Diving and Diabetes

[Seabear70]

My brother is a long time diver and instructor who is about as stuborn as the end of time.

He was also recently diagnosed with diabetes. He was diagnosed due to symptoms brought about due to lack of treatment. Specifically he went into shock of some sort and was taken to the emergency room a couple of weeks ago. More recently he suddenly lost the ability to see further than about a foot, I am told this may have been due to a doctor perscribing medication that he was allergic to, but he has been refered to a diabetes specialist for treatment of this problem.

My problem is that I know for a fact that he will not give up diving. My question is, is this a problem? What are the risks associated with diving and diabetes? He is also on pain killers for carpal tunel.

Ok, he's not a real healthy guy, and he can be a major ***, but he is my brother.

 

[Wildcard]

If he can keep his BS at stable levels he may get the OK to dive. I did a dive today with a gal who is sight impared and diabetic with a pump. She got approved, somehow and did just fine.

 

[Seabear70]

Any Idea how to treat deal with insulin shock during deco?

 

[Wildcard]

Id never do a deco dive with a diabetic. Keep em shallow and watch them very close. My "student" has to dive with an escort due to her inability to see gagues and the need for someone to watch her close. Even at that it's high risk so dont push it. Get the persons PMD to talk with them or be refered to a spec.

 

[Superheat]

I'd like to weigh in here. I am a Diabetic,insulin dependent, there are more than a few diabetics that dive here's kind of a rundown on my experience. I was approved to dive by a DAN referred doctor that worked in a deco chamber at the hospital and he said something to the effect that if you shouldn't dive you probably shouldn't DRIVE (as in an automoblie). I am a steamfitter by trade which at times is not an easy job but diving is not even a drop in the bucket in comparison to the stresses my "regular" job has me under. If your brother is diabetic and regains control of his BS diving is no big deal. . . . Diving will affect BS in a positive way, as any exercise will, but need not be considered dangerous to yourself nor your buddy. I will usually let my BS drift up a little higher before a dive, say 180 and when i get back out my BS is about normal. I have been diving several years with the condition and have not had any problems. If a diabetic can control his BS on a normal basis for an average lifestyle he can handle deep and repetitive diving quite easily; diabetes is controllable you know. I always carry some candies and insulin on board a trip as well as a test meter. I check just before a dive and just afterward and adjust as I need to. Gatorade is a good way to pick up a low BS quickly if need be and is also a good "re-hydration " drink. Simply put, most dives in our realm of diving "the recreational diver" usually are under 1 hour in duration (below the surface) and a diabetic that is at least decent in his sugar control, 1 hour is not a big deal away from sugar and insulin both.
Seabear, about your brother's eyesight: very high blood sugars over 300 for extended period can cause high pressure of some sort on the retina that will blur vision and even darken your world a bit. I had a similar experience when first diagnosed and that is what was told to me by diabetic educator. My vision returned to normal after about two weeks after my sugars remained below 300.
Diving is only going to be as dangerous as you make it. Diabetes when controlled isn't really a big deal even when diving, but out of control it is very dangerous. It is a good courtesy to let your buddy, at least, know that you are diabetic when diving just to be safe and let them know what to do if a problem arises.
To deal with insulin shock during deco or any time is to get them sugar, Gatorade or glucose gel will get you out of the woods in a few minutes. Insulin shock in most people does not happen all of a sudden and symptoms are quite evident leading up to it. I can tell and so do most diabetics I have run across.
For more information talk to DAN (divers alert network) I think they have or are in the process of conducting their own study.

 

[GoBlue!]

Seabear,

Sorry to hear about your brother's recent diagnosis. The controversy of diving with diabetes is not new, and I won't rehash it here. However, I think that folks on BOTH sides of the fence would agree that your brother should not be diving NOW. Currently, he needs to come to terms with the diagnosis, learn about it by attending formal diabetes education courses (usually provided for free by his healthcare provider), and get his blood sugars under control. He has to live & deal with diabetes long enough to understand how his body reacts to different situations (stress, exercise, different meal types, etc.), how his body responds to varying insulin doses (if he needs it), etc. Once he has stabilized & is comfortable with controlling his disease (rather than his disease controlling him), THEN he should discuss the return to diving with, preferably, a dive physician.

As for the eyesight, very unlikely to be an "allergic" reaction. Much more likely to be a consequence of his diabetes, and very well could be temporary. I'm sure his docs are on top of this.

Standard disclaimers about this being a post for educational use only, doesn't consitute a patient-physician relationship, see your own doc, yadda yadda all apply. (So sad that we live in such a litiginous society that we even have to write this...or feel that we need to....)

Jim

 

[RFslats]

Sea Bear, I have been diving twice a week for over five years with diabetes 2. Live- aboards, Bahamas, Caribbean and the frigid waters of Northern Ontario. The main thing you have to do, is make sure your BS is under control. Go to Yscuba on the net and look for --- Protocol for divers with Diabetes.. This eased my mind and enabled me to tell anyone that may have been nervous concerning my ability to go fly a kite.

 

[Seabear70]

Thanks everybody for your input.

Any Idea how to keep him from gorgeing himself at buffets now?

 

[divingcat]

I think it is useful for you to read:

www.daneurope.org/eng/english.htm

then click "research/medicine", and then "Questions & Answers"

Then find "Diabetes".

 

[tachyon]

I'm a latecomer to this conversation, but you might find the document at this link interesting. It is the SSI statement of the YSCUBA Diabetic Protocol. Your brother and his health care professionals should review this and determine whether he can safely continue to dive.

http://www.scubasciences.com/pdf files/Medical Stuff/ssi-diabetic information.pdf

This protocol and the resulting body of evidence indicate that diving with diabetes, just like diving itself, is safe when done properly.

Standard disclaimers apply... I'm not a doctor, lawyer or indian chief. Do your own research and make your own decisions.

tachyon