Sharp chest pain after diving

[Beachylivin]

Hi all,

I am new to diving and was just certified over the weekend. I took a two week course- first week did pool dives twice a week, then last week, we did two pool dives and then four open water dives this past weekend (two on Saturday, two on Sunday).

The day after my 2nd class, I had about 6 very painful sharp shooting pains in my chest, and it hurt to breath while this pain was happening. The pain only lasts about 5-10 seconds. This happened three times earlier in the day and three times later in the day, totaling 6. After that day I didn't have anymore so I excused it.

I completed my course yesterday, Sunday, and woke up many times in the middle of the night last night with this same shooting pain. I tossed and turned to see if it would help, but the sharp shooting pains reoccurred at least 5 times. Again, I was so tired from my dives so I'm not sure what time last night that these occurred. When the sharps are not happening, I don't have any shortness of breath or chest pain.

My instructors stressed that we seek medical attention if we have any pain, doesn't matter if it was a day after diving. So today I went to the doctor. She seemed somewhat clueless, asked me if I had eaten spicy food, smoked or drank this week- which I have not done any of those things. She gave me a chest X-ray, was all clear and said I probably had an esophageal spasm and should take some tums. To me that sounded completely incorrect. The pain seemed to be coming from my heart or lungs, and was on the left side of my chest and was not bearable.

I am an active, healthy, female. To my understanding I was doing all of my skills correctly. My husband spends a lot of time diving for work (military) so he advised me to go to the doctor as well.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? Could there have been something going on in my chest that passed before the X-ray was taken?

 

[mrdre]

I would see a cardiologist ASAP. If one cardiologist says "everything is fine", see another. If both say everything is fine, then keep looking what causes the pain. I'm not a doctor, but this is what I would do. I wouldn't dive more until I knew what causes the pain.

 

[stevensamler]

Hi all,


I am new to diving and was just certified over the weekend. I took a two week course- first week did pool dives twice a week, then last week, we did two pool dives and then four open water dives this past weekend (two on Saturday, two on Sunday).


The day after my 2nd class, I had about 6 very painful sharp shooting pains in my chest, and it hurt to breath while this pain was happening. The pain only lasts about 5-10 seconds. This happened three times earlier in the day and three times later in the day, totaling 6. After that day I didn't have anymore so I excused it.


I completed my course yesterday, Sunday, and woke up many times in the middle of the night last night with this same shooting pain. I tossed and turned to see if it would help, but the sharp shooting pains reoccurred at least 5 times. Again, I was so tired from my dives so I'm not sure what time last night that these occurred. When the sharps are not happening, I don't have any shortness of breath or chest pain.


My instructors stressed that we seek medical attention if we have any pain, doesn't matter if it was a day after diving. So today I went to the doctor. She seemed somewhat clueless, asked me if I had eaten spicy food, smoked or drank this week- which I have not done any of those things. She gave me a chest X-ray, was all clear and said I probably had an esophageal spasm and should take some tums. To me that sounded completely incorrect. The pain seemed to be coming from my heart or lungs, and was on the left side of my chest and was not bearable.


I am an active, healthy, female. To my understanding I was doing all of my skills correctly. My husband spends a lot of time diving for work (military) so he advised me to go to the doctor as well.


Has anyone else had an experience like this? Could there have been something going on in my chest that passed before the X-ray was taken?

Sometimes fluid enters the lungs from your own body due to ambient water pressure, Carl Huggins mentioned this last week at a dive meeting but can't remember the exact term that was used.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Ditto on the cardiologist. Cardiac issues sometimes have weird symptoms, not something you want to wait and see what happens.

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree with all above. Doesn't seem normal to me. Any congestion in your lungs from a cold? This could be dangerous. See a Dr.

 

[bshmerlie]

First let me say don't hang your hat on the fact that you are active and healthy. Sometimes even a seemingly healthy person has something wrong that they don't know about. Second, if you don't like or agree with your doctor's opinion get a second opinion.
Five years ago I had an illness that two doctors failed to diagnois. Had I not been persistent and gone back three days in a row I most likely would have died. As it was I spent two weeks in the hospital simply because they failed to diagnois my illness quickly enough.

My point is, if you still feel something is wrong go back to the doctor again and have them run tests. Especially if symptoms continue or other things develop.

 

[Agility]

chest pain should always be regarded as serious until proven otherwise.
see another doctor.

 

[Aguablanco1]

Call Divers Alert Network immediately. If nothing else they can refer you to a doctor with the knowledge needed to rule out a dive incident.
RichH

 

[TSandM]

You don't give us a lot of information to go on, like your age and your general state of health. But a history of very brief, sharp chest pains occurring over a short period of time and resolving and leaving the patient feeling normal is unlikely to represent any serious illness, especially if you are young and otherwise healthy. Diving involves using a lot of muscles you don't normally use, and new divers often have some discomforts that are unfamiliar.

I am assuming, because you did not mention your doctor doing an EKG, that you are probably young. With a negative chest x-ray and exam, I don't think I would worry too much about this.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Some people get stomac gas from diving. It's similar to kids gulping air so they can burp for fun. Only as adult divers it's not so fun cuz can give you a tummy ache . . .or potentially in your case, bubbles of stomach
gas escaping causing you pain in your esophagus.

I'm not a doctor . . . Nor do I play one on the internet. I just think a lot of complaints are related to gas.

It may seem as if I'm making light of this but that is not my intention. Having gas can hurt like the dickens and has sent many people to the hospital thinking heart attack.