DCI - permanent damage/weakness

[applepie]

Just to clarify I have asked my GP but not a diving doctor.

as far as I know DCI can cause permanent damage etc if severe enough, etc.

however, in my situation after my errr 50/50 possible bend, i have noticed that my left arm particularly in the joint is a lot weaker which coincides with the side i thought got whacked. (this being what something like a year on or something like that)

comes and goes but it feels like hot liquid very rapidly flowing across the veins and felt in the joint for a few milisecs/secs. which leads to sudden loss of muscle control. i've had v.brief spasms where my left arm goes limp for 1-2 secs whch occurs very rarely. ontop of the decreased muscular strength.

nerves misfiring?

GP says sounds like nothing as symptoms are vague and only happens very rarely.

which may be true, as I had similar problems with my left knee after i fell off a cliff and bashed it, cant remember if it was after the first or 2nd time that happened.

[milldog]

There is some thinking that DCI now has effects that last for years both on the damage that accrues at the time of the incident and the subsequent problems that arise after the incident, weakness, bruising, muscle spasms and craps specific to one or two areas

I'm no doctor so please ask someone who is a specialist in this area

some of the people i have spoken to continue to take aspirin and finds that helps, but the study into long term effects is always ongoing, i would suggest that you talk to one of the re compression centre doctors and ask if they have had anything like this and what they have found to work for their patents

Graham

[Hellvet]

How long ago was your recompression?

Again - ask a diving doc...

But - as a personal response, i found that the arm i had muscle pain in took weeks for the pain to ultimately resolve, which the chamber did tell me about as it was the muscle/nerve healing from the physical damage. As it wasn't improving they stopped recompressing me but sent me home with painkillers and advice to rest it. It STILL (2 1/2 y later) aches in that spot if i overdo things, which they also said could occur (due to a weak spot/scar tissue?)

I also went to a DCI seminar the other day when a doc mentioned that a lot of people find they get neck (arthritis) pain after a bend, and that most of the time they were going to get it anyway, its just that the muscle weakness after the 'injury' (which is ultimately what an episode of DCI is) allowed it to show earlier... not sure i've got that quite right mind!

Ultimately i'd go back to the doc and check, and i'd go back to one at the chamber you were treated at if poss...they're the only ones that can give you a definitive diagnosis/prognosis and sort out appropriate treatment if required!

[Ahoy]

Rule of thumb: any new symptoms after diving should raise the possibility of DCI. Although your symptoms have been assessed and your GP feels they are vague, if it was me, i'd ring up the nearest chamber to discuss them with someone in the know. I can't stress the importance of this enough. You cannot get advice over the internet that will address this, or if you do, i'd not rely on it. How long after the possible hit has it been?

HTH,
S.

[Rob Dobson]

Could easily be neurological but whether down to DCI or something else entirely is a conversation you'd need to have with a specialist.

Should be easy enough to have checked out if only for your peace of mind.

[divegyrl]

Originally Posted by Hellvet

I also went to a DCI seminar the other day when a doc mentioned that a lot of people find they get neck (arthritis) pain after a bend, and that most of the time they were going to get it anyway, its just that the muscle weakness after the 'injury' (which is ultimately what an episode of DCI is) allowed it to show earlier... not sure i've got that quite right mind!

That is what he said, he also said as we get older degenerative changes are going to happen, the 'injury' just 'brings on' the symptoms

As everyone else has said, chat with a diving doc, the guys at LDC are very knowledgeable, I have also been to Wipps Cross & heard talks from the DDRC and would use these guys also as an excellent resource.

The DCI Seminar is going on a 'road trip' later this year, if you hear about it in your area I would recommend attending. It was an interesting day, & there were LOTS of veggie sandwiches!

[Steve S]

Hi there, as others have suggested I think you need to talk to a hyperbaric centre or a diving doc as I was told that I shouldn't dive if I had any symptoms remaining from my hit.

Better to be safe than sorry I reckon.

Good luck.

Safe diving,
Steve