Diving while taking Prozac

[OTF]

You might get some anecdotes, a cursory search yields a few relevant medical publications, but unfortunately there just isn't enough research on these things to create definitive evidence-based answers to questions as specific as what the safety margins will be for diving on a specific medication at a specific PO2. Hell, even with medication removed from the equation we don't know why some people tox at relatively low PO2s and some crazy mfers survive ridiculously high ones. If you must dive, best bet is probably sticking to shallow simple dives.

 

[tursiops]

I see you've met @tursiops

There has never been as much as a single documented incident of Nitrogen toxicity during a single tank recreational dive using blends of 40% or less. I think you'll be ok.

It's between him and his PCP; he needs a signature on his medical form. Our opinions mean nothing.

 

[brsnow]

It is likely a good idea to look at why you are on it vs just the physical implications. The biggest safety feature underwater is the ability to not panic when difficult situation arise. My guess is a large part of the diving population is medicated for moth mental and physical reasons, work with your primary care doctor and be honest with yourself. Everyone is different.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

It's between him and his PCP; he needs a signature on his medical form. Our opinions mean nothing.

That's not what the OP is asking for here. He/she is interested in the real-life experiences of people who dive on fluoxetine. I'm actually in agreement that there are probably way more people using it that anyone realizes, and if people are diving on it safely, then that's a data point. We can recommend a conversation with the prescribing physician but we're not here to harangue him/her for asking a question.

That said, if @Happy in Hanford is really 83 years old as it says in his/her profile and is considering doing a deep air dive while taking medications, then a conversation with a diving physician would be a very good idea.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[tursiops]

That said, if @Happy in Hanford is really 83 years old as it says in his/her profile and is considering doing a deep air dive while taking medications, then a conversation with a diving physician would be a very good idea.

He is required to submit a signed medical form for his AOW Deep dive. If he is honest, at least he will have a conversation with his PCP....who probably is not a diving physician. Oh well.

 

[nadwidny]

I was on sertraline (Zoloft) which is also an SSRI, for a few years while still doing deep technical dives with continuous PO2s of 1.3 to 1.6. No problems for me. I suppose that is only a data point but it's a positive data point.

There is no way any doc or DAN will say that what you want to do is OK because they don't really know. FWIW diving was instrumental in getting through some very dark times with my mental health eventually improving enough to be able to get off the drugs. If you choose to keep pursuing diving, hopefully the same works for you.

 

[NothingClever]

@Happy in Hanford

I admire your courage to be candid. Big props for that!

Pretty cool that @nadwidny shared his experience.

Some of my best dives have been super shallow so I hope you don't spend any mental bandwidth pondering deeper dives.

I'm going to cross my fingers you find some great people in your diving circles.

Please come back to let us know how your diving is coming along!

 

[Steel_Stalk]

I just started Prozac about a month ago. I have my adventure dives for my AOW certifications next weekend. I am also trying to get my Nitrox certification and have a Nitrox dive also set for next weekend. My first question is about diving on air. I realize the medical literature says there is at least some increased risk theoretically of oxygen toxicity or nitrogen toxicity and seizures (and likely death) while diving while on SSRIs. I also realize that no medical professional is going to tell you it is absolutely safe due to fear of liability/lawsuits. So my question is this: what is the real-world experience of actual divers on Prozac? There must be thousands of divers on Prozac. Can anyone share their experiences? Has anyone had any problems or heard of any? Are the professionals simply overcautious and scaring people unnecessarily? Moreover, has anyone heard of problems going deep on air with Prozac? I will have to go 100 feet depth on my deep AOW adventure dive next week. My second question is about Nitrox. I am thinking of canceling my Nitrox dive because of risk of O2 toxicity. Is that a good idea? Or should I maybe just ask the instructor if we can do a shallow dive on Nitrox. (I am definitely not going to cancel my other adventure dives!) Or does anyone think I should just take myself off the Prozac? THANKS IN ADVANCE.

I am currently on 20mg fluoxetine, a rebreather, and a part time chamber operator certified to 200’. I was signed off on my dive physical last November and had a 30 second conversation with my MD about potential risks with the medication. I think that taking yourself off of the medication cold turkey could result in “brain zaps” and be even worse for your path of scuba dive training. I typically run my rebreather around 1.2 P02, when I was on OC I would decompress closer to 1.6. I have been technical diving since 2019, 33 y/o male.

To add: I was formerly taking citalopram at the same dose rate when I first started technical diving but it has a shorter half life compared to fluoxetine and my dive doc recommended me off of it for that reason. On citalopram I would occasionally experience mild vertigo when I would rapidly move my eyes back and forth laterally. This never occurred in water only on land.

 

[Steel_Stalk]

He is required to submit a signed medical form for his AOW Deep dive. If he is honest, at least he will have a conversation with his PCP....who probably is not a diving physician. Oh well.

Eh. If most of the 50 (+) year old men that I see diving were being honest on the medical forms they wouldn’t be getting in the water ever. A lot of men I see on any given dive site look like they would suffer from cardiac arrest walking to their mailbox. It’s a social hobby full of beer drinking bros…and I’m one of them.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Let's all remember the special rules for the diving medicine forum. This is a learning zone. Assume good intent. Instead of reacting, respond.

Best regards,
DDM