help! need advice on kicking congestion

[donnad]

hi, i have an upcoming dive trip on july 31st and am battling congestion. got sick on june 30.....chest cold.....went to doc. , not turning into bronchitis or pneumonia, so they prescribed me a decong/antihist./cough syrup all in one. wasn't better a week later, so they called me out an antibiotic (Z-pak or zithromycin i believe it is). finished the anitbiotics two days ago, but it's supposed to still be in your system doing it's job for like several more days. have drainage, productive cough most of the time, clear sputum, but it just hasn't gone away yet. nasal passages are free and clear, but have drainage at the back and chest congestion. must get this stuff gone soon! i'm wondering if an OTC allergy med. might get rid of it or what to do. i've lost alot of sleep as it turns out due to the pseudoephedrine that is the decong. in the above mentioned combination, so i'm not going to take anymore of that. any advice? i have to get rid of all drainage/chest congestion before diving, right? help!!

 

[diverrick]

I am not a Doctor nor do i repute to know about medical illnesses, but with that being said.. Do not dive with sinus congestion!! it is just not worth the pain, and I mean Pain!!!! I had a similar scene years ago.. we had planned a dive for months in advance, when the time came I was congested. I took Sudifed and aspirin and went ahead and dove. Not only could I not make it down after a lengthy suface swim, but I found I could not surface either!! very painful. As you can imagine, you have to come up some time soon, as did I. The pain was beyond any declaration I might make here. I had a reverse block according to the doc I saw afterwards. I had no idea what was wrong, all
I know is that it was beyond what any human should ever have to endure. It felt like my teeth were being pulled out of my head!!
DO not dive if your congested, just that simple, or pay he price like I did. I have found that Diving like Rock climbing can be a safe sport, as long as you follow the rules. break the rules and you open yourself up for an accident that usually causes you pain or injury. That's why they call them rules.