Divelocked | Itch [work]

Monitor: If joint pain, rash, numbness → Call DAN.

During deco: Stay calm. Don’t scratch. Finish stops. Cool a glove if needed. divelocked itch

| Risk Factor | Reason | |-------------|--------| | | Higher inert gas loading | | Long bottom times (>60 min) | More time for micronuclei formation | | Repetitive dives | Residual gas loads | | Cold water dives | Peripheral vasoconstriction traps gas | | Fast ascent rates (even within deco) | Supersaturation stress | | Dehydration | Slower gas washout | | Post-dive hot shower | Vasodilation + bubble mobilization | | History of mild DCS | Possible subclinical bubble predisposition | | High body fat % | Nitrogen solubility in adipose tissue | 6. Differential Diagnosis (What Else It Could Be) Before labeling an itch as “divelocked,” rule out these mimics: Monitor: If joint pain, rash, numbness → Call DAN

Resolves by 4 hours → Safe. Log it. Modify next dive (more hydration, slower ascent). Finish stops

Not a medical emergency alone, but respect the warning. Divelocked itch is a real, benign-but-miserable phenomenon of technical diving, likely from microscopic bubbles irritating deep itch nerves. It is not DCS, but it is a sign of significant decompression stress. Listen to your body, treat symptomatically, and adjust your diving habits — but never skip deco to escape the itch. That’s why it’s called divelocked .

Surface: NO hot shower. Take cetirizine 10mg or fexofenadine 180mg. Cold packs on low back/thighs. Hydrate.