Should I give up diving ?

[photographer]

Hi Doc and others

I am writing to this board to broaden my thinking that has been revolving around DCS lately.

Basically, I am thinking whether I should give up diving altogether.

And this is not a light subject. For the past 20 years I have got a lot of excitement out of diving and after 1500 (incident free) dives I am as passionate as ever. I have travelled the world and done many types of dives and dive series in the recreational realm. Liveabords, warm water, cold water, dry suit, under the ice etc (but not many deep dives). So even thinking about giving up breaks my heart.

My problems began one year ago. After a series of dry suit dives I travelled home and at home I noticed that my left arm was slightly numb and my left hand fingertips tingled. The symptoms were very slight and it took me four days to get to the chamber. I went there four times. After the first time the tingling returned immediately after the chamber visit. However, after four visits I felt that the tingling had gone away completely (or almost, it is so hard to say 100 % sure as when you start to listen to your body it is easy to start imaging). The doc gave me persmisson to dive again and after a break of one month I started diving again. And very conservatively.

One year passed and after about 50 mostly warm water dives I went on a dry suit dive in cold water. I went down to 60 feet (U profile) on air. The computer started to show me deco at 43 minutes and two minutes later I started the ascent. I spent 8 minutes at 30 feet and then 8 minutes more at 15-10 feet. A long dive on air but still conservative with no prior diving and a long safety stop. Eight hours later at home I felt a little bit of tingling in my left hand fingertips. Having had exactly the same symptoms before I immediately thought that this was a supermild case of DCS.

I went to the chamber 30 hours after surfacing. I did two times. The tingling disappeared and after the two visits I felt no (or perhaps very mild tingling, hard to say) in the left hand fingertips. I was given permission to dive again.

I knew that I have to take every precaution before the next dive and the next dive would be a "test" dive. And, in the future, I would do only Nitrox dives with the computer on air. After a break of one month I did my test dive a few days ago. I went down to 55-60 feet (U profile again). I was on 32% Nitrox while the computer was on air. I had a nice and slow dive with no extra muscular activity. I started the ascent at 37 minutes, went up very slowly, stopped for one minute at 30 feet, spent 5 minutes (first at 15 feet, then at 10 feet) and whole dive lasted 46 minutes. I went home and, there is no denying, three hours after the ascent I felt, once again, very very slight, hardly noticable, tingling in the same fingertips (but it was for real as the feeling was different from the feeling of the right hand fingertips). This time I did not go to the chamber and over the course of a few days the tingling has (mostly or completely) disappeared.

Now, I am puzzled and in the process of thinking what is the implication of all this. The test dive was really negative. I had browsed thru this forum and hoped that a "real life test dive with every precaution taken" would result in absolutely no symptoms.

This raises a lot of questions like

I have done 15 liveaboards with max 25 dives in six days. Why did I not get bent on those trips ?

I have done more than 300 dry suit dives, many of them a lot more demanding than the ones described above. Why did I not get bent on those dives ?

Have my fingertips become extra sensitive to DCS ? And if so what will happen if I continue diving.

If I continue diving (ultra conservatively) do I do more damage to my body ?

Should I do another test dive to 30 feet after a break of one month ?



This is a serious matter as it is health related and I am very much conserned about my health. I am 50, very fit, do not smoke, do not drink, exercise a lot. So I don't harm my body by reckless behaviour.

So the simple answer would be to give up diving. But, diving is my obsession.

And, I will consult my dive doctor anyways on this.


All ideas, opinions and advice are greatly appreciated.

BR,

Photographer

 

[victor]

I am not a doctor and no little about DCS and these are only my opinions/questions?

You don't mention if your last "test" dive was a drysuit dive?
If it was then am I right in thinking you have only had these symtoms after a drysuit dive?

If both of the above are true then is it possible that this is not DCS but something else related to diving in a drysuit and cold water?

The tingling feeling in your fingertips may be related to some other condition, e.g. trapped nerve, blood supply, etc, that is agrevated by the cold water / drysuit / or something else related to your test.

If your DIVE doctor agrees then I would sugest you try a very consertive dive in warm conditions before giving up diving all together.

 

[I Dive]

This catches my attention:

"I went down to 60 feet (U profile) on air. The computer started to show me deco at 43 minutes and two minutes later I started the ascent. I spent 8 minutes at 30 feet and then 8 minutes more at 15-10 feet."

