Diabetes and PPO2 exposure

[SamDiver14]

When diving on a boat last year I met a hyperbaric technician who wondered if I ever had problems with my sugar levels and diving nitrox vs. air. I have been a diabetic for five years and am non insulin dependent. My question is, should I worry about an increased sugar metabolization when exposed to a higher PPO2 such as diving EANX at depth? Perhaps surface tension and molecular absorbtion could have something to do with this?

Thanks,
Sam

 

[gtxl1200]

When diving on a boat last year I met a hyperbaric technician who wondered if I ever had problems with my sugar levels and diving nitrox vs. air. I have been a diabetic for five years and am non insulin dependent. My question is, should I worry about an increased sugar metabolization when exposed to a higher PPO2 such as diving EANX at depth? Perhaps surface tension and molecular absorbtion could have something to do with this?

Thanks,
Sam

I'm also a non insulin dependent diabetic and I dive nitrox with no noticeable difference in my sugar levels. I guess I would suggest is under dicreet supervision like your dive instructor dive with nitrox and then after the dive check your glucos. My physysian knows I'm diabetic and also is a diver and she knows I dive nitrox. Also I cant really say if it effects my sugar or not but I keep my sugar levels a little high on dive days. I would rather have a little high level then have it go to low when under water that is not good.

 

[Saturation]

I haven't heard that increased pp02 should alter gluocose uptake. In theory, the deeper a diabetic dove on air, the more a glucose uptake would increase, and there is no data or suggestion this occurs at least in the last study I saw which involved 2 separate depths, 30 and 60':

http://diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=23

It would be better if such a study was done on nitrox rather than air, as one cannot discount if the ppN2 had a 'protective' effect on hypoglycemia.

 

[DiverDuane]

I am an Insulin dependant type I diabetic. I can attest to the fact that my blood sugar does go down at a differnet rate and for sometimes no reason when I dive. I've done a total of 3 nitrox dives (cert dives) and noticed no difference on nitrox compared to air.

 

[rmediver2002]

Would be an interesting study on patients receiving hyperbaric O2 for diabetic ulcers, we used to treat this malady fairly often. The surface medical staff did not check the patients sugar levels at the facility but may have on return to the hospital.

YMCA has a diabetic diver protocol, we had a student who acted as a field test case under the medical supervision of Dr. Duke Scott http://www.ymcascuba.org/ymcascub/diabetic.html might be an additional recource you could contact...

I just checked the YMCA site and there is a sticky about a new protocol at the top but no link...

 

[jeffcali]

remember diving is exercise. it strains the body and thus causes glucose levels to fluctuate.

i've just been diagnosed as of january this year, and i'm 33 yrs old. i'm also insulin dependent and have just returned from 2-3 dives a day for 6 straight days in placencia belize. all on air, since they don't have nitrox down there yet.

i kept on my normal insulin and eating habits, and did notice a slight dip in glucose levels. but nothing serious. even though diving is peaceful, it is still strenuous on the body, if you are not doing pure drift diving...like in cozumel and putting on and taking off the equipment in the water.

i was advised by my dr. to eat a little something before each dive, just to make sure to not go hypo during the dive. i did this the first couple of times, but found that if i wasn't too low to begin with, i could dive without eating a little something before hand.

i had a good lunch in between the first and second dive and shot up as normal, and had no ill effects what so ever. i also completed the 3rd dive without eating a little something before hand with no ill effects.

just watch your glucose levels and make sure you're not starting out too low before diving, or you will have to nibble on a little something to keep the levels slightly above normal, as you will be working a little harder than normal.

remember, everybody's different and their body react differently to every situation. you need to find that happy place with your own body and plan accordingly.

 

[Saturation]

I am an Insulin dependant type I diabetic. I can attest to the fact that my blood sugar does go down at a differnet rate and for sometimes no reason when I dive. I've done a total of 3 nitrox dives (cert dives) and noticed no difference on nitrox compared to air.

Yes, this much is certain, the drop is variable but all diabetics must anticipate a drop while diving, luckily at least via the DAN study, the drops have not been into the hypoglycemic range. For general safety, its suggest DM patients begin their dives in the 160-200 mg/dl zone and plan for a 60mg/dl drop. Test fingerstick glucoses' before and after dives to get a sense of the effect on a particualr diver's body.

I do not know if diving deeper should lower glucoses more. In the DAN study, the decrease did not differ much for dives to 30' or 60'.