Sea sickness medication - effect on rebreather diving?

[davidvan]

I’m prone to sea sickness on small boats in large swells. As a result I’ve gotten some prescription medications to take before I get on a boat.
Given that these medications are anti-nauseants, and nausea is a symptom of hyperoxia, is there any official guidance on the usage of these medications while diving a rebreather?
Nausea isn’t the only symptom, so I’m hoping it’s not too much of a problem, but I’m wondering if anyone has any specific experience on this or could point to any incident reports or offical guidance on the matter.

 

[rddvet]

You're asking the wrong people. Call DAN's medical line.
My wife has horrible sea sickness and some of the meds cause more issues such as lethargy and mental slowness than the seasickness itself. Alot will depend on the person. Scopolamine patches knock her out

 

[davehicks]

I use scopolamine and dive ccr and find it to be no problem. If you are using some meds that leave you mentally impaired then you should keep looking for an alternative.

Scopolamine is available in a pill form and might offer a lower dose option for your wife. I have also cut the patches in half and found they still work fine for me. Cutting pills in half is common practice and might be more precise.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

You're asking the wrong people. Call DAN's medical line.

Yes, call DAN.

Some meds alter the convulsion threshold, some lower it some raise it. The DAN folks are more apt to know than anyone else.

 

[jfe]

Have you tried ginger? I'm not being sarcastic here, I have a good friend and dive buddy (a very well educated ENT for that matter) who swear by it. He will always have a bag of ginger chips with him on the boat as he is also prone to seasickness. Only thing to content with then is the ginger flavor recycling in the loop. (kind of why I never eat eggs before a CCR dive)

DAN will know better on the pharmaceutical side

 

[davidvan]

Have you tried ginger?

I've been offered it on some dive boats because that's the only thing they're allowed to give to divers in Australia. I've come across a number of people who it hasn't worked for, so I guess it's not for everyone.

The last time I got sick on a boat I'd taken Kwells beforehand, but it obviously wasn't strong enough. It was particularly bad weather, but I was violently ill.
I've got a couple of stronger prescription meds now, so I think I'd rather work with them than take a punt on ginger.

 

[davidvan]

Thanks for the DAN recommendations. TBH I didn't realise that you could just contact them for advice.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Have you tried ginger?

I have heard this is a good solution for some people.

 

[rddvet]

I use scopolamine and dive ccr and find it to be no problem. If you are using some meds that leave you mentally impaired then you should keep looking for an alternative.

Scopolamine is available in a pill form and might offer a lower dose option for your wife. I have also cut the patches in half and found they still work fine for me. Cutting pills in half is common practice and might be more precise.

tried all of it. Even the halves of the patch and pills made her loopy. Next option will be zofran. It’s really for vomiting and not the vertigo that causes seasickness, but we’re out of options.
And ginger didn’t work either. One of the main reasons we stopped boat diving wasn’t the seasickness. It was dealing with people on the boats that would try and tell her all of their remedies when all she wanted to do was be left alone or dive. People don’t really believe you when you tell them she’s tried it all already and just keep pushing.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

One of the main reasons we stopped boat diving wasn’t the seasickness. It was dealing with people on the boats

Hah--for sure.

It is good you two live close to the caves.