Gagging problem, need input!

[DC53]

Ok, here it is. At this point I continue to have a choking or gagging problem. I thought it would go away in time but at this point I have over 100 dives, well more than half in freezing cold low visibility water, frequently near or below 100 feet, some time in limited overhead environments, all comfortable and "no problemo". And I still have the problem.

Usually it takes a while to get going but then feels exactly like a gagging sensation. (I have a very strong gag sensation normally with even light pressure on the back of the tongue; doctors hate looking down my throat. Also I have a nasty chronic post nasal drip that even ENT has not been able to get rid of.) The dry heaves will start and only with the most intense concentration can I get it to go away without actually bringing something up. I am not nervous or challenged when it occurs in terms of the dive itself.

Interestingly it is more on the ascent when I can feel my chronic post nasal drip acting up a bit more and I can’t swallow it like I do normally. So I turn down the flow on the secondary reg – hurry before I start gagging! – and remove it and swish some ambient water and swallow a little. Most of the time this gets rid of it for a while with only 3 or 4 boughts of dry heaves. I'm not out of the woods yet, sometimes it may start up again.

Dry heaving uncontrollably for a couple minutes and then being at risk of it again in a while is not only painful and disconcerting, but I am in no mood or shape to handle emergencies or task loading if this were to occur by chance at the same time so there is a safety issue here as well as a comfort one. It is unrelated to dive stress, being as likely/unlikely to occur in beautiful lazy clear warm water as in diving the murky 95 foot bottom of a freezing quarry under lights in low visibility and maybe going inside or underthings while I'm down there. More often going up and more often later in the dive; those are the only factors I can identify.

For what it is worth, I am otherwise completely comfortable and enjoy being underwater; it's almost a (legal) high for me. Also, have good buoyancy control for the most part, stay practiced with my skills, and have a SAC rate consistently under 0.5, usually around 0.45 SCFM if all is going well.

So I am wondering if I should go to a full face mask. The ability to briefly breathe in through the nose, momentarily close the mouth, and then swallow secretions in the back of the throat takes this problem away, reliably, predictably and invariably. I am tech savvy in general, do not mind being underwater with mask removed (except for the blast of icy water), and can afford any of the commonly available FFM’s.

Is this a way to go or is there something I am missing. No one I speak to seems to know what to do. Any ideas? If I go with a FFM, any recommendations on models (other than the one with the separate face mask where you can’t inhale through the nose before swallowing secretions?) Does the Ocean Reef Neptune Predator deserve the good reviews? Other ideas entirely?

Thanks!

 

[Paladin]

It sounds to me as if the back of your throat is getting too dry. I have the same problem with nasal drip and have had the gagging problem a couple of times. Since my diving is 99% fresh water, if I feel my throat getting too dry, I'll let a little water in my mouth, tilt my head back and gargle into the reg for a couple of seconds, then tilt my head down to blow the water out. It works in salt water, too, but it leaves a salty taste in my mouth.

Back when two hose regs were more common, we used to put a small sponge in the mouthpiece (being careful not to block any of the ports). We soaked the sponge with fresh water and it helped to ease dry mouth/throat.

 

[deep-descent]

This might sound funny, but if your comfortable enough in the water, try diving with a capri-sun in your pocket. Ive seen them carried during long dives, looks easy to drink and should help with dry throat. (but I have never tried it) Just remember to pack out your trash

 

[scubafanatic]

...if it's dry throat related, might consider the Apollo Bio Filter that attaches between the 1st-stage of the reg and the 2nd-stage reg hose.

 

[turbine]

I had the same problem. I drink a bottle of water and take a few ant-acids like Tums as I'm gearing up and the gagging no longer happens. Strange as it is, its a form of indigestion. It just presents itself as a gagging feeling underwater.
I hope this helps.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I know this is not generally accepted in sport diving, but it helped my throat tremendously when I used to do 4-6 hrs of scuba a day doing working dives....sugarless menthol cough drop. Bite one in half and then tuck it up under your front lip and then dive.

It might present a slight choking hazard, but I never expereinced any problem. you want it to be small onough that you can keep it tucked under the front lip without too much stretch or any discomfort. It is MOT rolling around in your mouth which would make it more likely to be aspirated. You occasionally will lick the inside of the front lip to accees more menthol flavor.

Maybe try it some time while topside for 10 minutes with the last part of a tank and see how it feels.

 

[todd_18]

I have a very bad gag reflex also, in fact have always had to use a small youth mouth piece on my regulator. At times just the act of putting my reg in my mouth would make me start gagging. I have since switched to a FFM and love it.

 

[SEMO Scuba]

The original mouth piece on my reg stuck back far enough in my mouth to make me gag. I bought a Sea-Cure and trimmed it to fit and have never had a problem since.

 

[GrandpaScuba]

I've got a pretty good post nasal drip as well. I breath in through my mouth and out through my nose. My PND causes more of a cough than a "gag". I just cough in my reg when necessary.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Went diving today. My buddy was frantic before his first dive. He just HAD TO find the cough drop before he went into the water. He also has sinus problems and has indicated that he can have huge problems with the gag reflex and phlem, if he doesn't use the cough drops.

Incidentally, the menthol also seems to help with ear clearing, as long as you put the lozenge in 20 minutes before the dive.