bfd_dan:
Okay last fall I got sick due to a spot of irritated tissue within my colon. Due to the bleeding at that location I lost a bit of blood and my iron levels dropped. Since then I have been treating it with Asacol and have never felt better. My last checkup (in december) showed it healing very well. My question is can I still dive? I have had NO signs of bleeding in 8 months and feel great! My big concern is locating a dr. that will sign me off. No longer live near the dr that treated me and am not sure if he is still practicing. Please, anyone with info post.
DW
bfd_dan,
There are really two different "problems" here and the answers are different.
First, there are many causes of anemia...blood loss, iron deficiency, leukemia to name a few. Identify the problem and solve it if possible. Whe the anemia is gone, you can dive safely. If you cannot solve the anemia, you may have to avoid diving.
Second, your anemia is secondary to GI bleeding. This is no different than if you donated blood or had severe bleeding from an injury. Essentially, your blood system is normal but you haven't replaced the blood yet...you are anemic. The solution is to stop the bleeding and wait an appropriate time for your body to replace the lost red blood cells...about 120 days.
You shouldn't have a problem with a Dr. sign off if....there has been no bleeding since your last episode and your red blood count is normal. A simple blood test will determine if your blood is up to snuff.
On the other hand, if you continue to have bleeding then your underlying problem is not solved. If your blood test still shows anemia then don't dive. It is possible to have slight bleeding and no anemia. You could probably dive but are at risk for loss of more blood and have a serious problem.
As long as there is bleeding, you Dr. might not sign off.
Larry Stein