For a dive to 60 feet on air, your NDL is 55 minutes on the RDP tables (not sure what tables you use). Why was your computer placing you in Deco at 43 minutes? Beyond that, why did you wait another two minutes before beginning an ascent? Is it possible your computer's depth gauge is off and you were deeper than 60 feet? Do you have training in Deco procedures?

This one also catches my eye:

"Eight hours later at home I felt a little bit of tingling in my left hand fingertips. Having had exactly the same symptoms before I immediately thought that this was a supermild case of DCS.

I went to the chamber 30 hours after surfacing."

Eight hours after the dive you felt the tingling and immediately thought it was DCS and yet it took you another 22 hours to head to the chamber? Why the long delay?

 

[ScubaSteve]

You don't mention if your last "test" dive was a drysuit dive?
If it was then am I right in thinking you have only had these symtoms after a drysuit dive?

If both of the above are true then is it possible that this is not DCS but something else related to diving in a drysuit and cold water?

I am neither a doctor nor a dry suit diver but I think that if all "symptomatic" divers were dry suit dives, I would seriously check the fit of the dry suit. From everything I know (or do not know), it is very easy to get "squeezed" and or "pinched" with a dry suit. I would think that a mild squeeze or pinch would cause similar symptoms but not likely 8 hours later. They, not unlike DCS symptoms, would surface fairly quickly.

Just a thought.

 

[Rick Inman]

Me too with the, I'm not a doctor thing.

I have hand and arm tingling issues. Mine are spine related, not DCS. But certain diving activities can bring it on (carrying the gear wrong, posture in the water, etc).

Your descriptions sound more like what happens to me, not DCS. It would be very unlikely to get bent on a 37 min bottom time at 60' on 32%.

I might ask my doctor to assume that the symptoms are not diving related, and then diagnose from that perspective, and go from there. At the same time, get checked for a PFO.

That's my very-unqualified perspective. Good luck!

 

[D_B]

No doctor but ...
Another thought ... PFO? (Dr. Barry Love - PFO Doctor)
After some first hand knowledge of them, any recurring and unexplained symptoms after diving, I would get tested to see if I had one

I also like the drysuit and/or pinched nerve possibility

 

[Cave Bum]

Another thought ... PFO? (Dr. Barry Love - PFO Doctor)
After some first hand knowledge of them, any recurring and unexplained symptoms after diving, I would get tested to see if I had one

I agree! That would be the first thing to eliminate. When I took my Dive Medical Technician/Hyperberic Technician training in 2005 they said that Patent Foramen Ovales (PFO's) were only present in 20% of the general population but showed up in 80% those treated for Type I DCS. It is a contraindicator to diving.

Now your symtoms don't seem to indicate the more serious type I DCS, but I suggest anyone who's been treated for any form of DCS be tested for a PFO.

For those who don't know the Foramen Ovale is a shunt between the right and left side of the heart, used before birth to bypass the lungs. When we're born a flap drops down and seals over the hole. In 1 in 5 of us it doesn't seal completely so under times of strain, such as performing the valsalva, it shunts bubbles directly to the left side of the heart, bypassing the natural filtering action of the lungs.

Bruce

 

[diver 85]

I would get a 2nd opinion(even 3rd if necessary)------I'm thinking the OP never stated what the ORIGINAL diagnosis(Dx) was ie "The symptoms were very slight and it took me four days to get to the chamber. I went there four times. After the first time the tingling returned immediately after the chamber visit. However, after four visits I felt that the tingling had gone away completely (or almost, it is so hard to say 100 % sure as when you start to listen to your body it is easy to start imaging). The doc gave me persmisson to dive again and after a break of one month I started diving again. And very conservatively." ---looks like someone threw him in a chamber ASSUMING it was DCS.......Not a DCS doc here, but with all the info given, I would bet on non-DCS problems ---sounds more like a squeeze of some sorts(drysuit related)......

To the OP, do these exact profiles in warm water where only a lite shortie of some sort is needed----bet the problems aren't there post dive...good luck, keep us informed.....


TO THE OP---not all doctors know EVERYTHING & sometimes 2 heads(or even 3) are better than one....GET MORE HELP........

 

[Deefstes]

I just want to say that I'm not a doctor either.

 

[reo]

You may want to contact DAN if you haven't already done so. 1-800-446-2671

Ron