Breast pain from DCS?

[PastorB]

I am now $3,000 poorer leaving Aruba than when I arrived. Dove two-one tank dives for two days, took a day off and dove two more two tank dives on each subsequent day. We dove perfectly. Never more than 100', safety stops, full surface interval etc. It was by the book. At the end of the third dive my wife experienced a lot of pain in her breast along with SOB, a rash and some fatigue. We ignored the symptoms as they went way. But on our last dive, within 30 minutes of completion, the pain in her breast was excruciating, rash had returned and she experience a lot of fatigue. We sought ER help at the local hospital and was diagnosed with DCS. She spent almost 4 hours in a chamber. Went to table 5. We dove the same profile. Why her and not me? Has anyone else (female) experienced pain in the breast with DCS? Next time I'll join DAN.

 

[frankc420]

I'm sure many others will tell you this after me, but diving effects people in different ways, even though you dove the same profile, doesn't mean one of you won't get DCS. Each persons body handles nitrogen differently. If you were to go out tomorrow and dive that same profile to the T, you have a chance to take a hit as well, it all depends on how your body reacts to the extra nitrogen intake and release.

There are many things that factor in while diving, the main one being hydration. Next in line is rest. I would say the most common reason for DCS hit when you have a solid profile is dehydration. Many think drinking on the boat ride will hydrate you, this is true, kinda. You want to start drinking a lot of water the night before, if anything, 2 hours before the 1st dive.

Honestly, I'm surprised she dove again after symptoms appeared, that was asking for a full out hit, IMO.

 

[PastorB]

Thanks for the response, Frank. 20/20 hindsight is wonderful. We probably did not hydrate as much as we should have. I don't think we associated the symptoms with DCS until it hit harder the second time. Denial?? I appreciate your cousel and wisdom.

 

[K9Pig]

Sorry to hear that about your wife, Hope she is doing better...

You said you were out $3K. I was wondering if you had dive insurance? If so, will the out of pocket expense be paid back by the insurance company?

 

[scubak]

You shoulda bought dive ins...as you were getting certified as an OW diver....
Sorry no one told you about this and glad everything seems to be working out...coulda been worse.
K

 

[frankc420]

Thanks for the response, Frank. 20/20 hindsight is wonderful. We probably did not hydrate as much as we should have. I don't think we associated the symptoms with DCS until it hit harder the second time. Denial?? I appreciate your cousel and wisdom.

Glad I could be of some help! DCS is a divers worst enemy, so I try to know what causes it so that I can avoid it on my dives.

I forgot to mention above, I hope your wife recovers 100%. From what I hear, even a small DCS hit is painful, so I'm sorry she had to go through that! :depressed:

Don't let her quit diving, a lot of people quit after taking a hit, once she's healed and approved to dive again, help her back on the horse!

 

[dschonbrun]

Doctor Deco,

If memory serves, the Fatty Tissue compartment has one of the smallest half-lives (I think)? Does this increase the likelihood for DCS related injury/complication?

Thanks,
David

 

[wedivebc]

Doctor Deco,

If memory serves, the Fatty Tissue compartment has one of the smallest half-lives (I think)? Does this increase the likelihood for DCS related injury/complication?

Thanks,
David

Actually I believe lipids are among the slowest

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello Pastor B :

DCS Hit

That certainly sounds as if your wife had a bad piece of luck. I personally have never heard of DCS symptoms in the breast as you describe. If it was helped by recompression therapy, well, you cannot argue with success.

Adipose tissue has a very high solubility for nitrogen. This might have contributed to the rash. Women do have more adipose tissue than men beneath the skin all over the body.

Individual Response

This variation is a common observation, and question. Yes, there is a physiologically real, widespread variation in response to a given decompression. I believe that the basis for this is the number of tissue microbubbles we all harbor. There currently is not any way to test for this in tissue so it is basically a conjecture.

In his 1908 paper on the development of decompression tables, JS Haldane wrote:

"It soon appeared from the preliminary experiments that the individual variability of the animals was very large - larger indeed than the many modes of decompression which it was desired to examine. It also appeared that the relative susceptibility of the different individual animals remained fairly constant so that after a time one could pick out goats which were known to be either susceptible above average or definitely resistant to caisson disease."


Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[HBO MD]

Out of interest, the same diver can dive the very same profile one day safely and when repeated develop DCS.
There are a number of unaccountable factors which may be the culprits, from hydration status, to previous injuries, to temperature ( diver and or water), etc.
The major thing is that she responded to therapy and was rapidly diagnosed.
The take home moral probably relates to addressing all reversible risks prior to descent, Dive Insurance (wallet therapy), and future conservative profiles, (not that you weren't careful).
Safe diving.