New diver who has questions about diving while menstruating

[Darya3018]

Hi guys! I'm planning to get AOW certified in the next few months, and I was wondering about the effects your period can have on diving. i'm not scared of shark attacks or anything, but I've heard that the risk of getting decompression sickness is almost twice as high if you dive on your period! Those stats sound super intimidating to me, and I really don't want to have a bad experience on a dive, even if I did my safety stops and everything. Is the risk of getting decompression sickness too high, and should I just not dive if I get my period?

 

[RainPilot]

I am not a woman, but here are some (possibly) helpful links until someone with practical experience can chime in:

From the horse's mouth as it were, about all facets of women's health and diving:

DAN Explores Fitness and Diving Issues for Women — DAN | Divers Alert Network — Medical Dive Article

Our own homegrown "wisdom":

Diving that time of month
Diva Cup or other recommendation...
Vaginal Cups When Diving?

Random sites, caveat emptor:

Can You Scuba Dive on Your Period?
On A Female Note – Scuba Diving During Period | OK Divers
Girlie talk - diving on your period
Menstrual cups - The advantages of using them while scuba diving
Scuba Diving And Menstruation: Is is Safe? What About the Sharks?
Scuba diving on your period - The Occasional Traveller

Oh and enjoy the AOW!

 

[outofofficebrb]

I love diving while on my period. Why? I find that it makes my period shorter and lighter for that cycle. I’m not sure why but I won’t argue with that. I’ve dived on my period a lot. It is a bit of a hassle but it has never been an issue for me. Most recently, I had my period for almost my entire 7 day liveaboard where we did 4 dives a day. No issues there. I use a Suunto so have a pretty conservative computer compared to others but also had long surface intervals since we were on a liveaboard. While there is data that points the way of higher chances of DCS, I would definitely not stop from diving because of it. I don’t think it isn’t significant enough to warrant cessation of diving.

At that, I use a Lunette menstrual cup and have done so for the past 8 years and haven’t looked back. I highly recommend it.

 

[Rred]

Darya-
I would suggest any new diver join and support DAN. They are the sole source of diver safety information and medical aid in the sport, and well worth membership. They will also answer the phone and email for free. If they can recommend you to a gynecologist who is familiar with diving issues, they will. If they don't have one, they can still refer you to someone who'll have a better medical idea. Or, someone on their staff.

I don't join, or endorse, many organizations. I've supported DAN for many years, because divers NEED that resource.

 

[Kimela]

Unrelated to DCS, but if you have heavy cramping while on your period, try taking peppermint oil capsules. My daughter swears by it. Peppermint is a natural anti-spasmodic and is used for stomach cramping as well.

I'm now post-menopausal, but when I first started diving I worried about sharks while on my period. Never got attacked, and never had a problem with DCS. I wouldn't let it stop me from diving. I would, however, try to plan around my cycle when possible (for convenience).

 

[Hoyden]

Over the years, I have done hundreds of dives while menstruating and other than some additional inconvenience, saw no difference. I also work as a Dive Safety Officer and supervise many female divers. I have never had any reports of any issues that resulted from diving while menstruating.

 

[Ayisha]

No issues whatsoever for me.

 

[morecowbells]

I have never heard of DCS issues increasing or correlating with your period. Mother Nature is such a (blank) to me that out of spite there was a while that a dive vacation was insurance that that time of the month would arrive during my vacation. While horribly inconvenient, there were never medical issues incurred. Sorry guys if this is cringe inducing(aka you have been warned), but a bigger inconvenience and threat to vacation pleasure and are PMS related symptoms. The bloating(struggling to zip up wetsuit), breast tenderness, insomnia, break outs, and oddly in my case, eye dryness and unrelenting motion sickness). By the time the period starts, there is also a sense of relief as symptoms abate. With all the sifts and changes, I honestly would not be surprised that DCS issues are actually more prevalent during PMS than actual menstruation.

 

[ScubaJill]

Only issues I had were peeing during a dive and the effects of ibuprofen which made me a little sleepy. I'm sure that is too much information, but we're all ladies reading this, right? Right?!?!

 

[rivers]

I did a 6 days of diving in Scapa while on my period. 2 dives a day, almost all involving mandatory deco (i think 10 of the 12 dives). No issues. Plus, many, many other dives over the years