Went diving today. Didn't feel real good when I woke up this morning. Got up at 4 AM. Had a early dive planned with some friends. Felt kinda stuffy. Normally I would have taken a Sudafed when I got up if I was going diving and felt stuffy. Today I didn't. Meet up with my buddies and headed up to Ginnie to do some cave diving. Started feeling alot better on the way. Got there, signed in and headed down to get set up. So far uneventful. Everthing was fine. Still felt stuffy so I took a Sudafed, just 1 mind you, 30miligrams what could it hurt, right! Took them many times before never had a problem before. Went into the water about 10 minutes after I took the Sudafed. Still felling OK. Headed down the eye I was last in the group( there was 4 of us ) We were pulling and gliding through along the floor. All of a sudden my chest felt real tight and I felt short of breath like I couldn't get enough air. I thought maybe just a little tired and slowed down a bit. We got to the Lips and the others went up from the floor to go through and I followed all of a sudden I couldn't see anything but blue and white flashes in front of my eyes. Like a million flash bulbs going off in my face. I was literaly blinded for a few seconds. I stopped closed my eyes the flashes were still there and my chest felt tighter now than before. Not to mention the ringing in my left ear. I signaled the other divers and they came back. I let them know I had a problem and gave the thumbs up. We turned the dive and headed back with me in the lead. By the time I hit the ear exit the flashes had stopped but the chest was tight and the ringing was still there. I exited through the eye the way we came in and even did the saftey stop. Went up sat on the step feeling really spent. My buddies told me my face was white as a ghost. Went and got out of my gear and we talked about what happened. One of my dive buddies today is a pharmacist and he asked me if I had eaton or drank alot of water when I took the Sudafed and I hadn't. He explained to me Sudafed works by shinking the veins and arteries which causes the heart to work harder raising your blood pressure and most likely the Sudafed had disovled at about the time we started the dive and with nothing in my stomach I got a good dose all at one time causing the problems I described.
He said get something in my stomach and drink lots of water and wait a while and see how I feel. I did. The color came back to my face the tightness went away and the ringing stopped. I waited about 90 min got suited up and told them I was going to lead this time just in case. I did the dive went with a hitch. I felt fine the whole time.
Lesson learned Watch how, what and when I take Sudafed.
Sure scared the heck out of me.
He said get something in my stomach and drink lots of water and wait a while and see how I feel. I did. The color came back to my face the tightness went away and the ringing stopped. I waited about 90 min got suited up and told them I was going to lead this time just in case. I did the dive went with a hitch. I felt fine the whole time.
Lesson learned Watch how, what and when I take Sudafed.
Sure scared the heck out of me.
