Diving with medication

[Michael J Deely]

Hello everyone

I am a civil servant in NY and recently had an incident at work. I have PTSD AND Depression from the incident. So as a result I am taking .5 mg of Xanex and 10 mg of Paxil once a day. Before the incident I booked a trip to Cozumel.

Can I dive on these meds ?

Please help, Mike

 

[tc]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Moved to diving medicine.

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[TSandM]

Paxil is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. In general, these medications are well-tolerated, and assuming that you have been taking it for some time and have noticed no significant side effects, it's probably not an issue with diving.

Xanax, on the other hand, is a tranquilizing medication, with sedation effects of reduced alertness and slowed reaction time. The dose you are on is low, but this is a medication I would be more concerned about, as its effects may well be additive with nitrogen narcosis.

Most worrisome, to me, would be the symptoms for which you were started on these two medications, because if you are having anxiety attacks or not coping with stress well, that is not a condition to take into the water, particularly deep water.

I would discuss the specifics of your condition and your medications with your physician, although many doctors are not particularly conversant with the issues related to diving. Calling the resource folks at DAN would be another option.

 

[Michael J Deely]

Thank you very much for your help. I have decided to go to Cozumel and just relax. My condition is only temporary, so I will dive another day.

Life is good, Mike

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Mike,

This is a decision to be made between you and your treating doctor.

Before returning to SCUBA, it is prudent that: (a) mental status examination demonstrates the condition(s) to be well controlled; (b) the diver on medication has been on for an extended period and side effects dangerous to scuba are neither reported nor observed upon careful examination; (c) there are no other contraindications in the clinical picture; (d) the diver feels he is up to it and fully comprehends any additional risks; (e) the diver has been cleared for diving by his physician and makes full disclosure to the dive op (which likely will want to see written clearance) and to his/her dive buddy.

Given that the condition is expected to be only temporary and eventual discontinuation of medication is anticipated, it seems a smart decision to skip the diving until the disorder resolves and the meds are stopped.

Regards,

DocVikingo

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.