Hello, all...I'm new to the dive scene and am about to do my part I certification this weekend. I'm about to go see a doctor to get a good checkup and to make sure it's okay for me to dive with the following concern: I get migraines every so often (no more than 3-5 times a year), and my neurologist in my hometown (NOT where I'm living now, so I got a new doc) has been giving me verapamil (a calcium channel blocker) to take once a day as preventative therapy. For the most part, it works. The nice thing is, if I forget to take a pill, it's not a big deal (unlike those taking blood pressure meds for actual blood pressure problems, right?). And I'm familiar with my migraine tendencies, in that 85% of my migraines result from dietary changes, with the other 15% resulting from stress. What are my chances for medical release rejection? What kind of effect is diving going to have on my migraines OR my blood pressure meds? Should I bother taking a pill the day I dive? Thanks, everyone.
I Take Verapamil...Can I Dive?
- Thread starter Pryoras
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DallasNewbie
Contributor
I also take Verapamil daily for migranes. I called DAN before I started diving and they told me that the Verapamil would most likely not be a problem, but that it's side effects might mask the symptoms of DCS. The doc I spoke to at DAN also told me that migranes may contraindicate diving for some people. Talk to your doctor, and if they are unsure have them call DAN.
Saturation
Medical Moderator
Alas, its not contraindicated, but migraine is a problem in diving. If you get an attack it cannot be differentiated from neuro bends or AGE. I presume migraine is a standing well evaluated diagnosis, often there are underlying diseases than act like migraine that have not been fully evaluated, such as intracranial aneurysms. There are also different kinds of migraine, manifesting from just headaches to frank paralysis.
Luckily, hyperbaric 02 seems to treat migraine, so diving will be likely ok and thus, may prevent the attacks but there is a poorly substantiated report that withdrawal from hyperbaric 02 may rarely trigger migraine or any event that causes c02 retention at depth, like exertion. Then, if they suspect DCI and chamber you, the relief of symptoms with 02 or recompression will suggest DCI when it could only be migraine.
Bottom line, if your attacks occur frequently such as at least yearly, its best a clearance be signed by a diving medicine physician and your neurologist.
Verapamil is not a known issue in recreational diving, however even at the proper dose it can cause increasing levels of heart block that one could become prone to as one ages, besides hypotension. Add to this the risk of bradycardia of diving [although its more associated with freediving than scuba due to breatholding] that I would encourage an alternative or avoid the use of this drug during dives. As the drug is generally disfavored because of these side effects, it increasingly has less users and thus, less experience among potential divers [its common use was for hypertension.]
Luckily, hyperbaric 02 seems to treat migraine, so diving will be likely ok and thus, may prevent the attacks but there is a poorly substantiated report that withdrawal from hyperbaric 02 may rarely trigger migraine or any event that causes c02 retention at depth, like exertion. Then, if they suspect DCI and chamber you, the relief of symptoms with 02 or recompression will suggest DCI when it could only be migraine.
Bottom line, if your attacks occur frequently such as at least yearly, its best a clearance be signed by a diving medicine physician and your neurologist.
Verapamil is not a known issue in recreational diving, however even at the proper dose it can cause increasing levels of heart block that one could become prone to as one ages, besides hypotension. Add to this the risk of bradycardia of diving [although its more associated with freediving than scuba due to breatholding] that I would encourage an alternative or avoid the use of this drug during dives. As the drug is generally disfavored because of these side effects, it increasingly has less users and thus, less experience among potential divers [its common use was for hypertension.]
DallasNewbie
Contributor
Thank you for the info. The DAN doc I spoke to did not indicate that there was any increased risk associated with the Verapamil, other than the danger of having a migrane under water. Fortunately(?) I can always tell when I am going to get a bad migrane, I have about an hour warning. I guess I need to speak to my neurologist about alternatives.
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