no more diving

[Madmax7]

Tough news. I'm far from knowledgeable on the issue so not sure what's possible, but hoping you and your docs can work out some ways to improve your situation and get you back in the water.

 

[jengineer61]

definitely find a doctor that dives and knows his heart stuff. Dad Had a-fib and as soon as he got it I told him he needed the paddle to shock the heart back to proper cadence. 6 month later the Doc did that but muscle has memory and 3 days later back to a-fib. Lived with it for 8 years but PITA

 

[boulderjohn]

Try a different doctor. I know people who dive with both trial flutter and atrial fibrillation with the blessing of knowledgeable doctors.

 

[Kimela]

If you could comfortably stay at less than 60 feet would that be ok for you? For me the answer would be yes. But for many it would be a hard no. Hoping you find a path that leads to more diving.

 

[MB NZ]

my understanding, and that is very little. is that the heart, has 4 sections, in my case the top two sections are not beating in sync, and the heart is beating at 150 beats per minute

Sounds like you have a good understanding of the condition.

I didn't enjoy being in atrial fibrillation. It left me short of breath. The treatment was almost as bad (high does flecainide taken as needed), but it would put me back in to sinus rhythm within a few hours. There's no way I would consider diving while in atrial fibrillation or if I was feeling the side effects of flecainide, but everyone is different.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I did go to see a doctor in Toronto who is considered the best in scuba diving.. I believe it is the meds that are the main problem in diving, period. He told me if I wanted to dive, to not take one of my meds and not to go below 60 feet, to also keep a track of my pulse, if heart beat speeds up, back on the med, no diving. I have one more appointment , early Aug, with my cardioligest, after that, if I am finished with him, I go back to see the scuba doctor and see what happens

Can you say more about the prescriptions you were given for a-flutter and about the particular medication the physician gave the restriction for? Also, may I ask your age?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[ontdiver]

If you could comfortably stay at less than 60 feet would that be ok for you? For me the answer would be yes. But for many it would be a hard no. Hoping you find a path that leads to more diving.

Good point. This would/could be a good compromise for some shore diving.

 

[arew+4]

Have you had an EP Study/Cardiac mapping?

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Okay, I’m going to chime in here. First, and foremost, don’t take advise from ScubaBoard about your particular situation (exception, DDM). If the docs don’t think you should dive, don’t dive. 150 beats per minute is quite high (from a former USAF Pararescueman and EMT Paramedic). Get healthy, and look at the other side. You have family and friends; if you dove and something happened, they would suffer, greatly. Don’t allow that potential to become reality. Spending thousands on dive equipment and a dive vacation smacks, but that is far less than diving and having something bad happen. Look on the bright side, and get well.

SeaRat
John C. Ratliff, MSPH

 

[Khoujo1]

I'm a physician (Pulm/Critical Care) and not a cardiologist, but I can give some insight here. I also have a family member who wanted to dive but had atrial fibrillation (same family as atrial flutter). There are a few issues to consider:

1. You probably need a full evaluation to see why you have this (echocardiogram, thyroid studies, etc.). The result might affect further recommendations/possibilities.
2. Some patients have their arrhythmia intermittently, while others have it all the time ("permanent"). If only intermittent, it might be worth a study called a Zio Patch that can tell your providers what percent of the time you're in the arrhythmia.
3. If you're symptomatic with the arrhythmia, this would likely preclude any diving as you can't pass out/become short of breath at depth.
4. The major issue with the medication is that you need blood thinners to prevent a stroke. Diving while anticoagulated is risky, especially if you get cut or have spontaneous bleeding in the inner ear.

My family member had a very low percentage of her heart rhythm issue, and her cardiologist (an electrophysiologist who specializes in heart rhythm issues) recommended she could dive if wanted. He said to hold the blood thinners for the brief period of time before and during diving and to monitor her rhythm with a hand held monitor (Apple Watch, KardiaMobile, etc.). If she was in atrial fib then cancel and begin back the blood thinners.

All told, it's key to get good advice from both a dive doctor and an electrophysiologist. Safety should be first, but there are ways to still dive in your situation. Good luck and be safe!