Uncomfortable question

[oldfather]

I know this is hardly a topic for open discussion, but I would like to know if I have got the reason for throwing up after a dive right.

Here goes...: I didnt vacate my bowels before the dive and it was clearly a mistake as I felt a pressing need for 'letting go' every time I surfaced. I assume it is because I relax when under pressure and the muscles are still quite relaxed on the surface - thus the need to re-engage the sphinkter.

The max depth was around the 20 metre mark. I started to feel increasingly ill. A slightly nauseating feeling every time I surfaced. I mannage to consentrate quickly enough on my breathing and forget about the ill feeling. I feel very good and very relaxed when down.

I must have had nearly 12 decents and on the last surfacing the illness overcome me and the vommiting started. It felt just like when sea sick. I felt perfectly fine after the first good mouth full of insides came outside.

Could it be as a result of diving with a big poo?

Embarasingly yours,

Oldfather

 

[Ronnie]

I suspect you have a touch of D&V, probably norovirus. It's the season for it.

 

[oldfather]

Doubt it, but thanks for your damning diagnosis Ronnie

 

[skycatblue]

My question is: what was it like on the surface, between descents? Especially, what were the waves like? I'm asking because if there were waves, I think there is a chance that you could simply have been seasick. I have gotten seasick while spending a lot of time on the surface in wavy conditions - you don't have to actually be on a boat - and like you, I felt fine once I descended. And, in case you're thinking "But I've never gotten seasick before" and/or "But I've been diving under conditions like this plenty of times and not gotten seasick," seasickness, like the bends, is a vague and varied thing. I've been fine and gotten sick under almost identical conditions.

Personally, with my limited (i.e., diving-centered but not medically trained) knowledge of anatomy, I don't think that your vomiting and your full colon are directly related to each other. If you had a bowel that was full (or full-enough) to cause problems, that would lead to bowel-related problems, not vomiting. Without further info, my first guess is seasickness.

 

[cdavis]

skycat's analysis is the most likely. I've had similar experience.

 

[oldfather]

Skycatblue and Cdavis,
thank you very much.
It is very likely that I had a bout of seasickness as I am very prone to getting sick when the sea is bobbing me about.
this day the sea was flat calm, but still, there were a little bit of moment on the surface that I wont rule seasickness out.

I was just conserned that it could have been some sort of response from the full colon pressing wrongly somewhere on an internal gland or nerve or something that made me sick, but if you are right then it seems not.

I am very new to freediving and in my few outings on the open water this was the first time feeling ill while diving. I was fine on the boat.