NO more headache when using Nitrox

[Remy B.]

Well I'm starting to think my headaches had more to do with some how rapid ascends, since I'm getting better diving and controlling better my ascends I didn't experience more headaches, I never surfaced by accident or nothing, just now I'm getting up slower and I don't know if that was the case, I always done my safety stops and some more, and previous to those, in my profile on my way up I dive for a while between 10 and 7m.

The only difference in my diving has been that, I go up slower than before and the times i do go up a little faster I had some small headaches, never had go faster than 8m/min never more than a few seconds, but I had been tracking my ascend and my headaches correlate to faster ascends and no headaches to slower ascends.

But the times I used Nitrox even with fast ascends the headaches didn't occur, so I guess the minor amount of Nitrogen in my system, helps in not getting those headaches, just a hypothesis, is just what I notice, don't really know if there is a real relation to it.

 

[AJ]

My headaches had and still have to do with CO2 buildup. When I get stressed or tired, I get headaches after diving. Nitrox or air does not make any difference as far as I can tell. But this is me and not a scientific conclusion. I you think Nitrox helps, go for it because it probably will.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Well I'm starting to think my headaches had more to do with some how rapid ascends, since I'm getting better diving and controlling better my ascends I didn't experience more headaches, I never surfaced by accident or nothing, just now I'm getting up slower and I don't know if that was the case, I always done my safety stops and some more, and previous to those, in my profile on my way up I dive for a while between 10 and 7m.

The only difference in my diving has been that, I go up slower than before and the times i do go up a little faster I had some small headaches, never had go faster than 8m/min never more than a few seconds, but I had been tracking my ascend and my headaches correlate to faster ascends and no headaches to slower ascends.

But the times I used Nitrox even with fast ascends the headaches didn't occur, so I guess the minor amount of Nitrogen in my system, helps in not getting those headaches, just a hypothesis, is just what I notice, don't really know if there is a real relation to it.

Remy, I know this is an old thread but since you've posted recently: some people have an inadequate hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR). What that means is that their respiratory rates do not increase sufficiently in response to increased levels of CO2 in the blood. While it may not affect them on the surface, it can affect them while diving, when blood CO2 levels increase as a result of increasing gas density, inspiratory/expiratory resistance and other factors. Here's a link to an article I wrote for Dive Assure a while back that explains further:

https://www.diveassure.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Diving-and-Carbon-Dioxide.pdf

It may be worthwhile to ask your physician about the possibility of having an HCVR test done.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[wedivebc]

Is it a side effect of something else? IMO (brainfart) its more a factor of CO2 retention and how physiology plays into gas equilibrium allowing you to more easily eliminate per breath as the % of O2 would cut down the potential CO2 partial pressure from straight air. No matter the O2 content you will metabolize it at a constant rate based on activity regardless of depth so I'm leaning to a displacement theory. I think Cozumel is running 600ppm CO2 currently, and Houston hovers around 400ppm where I live.

I was thinking about this a few weeks ago as I want to build a pre CO2 filter to my compressor to lower my partial CO2 ~100ppm so I'm at 1ATA CO2 equilibrium at my ~1.4 PO2 depth as CO2 is massively more narcotic than N2. I'd like to know if that helps the narcosis as much as the retention. Sensitivity to CO2 varies just as it does with N2. Maybe you notice such a difference because you are just sensitive to CO2?

Do you know any rebreather divers? You could easily build one using an old scrubber. I'm thinking an axial design like the Draeger Dolphin would work great. You wouldn't even need top pay for sorb if you reused sorb from your buddies since most rebreather divers dispose of sorb long before it's fully depleted and since you are only trying to extract the last few PPM from ambient air it should work for a while before changing is required.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

CO2 toxicity in an open-circuit diver is caused by CO2 retention. Barring any contamination, the breathing gas' contribution to this would be negligible.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Remy B.]

Duke, a question, what if I have that what you mention, those this mean that I shall stop diving or what problems it can cause beside headache ?

What about Decompression diving and having that problem ?

Thanks

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi Remy,

Speculating for a moment that you have a blunted HCVR, CO2 retention could be compounded by deeper diving or poorly functioning equipment. It would be difficult to predict your body's response during any given dive. CO2 toxicity can cause headache, altered mental status and unconsciousness.

Before speculating any further, it would be reasonable for you to be examined by a diving physician.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Freewillow]

I don't agree, 23 dives with air all ended up with headache, next 6 dives with nitrox, no headaches, I have only 29 dives on me, I see a trend. .

No trend if not blind tested .

With such a small number of dives, you may be more relaxed, had less problem to equalize your ears, less shallow respiration............................;