Anyone get sick with Nitrox?

[ptyx]

:huh:

Nausea was never mentioned by the OP.

In the title. OP is somewhat confusing, as it mention both fatigue (usually flirting with DCS - at least for me) and 'sick' (VENTID => O2) - although with 36% at 75ft, and 2 divers having the exact same symptoms on two different days, CNS tox doesn't feel right.

 

[RStyle]

There were 6 divers and we were the only 2 on Nitrox.
I was not concerned about O2 toxicity. Our dives were way within the safe limits. Safety stops were made on all dives.
Seas were glassy flat (not sea sickness)

Maybe slightly naseous and physically tired, lack of energy, although the diving was not difficult. Wanted to get home, shower, wash equipment and go to bed.
I am 55yrs old and thought, maybe I am getting old, but my dive buddy is 38 and when I talked to him the next day, he described the same thing.

I expected the 36% Nitrox to be the opposite. Energy, no fatigue, invigorating, rejuvenating, make me look like Michael Jackson or like taking Viagra.

 

[ONESPEED]

In the title. OP is somewhat confusing, as it mention both fatigue (usually flirting with DCS - at least for me) and 'sick' (VENTID => O2) - although with 36% at 75ft, and 2 divers having the exact same symptoms on two different days, CNS tox doesn't feel right.

Just saying nausea was never mentioned, even in the title. Sick can mean many things.

 

[Randy43068]

I have been diving Nitrox for several years but never 36%
Went with a friend on a dive charter and and although the dives were less than 80 ft they had everyone that dove Nitrox on 36%. I assumed more O2, less fatigue, no problem. (We analyzed tanks before the dives)
After the 2 dives I felt tired and sleepy. Went home and slept a few hours. When I talked to my partner, the same thing happened to him.
Went out again on the same charter and got Nitrox 36%. Same exact thing happened.
Got home at 1pm after a couple of 60-75ft dives and went straight to bed and slept until 5pm. They were both benign, non stressful drift dives. My dive partner had the same experience too.
This had not happened before.
When we go out again, we are going to request air or 32% to see what happens.

to answer your title.. NO.

 

[luckydays]

I expected the 36% Nitrox to be the opposite. Energy, no fatigue, invigorating, rejuvenating, make me look like Michael Jackson or like taking Viagra.

There is nothing in this world that I would do to make me want to look like Michael Jackson. I mean come on, did you look at him in the footage from before he passed. Eeww. Maybe when he was 20-25 but not at 50. yuck.

:hijack over:

I use Nitrox and never feel any different than when I use air. If I dive a lot, I get tired. If I dive once, I feel fine. Nitrox or Air. Phyically, I feel the same either way. Mentally, I feel better using Nitrox when I am going to be doing a lot of diving over a short time span.

Hope you figure out what the deal is for you.

 

[Randy43068]

It's not the NITROX but something else. Improper ascent rate, some impurity in your gas, you guys at at the same bad greasy spoon or drank the same water or consumed the same something someplace along the line. It ain't the NITROX.

 

[wjknobles]

what you might want to consider ... as randy mentioned is that it might not be the nitrox mixture. yes nitrox does lower the nitrogen content of your gas ... but you still have to be aware of it. i''m not making a knock towards the OP or anyone in particular, but it has been my observation that because divers are taught that nitrox is "safer," they do not follow safe dive practices. it was mentioned that you did a safety stop ... that is good, but what were your ascent rates both before and after the safety stop? how hydrated were you before the dive? and i could list a number of other factors.

the fact is nitrox is no safer than any other breathing gas in that your technique and diving practices are still the most important aspects of diving. nitrox offers some great benefits and personally i prefer to dive nitrox if at all possible, but you still have to be aware of the nitrogen and follow your ascent rates. i normally use a deep stop method of ascending, where i make a 1min stop at half my max depth, 1min stops every 10ft after with the 3min stop between 15-20ft. i also like to make my final ascent from the 3min stop SLOW ... ideally about 2-3min

 

[MarineResearch]

Sounds like carbon monoxide exposure. Low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning or other illnesses. Carbon monoxide also inhibits blood oxygenation, which would explain the fatigue. If it was only the two divers using Nitrox, I would suspect the Nitrox mix. If it turns out that everyone on the boat had similar symptoms, the boat exhaust would be suspect.

 

[RStyle]

I appreciate all the responses.
I am sorry if I confused people with the symptoms. It is just hard to describe. Just not feeling well and lazy..........I do not know how to describe it.
I did analize the tanks (we both did) ourselves.

The dives were safe. Both less than 60 min (I remember one was 49 min). Depths were less than 75 ft. I use two computers. One is set to air and one is set to Nitrox.
My Nitrox I monitor for O2 and I do my dives as if I am diving air (using my air set computer) keeping my nitrogen sat low. Monitor both for depth, only one has temp.
(Started diving with two computers after having a computer failure in Chuuk and having to sit out 24hrs after a huge expense to get there)

Possibilities I think include:
Something we ate or drank
Bad air or mixture
Boat diesel fumes?
Never seen where the tanks getr filled. By the time we get to the boat they are there and we analize.

(There were 2 dives on one weekend and the other two were the following weekend)

I was pretty sure that they were no side effects from Nitrox but wanted to make sure.

(I was kidding about M.Jackson but we do share the same 8/29 birthday)

 

[DevonDiver]

Possible culprits:

Non-diving related illness.
Polluted fill.
Sea sickness
Faulty analyser sensor (higher than believed O2%)
Some type of pollution in the water.

I was not concerned about O2 toxicity.

A sentiment probably echoed by most Ox-Tox fatalities.

Mistakes can happen...with analysis, tank handling etc. Complacency kills.