Nitrox Question (lack of energy and heartburn)

[KarinW]

Hi. I understand the basics and risks of Nitrox, but I have a questions regarding how your body feels after a 3-tank day.

I am going on a one-week trip (3 tanks a day). I have noticed when I dive that I have two rather unpleasant reactions: 1) my body just doesn't seem to like doing more than 2 tanks a day - nothing specific, just a low energy rather 'yucky' feeling if I do all three; and 2) I get heartburn (which I don't get normally).

I was wondering if using Nitrox would make doing the 3rd dive easier and more pleasant; and will it help the heartburn?

(BTW, what causes heartburn when you dive? And besides antacids, is there anything I can do to prevent it?)

Thanks in advance! Karin

 

[danvolker]

Hi. I understand the basics and risks of Nitrox, but I have a questions regarding how your body feels after a 3-tank day.

I am going on a one-week trip (3 tanks a day). I have noticed when I dive that I have two rather unpleasant reactions: 1) my body just doesn't seem to like doing more than 2 tanks a day - nothing specific, just a low energy rather 'yucky' feeling if I do all three; and 2) I get heartburn (which I don't get normally).

I was wondering if using Nitrox would make doing the 3rd dive easier and more pleasant; and will it help the heartburn?

(BTW, what causes heartburn when you dive? And besides antacids, is there anything I can do to prevent it?)

Thanks in advance! Karin

First, for heartburn, this is usually caused by not enough acid, even though the drug companies would like you to think you need antacids...
Try betaine hcl , an enzyme you can get at places like Vitamin Shoppe....if taken with meals, it will most likely prevent heart burn.
As for why on the 3 tank dives, I would ask are you staying hydrated for the whole time, and is your sugar intake high on these 3 tank dive days....I would blame the sugar ( cokes, typical junk food common to most dive boats) as a likelier cause than nitrogen loading.....although, the nitrogen loading "could" cause some inflammation, and this may relate to heartburn....but I would not be expecting this.


If you want morel on betaine hcl, go to mercola.com and do searches for it and heartburn or gerd.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Post-dive fatigue could be a sign of subclinical DCS.
Do you experience this with profiles featuring light-to-moderate nitrogen loading (nitrox, stay well within NDLs, etc.)?
How would you describe your overall level of fitness?
Do you have any medical conditions that might be affecting your energy level?
Has it always been like this for you...or is this a recent change in dive "stamina"?

I don't think that nitrox or minimizing nitrogen loading will help with GI issues such as heartburn. Heartburn is known in the medical community as gastroesophageal reflux disorder, or GERD. There are certain things to avoid and treatments available. Here's what Divers Alert Network has to say about the condition in divers:

Gastroesophageal Reflux (“Heartburn” or “Waterbrash&#8221

Condition: “Reflux” is a backward flow of acid or food from the stomach into the esophagus. Symptoms include burning upper abdominal or chest pain, sour taste or food regurgitation, which can happen when divers are in the head-down position. Symptoms can be exacerbated by:

* drinking alcohol;
* smoking;
* an ulcer or hiatal hernia;
* certain medications such as aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); or
* a tight-fitting belt or wetsuit.

Physicians treat reflux with medications or through surgery.

Fitness and Diving: While most people may experience occasional mild heartburn, if reflux of gastric contents occurs while one is diving, a diver could be at significant risk. Aspirating food or acid into the lungs or into the regulator could be fatal. Individuals with significant reflux should not dive.

See a physician for diagnosis and treatment if you're interested.

Hope this helps...

 

[seaducer]

What is your overall fitness? It could be that diving is more exercise than you are used to and toward the end of the day you are just plain getting tired.

The general consensus is that nitrox helps the fatigue and soreness, probably because of the higher O2 content, even someone with a poor VO2 has more O2 during those dives than they ordinarily would, I guess.

My experience is the same but I can't say that I have a great frame of reference, if I am on EANx I am not on 21%, and vice versa so maybe it is placebo?

I have no idea or comment on the heartburn, but I can't imagine nitrox would help you with that.

 

[RJP]

[-]The general consensus is[/-] Some folks believe that nitrox helps the fatigue and soreness...

Fixed your typo...

 

[seaducer]

93% of people who make up statistics on the spot say things like "general consensus", so it wasn't really a typo

BTW what happened to our avatars?

 

[KarinW]

Thanks for your responses so far.

I am in really good health, not overweight, don't smoke, not on any perscription drugs, etc. I work out regularly (5 times a week) and am 42 years old. I don't eat alot of sweets.

I started diving at age 18 and dive recreationally once a year or so. (GBR, Fiji, Papau New Guinea, etc.)

I have never really liked doing the 3rd dive of the day (especially if I am diving consecutive days) and have always had heartburn when I dive (starts during the dive and continues for a couple hours afterwards). I maybe only get heartburn 3 or 4 times a year if I am not diving. So heartburn under normal circumstances is not an issue.

It does not matter the depth or the length of time I am down, even at 30 feet for 30 minutes I will experiance the same thing.... (FYI, I breath slowly and conserve my air by holding my breath inbetween breaths, but not when I am going up or down.)

I should add, that it is not just a lack of energy, but that I feel kind of 'yucky' after my 2nd/3rd dive - how is that for a good description!

Again, I appreciate your thoughts!

Karin

 

[spectrum]

Are you getting motion sickness at all? That can catch up on some.

Heavy hydration has cured more issues than split fins, Fundies & PB&W combined.

Repeated ascents will take a toll. If you are "prairie dog diving" you can push your self to the edge of DCS or beyond.

All of my logic suggests that nitrox should leave you feeling better and anecdotal reports support that. Science has yet to confirm the phenomenon.

Pete

 

[spectrum]

btw what happened to our avatars?

4/1.......

 

[danvolker]

Cheapest, fastest solution for you is to go out on a boat and do 3 dives on nitrox. You don't need a stinking nitrox course for this, just find a boat or shop that will listen to your issue, then set you up for the 3 dives on nitrox.
If you don't feel "yucky" as you said was typical after 3 dives, then what happened in the past was related to how your body deals with off gassing.....and then you WILL need to take the nitrox course, so that you can plan your own nitrox dives, etc.
If you still feel bad after dives, I don't have a good idea what this would be....you could check for a PFO, however the symptoms are not a great match...maybe some kind of hernia....?