badly performing regulator, leading to hyperventilation and CO2 buildup?

I'm with you on this one, maybe a CO2 buildup.

Or, if other people described similar effects, it might have been contaminated air?

 

[Doc Harry]

I agree with the others.

Sounds more like tox (bad gas, CO, otox, etc) or hyperventilation than narcosis.

 

[PavoDive]

Jeni:
I have a few questions I'd like to ask:
When you felt that way... what were the conditions at the site?? Visibility? Was the wreck in sight?

I once conducted a dive with some MSD students in a wreck near Santa Marta, Colombia. Very unusual conditions that day, the viz was very low. Despite we dove to only about 75' max, a lot of people said during the debriefing that they felt "weird", with descriptions very similar to yours: racing heart, some tunnel vision, etc. As we had checked the air previous to the dive, and not everybody in the group felt it, we just forgot about the issue. That night, when reviewing some photos the group had taken, we came along the photo of the attachment. As soon as the photo was in the screen, everybody identified the cause of the feeling! The vision of the "black hole" (an open hold of the ship) had caused that annoying feeling to some of them.

Next day we dove the site again with about the same conditions, and nobody exprienced any discomfort whatsoever.

Go on, dive the Alma Jane, enjoy it and do bring some photos!

G.P.