Possible DCS hit a year ago - any cause for alarm now?

[murdrcycle]

Last June (2011) I visited Myrtle Beach SC and did a few dives with a local outfit. I did two dives the first day and signed up for 2 on the second, but only did 1. The dive was well within recreational limits (59ft for 23 minutes) as were my previous days dives (50 ft for 23 minutes, 41 minute SI, 52ft for 31 minutes). I tend to chug air, but the main reason I cut both of these so short was due to the boat buddies I was teamed up with. Anyway, after the first dive of the second day, I started to feel fatigued and nauseated. I told the crew that I may have taken a hit and they put me on Nitrox for about 15 minutes. This did nothing to relieve my symptoms. I also had some pain in my back on my left shoulder with some "pins and needles" in my left hand, shoulder, and arm. I sat out of the second dive because my boat buddy decided he didn't want to go, and I didn't like the crew's recommendation that I just dive solo.

The symptoms kept up for the boat ride home, but the nausea decreased dramatically when we got out of the open ocean and into calmer water. I felt fatigued for the next day or so, and the symptoms eventually passed on their own.

Facts about me:

1. I have never suffered from seasickness before, so I don't know if that was what caused the nausea
2. I have had frequent trouble with my shoulder, including feeling "pins and needles" on many non-dive occasions (I have a tear in the cartilage of my shoulder from an old injury)
3. I am a 40 year old male in fairly good shape. I am average weight, exercise regularly, and smoke.

My questions are these:
1. What is the likelihood that I took a DCS hit?
2. If I did, is it safe to dive again? I am going to be in West Palm Beach in 4 weeks and Destin in 8 weeks and want to hit BHB and the jetties, respectively.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Doesn't sound like DCS to me. If you are worrried about your health do something about the smoking though...

 

[farsidefan1]

X2 not likely although if you are worried see a dive doc. I can't imagine how it could affect you a yr later. I took an unexplained hit in Coz a couple of yrs ago and required a couple of visits to the chamber to get right. That was followed by a 6 month ban on diving just "to be safe". The doc did allow me to do a dive 4 months later because it was a relatively shallow dive (mantas off big island) which I already had scheduled. I did end up getting a pfo corrected. After a year I would think the damage is done and it does not sound like you are suffering any ongoing symptoms. The sore shoulder was likely caused by lugging around your dive gear on your injured shoulder. The nausea resolved itself in calm water- go figure. Just because you did not have sea sickness much before, well that was a new day. Lack of rest, excitement, something you ate... lots of possibilities, I am not a doc so make your decision with medical help if you are uncertain.