skin bends in Coz.,,

[waldick]

Hi,
I am in Coz two days of diving, 4 dives total....1st dive 42 feet max, 64 minutes, 2nd dive 69 feet max, 62 minutes, next day, 95 feet, 51 minutes, 2nd dive 71 feet, 56 minutes...all within non deco limits of my computer...after firtst day i had slight abdominal pain, after secon day i had more abdominal pain and blotchy skin on my right shoulder...went to Dr. Piccolo, he said skin bends stay cool for three or four days, no diving for 6 MONTHS....so here is my question, skin discoloration has gone away overnight, and abdominal pain is much better...i have 7days left on Coz....how about 1 or 2 shallow dives on nitrox towards the end of my stay...btw Dr said no neuro effects at all...

ok, so here is the rest of the story, last November we dove here too and i had the same thing happen early on in our vacation, but i didnt think it was dcs and kept diving and it went away when i got how...however,it was same arm, same blotchy skin, same abdominal pain....

i can live with the pain, but i dont want to do anything that will permanently hurt me....

thanks for any advise you can give....


(46 years old, male, 210lbs, 5-11)

 

[Allison Finch]

Skin bends has had a certain assoc. with a particular heart problem. I cannot remember what it was. My sister had skin bends in PNG and she DID NOT dive afterwards. I would highly recommend against it. Do a search on it and get checked out for that heart problem. Curing that might just cure the DCS problem too.

 

[El Orans]

If the doc says don't dive, well... don't dive!
Your health is worth more than a trip to Coz.

 

[Xizang]

I can't believe you even thought of going back to the water! Man you are one brave fellow.. Stay out of the water dude, nobody can predict DCS.. I witnessed a girl in a in a local divesite do a dive to 60 ft ascended the right way, did a 3 minute safety stop and 3 hours later half of her body is paralyzed..

 

[Rick Inman]

Gee, Dr. Piccolo, who is famous for his consistent and frequent excellent diagnoses and treatment of DCS said not to dive for six months. But wow-wee, one of us yahoos on ScubaBoard might say, gosh and golly, why not make a few shallow nitrox dives. And so then you might really do it.

With that kind of judgment, you might think of changing to a safer hobby, like watching TV (and don't stick your fingers into the back of the TV set, ok?).

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello waldick:

PFO

There has been a reported relationship between a PFO and skin blotching [skin bends]. Some of the references from Dr Wilmshurst are below.

You might wish to have a check made for a PFO as your diving has produced some reoccurring problems.

Dr Deco :doctor:

Readers, please note the next class in Decompression Physiology is September 10 – 11, 2005 :1book:
http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/advdeco.htm


References :book3:

Wilmshurst P, Pearson M, Nightingale S. Re-evaluation of the relationship between migraine and persistent foramen ovale and other right-to-left shunts. Clin Sci (Lond). 2005 Apr;108(4):365-7.

Wilmshurst P. Large right-to-left shunts are associated with both spinal and cerebral
decompression illness. Crit Care Med. 2004 Sep;32(9):1983; author reply 1983.

Evans RW, Wilmshurst P, Nightingale S. Is cardiac evaluation for a possible right-to-left shunt indicated in a scuba diver with migraine with aura? Headache. 2003 Mar; 43(3):294-5.

Wilmshurst P, Nightingale S. Relationship between migraine and cardiac and pulmonary right-to-left shunts. Clin Sci (Lond) (England), Feb 2001, 100(2) p215-20

Wilmshurst P, Bryson P. Relationship between the clinical features of neurological decompression illness and its causes. Clin Sci (Lond) (England), Jul 2000, 99(1) p65-75

 

[iowasnowboarder]

Hi,
I am in Coz two days of diving, 4 dives total....1st dive 42 feet max, 64 minutes, 2nd dive 69 feet max, 62 minutes, next day, 95 feet, 51 minutes, 2nd dive 71 feet, 56 minutes...all within non deco limits of my computer...after firtst day i had slight abdominal pain, after secon day i had more abdominal pain and blotchy skin on my right shoulder...went to Dr. Piccolo, he said skin bends stay cool for three or four days, no diving for 6 MONTHS....so here is my question, skin discoloration has gone away overnight, and abdominal pain is much better...i have 7days left on Coz....how about 1 or 2 shallow dives on nitrox towards the end of my stay...btw Dr said no neuro effects at all...

Yes your computer samples your depth basically continuously, but 95' for 51 minutes is way the heck beyond NDL on my PADI chart. Now that I look at it so is 69 feet for 62 minutes (I'll overlook the deeper repetitive dive.), and the 71 feet for 56 minutes is beyond NDLs on my chart. Anyone else notice this?

 

[ArcticDiver]

Hi,
I am in Coz two days of diving, 4 dives total....1st dive 42 feet max, 64 minutes, 2nd dive 69 feet max, 62 minutes, next day, 95 feet, 51 minutes, 2nd dive 71 feet, 56 minutes...all within non deco limits of my computer...after firtst day i had slight abdominal pain, after secon day i had more abdominal pain and blotchy skin on my right shoulder...went to Dr. Piccolo, he said skin bends stay cool for three or four days, no diving for 6 MONTHS....so here is my question, skin discoloration has gone away overnight, and abdominal pain is much better...i have 7days left on Coz....how about 1 or 2 shallow dives on nitrox towards the end of my stay...btw Dr said no neuro effects at all...

ok, so here is the rest of the story, last November we dove here too and i had the same thing happen early on in our vacation, but i didnt think it was dcs and kept diving and it went away when i got how...however,it was same arm, same blotchy skin, same abdominal pain....

i can live with the pain, but i dont want to do anything that will permanently hurt me....

thanks for any advise you can give....


(46 years old, male, 210lbs, 5-11)

Let's see now...You have the advise of a MD who personally examined you and knows all the pertinent data about you. He's told you not to dive. BUT; you want a second opinion from people you don't know, who haven't seen you or examined you and have unknown qualifications.

Further, instead of seeking a follow-up with a medical provider who can examine you and get a complete picture, again you want advise from unknowns who don't know you and do not know and cannot know all the facts.

Surely you see that makes no sense. If not, maybe you have Real Life confused with Cyber Life?

 

[DiveGolfSki]

... so is 69 feet for 62 minutes (I'll overlook the deeper repetitive dive.), and the 71 feet for 56 minutes is beyond NDLs on my chart. Anyone else notice this?

He wasn't clear whether he was on nitrox or straight air. If he was on air, you are right but on Nitrox, he might be ok. For example, NAUI's RGBM table at 36% has a NDL of 110 min at 70fsw and 65 min at 80 FSW. Of course, that assumes a 3 hr SIT.

 

[DrSteve]

I read it that he was listing the maximum depth. I've done several dives where I hit 90 feet for 2-3 mins and then completed the remainder of the dive in the 50-60 bracket.

If you really want to get in the water...go for a snorkel. It's not scuba, but I saw some great life snorkelling in front of the Casa Mexicana (near Senior Frogs), angel fish, parrot fish, urchins, anemones, bait fish.