Was I bent - or just sick?

[jayfree]

I arrive in Cabo San Lucas, eat dinner -- and (I know, stupidly) have a few drinks. I go dive next day - on 21% air (no nitrox available). 2 tanks, first dive 47 min, 71/f max, avg. depth 43/f, water warm at 79F, deep stop 5min at 40, do 3min at 20 and again at 15. Following 70 minute SI, do second dive for 45 min; 73/f max, avg. depth 45, water 81F, deep stop 4 min at 40, and SS 4 min at 15. I dove with Sunnto Vyper, all signs on it were good and clear.

Following entry onto boat after second dive the captain was holding boat against current for the remaining divers by using reverse -- so that I am now down wind from diesel fumes - which is coupled with heavy sway of boat. This takes 10 minutes; I always have bad physiologic response to diesel fumes. I did not have dive meds on or in me - and I start to feel "seasick" I drink a couple bottles of water.

Takes thirty minutes before I can get off boat - with increasing nausea and headach.

I shower (warm, not hot) and lie down/nap for few hours; drink some more water. Get up, go into town and have food and coffee (one cup). I wake up early morning with stomach pain/cramping and diarrhea - but now also coupled with mild dizziness. I get up - but feel too lousy to do anything but sleep - which I do for rest of the day. By evening, I am feeling sufficiently better and have decided to go into town and get some Pepto Bismol and Cipro, having come to belief that I have nothing other than mexican flu (and yes, I knew that the extreme fatigue which I had is a sign of DCS)

By next day, dizziness gone - and so is my fatigue - but stomach pain/cramps continue - as does the diarrhea. And that pain/cramping/bowel disturbance continued for next week.

Because dizziness/vertigo gone as well as NEVER having any parathesia/numbness or tingling, pain in joints, etc - and no neurologic symptoms (other than dizziness which I attributed to seasickness) I decided to continue diving. Did two more days of 2 tank diving - similar profiles as before - but this time I took dive meds (Bonnine/Triptone)
Absolutely no problems or disturbances from any of those dives or during dives.

I have been back now for two weeks - no problems or disturbances.

So, was I sick/have mexican "flu" - or was it DCS? Since I cannot know for sure, wondering what others might think...

Thanks!

 

[ShakaZulu]

I like the Mexican "Flu" reference, with those profiles, you must have picked up something.........let's see what the doctor says.

 

[hermosadive]

I have been back now for two weeks - no problems or disturbances.

So, was I sick/have mexican "flu" - or was it DCS? Since I cannot know for sure, wondering what others might think...

Thanks!

If you had any doubt as to wether or not you where bent on a trip, why would you wait until you get home for 2 weeks then post on a website asking for confirmation? Blows my mind.

Call your doctor. Call DAN. The last thing I would do would be asking people on a website. Since your asking, I don't think you where bent. Feel bettter?

 

[jayfree]

If you had any doubt as to wether or not you where bent on a trip, why would you wait until you get home for 2 weeks then post on a website asking for confirmation? Blows my mind.

Call your doctor. Call DAN. The last thing I would do would be asking people on a website. Since your asking, I don't think you where bent. Feel bettter?

It's dive/compression "theory" - and not an exact science... and once I made my decision (stupid or not) that my particular cluster of symptoms were not dive related per se then all the calls to DAN (which I do subscribe to and pay for) or calls to any other doctor would not change that reality of my decision. To my knowledge, the only real way to "prove" DCS is to recompress and monitor symptoms - or lack thereof - and the possible/presumed DCS symptoms were only present the first 24 hrs. I was simply wondering if other divers have had a similar cluster of symptoms post dive (fatigue/headache/gastric distress) given the very commom occurrence of gastric disorder while visiting Mexico (and other places)... or if I was missing something...

 

[Uncle Pug]

you didn't have DCS

 

[Mako Mark]

you had "allinclusivitis" and need a "timesharectomy"

 

[Dr Deco]

I would seriously doubt a DCS problem with that dive history.

Dr D.

 

[scubadobadoo]

To give you another opinion, I almost always get sick on boats with more than 2 ft. seas if I don't take a little bonine or triptone, especially if I smell the fuel. After getting sea sick I have had all the issues you had and they have lasted for as much as 4-5 days after, depending on how rough the conditions were.

I wouldn't worry. Sea sickness can really mess you up though. Add beer and food that you may not normally consume and your potentially compounding the problem as stated above. Let me add that every person is dif. and knowing how you react is important in determinig how to react to any sickness, may it be DCI or other. Treat this as a learning experience and adapt your diving schedule and level accordingly. I get sick on the merry go round so...

In other words, know YOUR limits. Be safe!

 

[itziar]

Your symptomps sound totally like Moctezuma's revenge (I also suffered it on and off the first 3 months I lived in this country)... I would be inclined to think that the food was the cause.

 

[TekDiveGirl]

I vote for a bug. You diagnose DCS completely on signs and symptoms which all lead to something more like a stomach flu than DCS.

I barely looked at you dive profiles -- just your signs and symptoms -- I don't care how innocent your dive profiles look like - you can be chambered for the mildest of dives. Undeserves hits can and do happen. But in this case all signs point to a case of food poisoning - Montezumas Revenge - name it what you will -- it all comes out the same in the end. <eg>

Kimber