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idoc,
I've suffered from migraines my entire adult life, and they cause nausea and vomiting. But I've not had one caused by (or even right after) diving.
I have had CO headaches after a dive that were exactly as you described, and they were caused by my not exhaling completely. A dive instructor friend told me to concentrate on fully exhaling - that I would inhale automatically. No CO headache since.
I had sinus problems and have been using a Neti Pot/squeeze bottle for a couple years (after years of all forms of decongestants/antihistamines) and find the Neti Pot is a miracle fix, no drugs needed. There are threads here about all three of these types of headaches as related to diving.
Good luck. Don't give up, there are solutions to any of the above! I literally feel your pain.
I've suffered from migraines my entire adult life, and they cause nausea and vomiting. But I've not had one caused by (or even right after) diving.
I have had CO headaches after a dive that were exactly as you described, and they were caused by my not exhaling completely. A dive instructor friend told me to concentrate on fully exhaling - that I would inhale automatically. No CO headache since.
I had sinus problems and have been using a Neti Pot/squeeze bottle for a couple years (after years of all forms of decongestants/antihistamines) and find the Neti Pot is a miracle fix, no drugs needed. There are threads here about all three of these types of headaches as related to diving.
Good luck. Don't give up, there are solutions to any of the above! I literally feel your pain.
OP
idocsteve
Guest
It says "non-drowsy maximum strength nasal decongestant"
"Compare to active ingredient in Sudafed© Nasal Decongestant"
On the back, under Drug Facts it says Pseudoephedrine HCL 30 mg....Nasal decongestant
- Messages
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- Reaction score
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- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Lost another bet. I think the maximum suggested dose for Pseudoephedrine is 60 mg 4 times a day. I buy a generic (sack up all you have - within legal limits) and it comes in 30s, but when I feel the need - 2! Day to day I take 1 before bed.
For dive trips, I like a compound I can sometimes find with 60 mg Pseudoephedrine and 2.5 mg Triprplidine HCl and the max on is is 4 times a day.
- Messages
- 53,667
- Reaction score
- 7,840
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Well, my last post was a hint. I am not qualified to give medical advice, but if 30 mg doesn't work, and 60 mg every 4 hours not to exceed 240 mg in 24 hours is allowed on some boxes - I'd pop a 60 at bedtime (doesn't keep me awake), a 60 when I wake up, and one more 4 hours later.I guess I lose too.
That means Sudafed is unlikely to help me any more than the generic.
But there are antihistamines to consider as well. Even tho not sea sick, I've seen at least one occasion when a diver incurred motion sickness during the dive. She was very prone to motion sickness anyway but worked thru the 3 hour trips out from NC because she wanted too be a dive tour operator, getting better over years but always prone. Anyway this surprise happened in the St.Lawrence when hundreds of small fresh water sponges were floating in the water, causing her mind vs body reaction. My point is: stranger things happen at times.
I do not know how to rule our CO2 retention as suggested by others, or for that matter how you ruled out CO in the tanks since some studies suggest measurable amounts in 3% of tanks tested even without smoking gun type evidence.
Good luck...!
OP
idocsteve
Guest
At the advice of DAN, I saw an ENT this morning.
He's fairly certain that my symptoms are due to nasal congestion and blocked sinuses. He gave me an rx for Flonase and Singulair.
We'll see how it goes next week in Curacao, although I dove about 10x in Florida and Cozumel and Caymans in January and had no problems which points towards the diagnosis of "nasal congestion secondary to environmental allergens" which are not present in the tropical locations I have dived recently.
If it was C02 retention, or TMJ, or ascending too quickly, I would have been plagued with this problem on those dives as well. Especially when you consider that my recent Northeast dives were shallow <60 feet, and the dives in the tropics were as deep as 105'.
He's fairly certain that my symptoms are due to nasal congestion and blocked sinuses. He gave me an rx for Flonase and Singulair.
We'll see how it goes next week in Curacao, although I dove about 10x in Florida and Cozumel and Caymans in January and had no problems which points towards the diagnosis of "nasal congestion secondary to environmental allergens" which are not present in the tropical locations I have dived recently.
If it was C02 retention, or TMJ, or ascending too quickly, I would have been plagued with this problem on those dives as well. Especially when you consider that my recent Northeast dives were shallow <60 feet, and the dives in the tropics were as deep as 105'.
I, too, have suffered from migraines my entire life, and went through a period in the 80s wherein they were triggered after nearly every dive (usually in a drysuit). Flonase was prescribed for me as well...I still occasionally get a severe post-dive headache. My primary care physician -- a diver, former Navy DSO, and hyperbaric specialist -- advised me (when feeling the headache begin during the dive) to exhale from my nose upon ascent. Glad you sought DAN's advice first. But if you do try my doc's nasal exhalation, let me know if it works...
OP
idocsteve
Guest
I just returned from a week in Curacao.
I started the Singulair and Flonase a couple of days before I left.
The first day or two I experienced a few headaches, one or two were moderate to the point that I needed to rest for a few hours following the dive. They cleared up after that and I had no further problems even on a dive where I hit my record max depth of 132 feet.
I changed nothing about my breathing or ascents or descents, so I think I can rule out some of the possible causes mentioned by the helpful posters on this thread.
Seems to me the only possibility is my sinuses, question is did the meds help or was it the change of environment?
The only way to know is to do another dive up here in the Northeast while I continue the meds.
Unless anyone has other ideas I didn't think of.
I started the Singulair and Flonase a couple of days before I left.
The first day or two I experienced a few headaches, one or two were moderate to the point that I needed to rest for a few hours following the dive. They cleared up after that and I had no further problems even on a dive where I hit my record max depth of 132 feet.
I changed nothing about my breathing or ascents or descents, so I think I can rule out some of the possible causes mentioned by the helpful posters on this thread.
Seems to me the only possibility is my sinuses, question is did the meds help or was it the change of environment?
The only way to know is to do another dive up here in the Northeast while I continue the meds.
Unless anyone has other ideas I didn't think of.
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