Do you get less Narced on Nitrox?

I just took a Nitrox class and according to it using Nitrox does not have an effect on how narced you get. They claim that the extra O2 has the same effect as the Nitrogen. I have heard people say they get less narced on Nitrox and was wondering what others have experienced?

No. There may be a perception of less narcosis, but that doesn't make you think any clearer. Many will tell you they have never been narced. They are mistaken. Everyone is narced at depth. They may not have been aware of it, but they were narced none the less.

Gas narcosis seems to be related to lipid solubility in a fairly straight line. If the gas is highly soluble, the gas is narcotic. With this as a guideline, as oxygen is about twice as soluble in lipids as nitrogen, we could expect it to be about twice as narcotic, and for nitrox to actually be even more narcotic than air.
However...
Oxygen isn't an inert gas, and free oxygen tensions in tissue are mitigated by its active scavenging by hemoglobin and metabolic processes, so that actual measured oxygen tensions in the brain, for example, run anywhere from a about sixth to a tenth what you'd expect based on the partial pressure of oxygen in the breathing gas alone. Therefore, the most recent thinking (that I've been able to ferret out) is that oxygen ends up being about a third to a fifth as narcotic as nitrogen based on its partial pressure in the breathing mix, and theoretically breathing nitrox should be marginally less narcotic than breathing air.
However...
As the SSI Nitrox course advises, "Reduced narcosis while breathing Nitrox is not proven; it is best not to assume any reduction in narcosis while breathing Nitrox."
I think that's sound advice.
E.

I second Walter's comments. In fact, I would argue the O2 will make you happier than the NO2 -- there's a reason O2 bars are so popular.

its all good...... but if you are doing recreational nitrox then you should not be really deep enough fro a real narcosis hit in the first place. Be real if you think 80-100 feet is a real hit.

Pete

God, I hope not! It's so hard to find a good gin martini these days! OOPS.... my bad...Ummm (I wonder who will get this?)

perpet1 once bubbled...
its all good...... but if you are doing recreational nitrox then you should not be really deep enough fro a real narcosis hit in the first place. Be real if you think 80-100 feet is a real hit.

Pete

Click to expand...

Don't think you can't get a "real" hit at those depths perpet. I've see a couple of very experienced divers get so narced they didn't realize they were in the water. It only got them once and they were fine on later dives, but it only takes getting you once.

In another thread, a similar discusion ensued over narcosis levels with nitrox. I recalled there being some well thought out and logically reasoned information being posted (on TDS as I recall) but couldn't pin it down at the time. I've now had several chances to make the comparison, and the imperical evidence (for me at least, ymmv) continues to support what Ep suggests. Below is my post from the other related thread for details:

Nitrox narcosis
All the nitrox courses I can think of teach that Ean has the same narcotic factor as air, because the theory is that oxygen is as narcotic as nitrogen. I've seen some material posted that suggests that O2 is only about 1/3 as narcotic as nitrogen. Empirically, my experience suggests some truth to that. I made some of the same wreck dives recently on nitrox that I have done several times on air. Even though the nitrox dives were much longer BT's than the air dives, I found myself amased at the additional details I saw and how much I had missed seeing on the air dives. Depth was 90' to 100', BT's of about 60 mins, deco on O2. Hope the info is usefull.


Darlene

good discussion... i always ‘expect’ to get some narc effects below 100fsw and deeper, regardless of the gas...so i’m constantly assessing my mental state. I don’t want to sound flip...but i’d be disappointed if i wasn’t... i enjoy being narced. That may sound reckless...but being aware of it...even waiting for it...means that i’m just that..aware, but relaxed. When i realize i’m really having a great time and totally chilled out...the fact that i know i’m narced can make the mental note i’ve made to myself stand out (on the surface) to keep the profile in mind ...and as long as i keep doing so, i can relax and enjoy the show.
I think you can easily get narced at 80-100, i know i am often...on ean or air. Oftentimes this fact is overlooked because the diver narced at 80 tends to wander deeper, and the narcosis increases...and if they are not aware of it, they may be become reckless...

When i dive with people i’m not especially familiar, and the dive is going to the rec limits or more. I always tell them they are going to become narced. If they say to me ‘i never get narced’...then i worry... nnarcosis makes you almost childish...and if they say that to me on the surface...then they might not admit it to themselves at depth and assume their choices are rational and the profile is not.

I've had narced divers...when we've agreed there would be no penetration on a wreck...and they decide to enter a hull...and i stop them by placing myself in front of them...assume 'i was narced' and acting irrationaly and freaking. Even though i may have just placed myself in front of them. The difference was, i may of been narced, but i knew it and so i adhered to the profile. They 'were' narced, but weren't aware or didn't believe it...and so they couldn't understand why i was getting thier attention. In this case the diver tried to reassure me by checking my gauge...which i got a laugh out of...and when we ascended they insisted it was me that was narced. And the fact the profile we agreed on was not followed...was something else altogether.


I’ve always thought nitrogen narcosis is a unadmitted secret among divers lest the sport attract a lot of broke drug users. It may just be me...but i think most people start to get narced if they spend a few minutes at 80-90...it may be hidden by attention to various challenges, keeping track of their partners, or stress with the dive. But i think it’s happens often and for myself and the people i dive with i always make a note of being aware of when it starts...because the narcotic effect can manifest itself not just as euphoria...but the flipside paranoia or fear. I think if a diver is aware or expecting it...it’s a mental tool to get a handle on paranoia or euphoria...(which is always something to watch for with new divers...i’ve seen it happen many times)...the whole circuit of thoughts
‘i can’t get enough air’...’i’m stressed!’
hyperventilation and distrust of the gear, can be shortcircuited by ‘am i narced?’...’maybe i can relax if i try... and mellow out.'

Coincidently, this is the cure for both hyperventalition and bad trips. This can also make you go over your profile...and help you realize where you are at .

So what i’m saying from my experience is, always assume your going to get narced at a certain depth. Pay attention and ask yourself, ‘ am i narced somewhat?’ Don’t consider it a fault or weakness but a bonus.
And question why you do things, realise the risk of poor decision making...and keep your profile in mind so you can relax and enjoy the high.