Hi
@Mr.Ray
I found myself in a similar position about five years ago (
Sarcoidosis and diving)
Your post prompted me to dig up that thread, and I realised I never followed up on it - the outcome is that I'm back diving again and enjoying it as much as ever.
To recap on my thread, my symptoms where predominantly arthritic ankles and lupus pernio (skin blotches). I felt no difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, but CT scans revealed granulomas in my lungs.
My treatment was a week of bed rest in hospital while they figured out what was wrong with me (I couldn't walk anyway due to a combination of pre-existing plantar fasciitis and the sarcoidosis-induced arthritis) and then onto a course of prednisolone over 3-4 months IIRC.
I had some good advice from
@Dr Simon Mitchell and from the head of the hyperbaric unit at the local hospital. I stayed dry for 12 months, and then had another CT, DLCO and spirometry test before starting diving again - shallow at first (5-8m shore dives).
After another 12 months I book in another CT, DLCO and spirometry, and they all came up good.
Now I'm diving as per normal, and have been getting chest x-rays every 12-18 months just for piece of mind. Not as accurate as a CT, but doctors and radiologists don't generally like subjecting patients to CT levels of radiation simply as a precautionary measure unless an x-ray has highlighted something worth looking further into.
Remember also that there isn't a positive diagnosis for sarcoidosis - it's a diagnosis by eliminating all other causes for your symptoms. Which means that there is no medically objective test for the nature or severity of the disease.
I remember when I first starting reading up about it, I came across so many people had a chronic, severe and often un-treatable symptoms, so if you have found the same I hope my story has given you some hope. But do remember that every situation is different, and if your symptoms linger, your health is more important than looking at rocks and fishes underwater.
Are there any divers familiar with the Löffgren Syndrom? I've been diagnosed with it this week. According to the internet I've seen so far, it's a acute form of sarcoidosis and mostly isn't chronic .
radiopaedia.org
