smoking & diving

[scubadoc]

Agree with everything that Dr. Reinertson has said about quitting smoking! However, there is one problem with diving while taking Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban)- it has a fairly high incidence of causing seizures and would place a diver at some risk for drowning if this were to occur underwater. In fact, it was taken off the market due to concern over drug-induced seizures but was reintroduced in 1989 as an anti-smoking drug. All anti-depressants have some risk for causing seizures, Bupropion is just worst than others (1/2000).

Skowron DM, Stimmel GL. Antidepressants and the risk of seizures.
Pharmacotherapy 1992;12:18—22.

 

[Thistle]

I agree that you can find a great deal of help in all that medical stuff. I also think that meeting other people who faced the problem before is a good thing to do.
My ideea is that if you want to get read of it you should start with small things around you. I noticed that I smoke a lot when I am around people who are doing the same thing. I work in a sort of "smoking environment". I was away for a month, one year ago, and I was able not to smoke at all. If people around you are smoking this is giving you a feeling that this is not so bad or is not such a big deal.
I think it is good to let people around you be aware that you are trying to quit. Even if they are smokers they should respect your oppinion. They may even help you. It is always easier to do thing for others than for youself.

To get back to the main issue: forget about smoking and diving. Diving is a very risky thing to do. If you are aware of the things that can happen and you learn how to prevent them it can be fun. No matter how good you are it can always happen something that can harm you or put you in significant danger. So please do not make it worse. You do not need to agaravate the situation more than that. This is not for guys who go once a year, 10mt depth. If you really want to know something about the pleasure of diving you should go deeper and longer. And if you do that you plenty of things to worry about.
Victor

 

[Mario S Caner]

Victor,
Great point regarding the possibility of an environment change helping kick the habit. My parents used to smoke like chimney's... they don't any longer because I pleaded wih them until they did.

I now live in a house with two roomates both of which smoked until recently... I've been encouraging them to reduce and then kick the habit all together. It bother's me more than most bothersome things do, therefore when they did smoke, it was always outside on the back patio. I'll be damned if I'll let someone poison me with their second hand smoke. One more thing... I don't date women that smoke either... which narrows down the selection process quite a bit out here in sunny SoCal... no worries though, it's quality not quantity that counts in that area... hehe...

Mario

 

[LoCz]

Good posts

Well im 26 and iv been smoking since the age of 17. Its v sad when i think about it because i used to Run cross country for Humberside in England and i used to play Ice hockey (the most physically demanding sport i have ever encountered) for Humberside...as well as many other sports. Since i became a Student at University (the last 4 years) i have smoked much more because of the fact we are always in the pub. Drink is my fuel for smoking, as soon as i have a beer ..thats it i need a cigarette immediately.
Anyway iv always loved snorkeling and used to be v good at holding my breath underwater at about 2 minutes 40 seconds.

iwent snorkeling last month to Florida for the first time in about 3 years and was disgusted with myself over the fact that i could only hold my breath for 20 seconds ABSOLUTE maximum. This made me realise that i had ruined my lungs...maybe forever i didnt know. But one thing i do know is that im taking my Open water course in the next few months and i need to get fit and expel as much tar from my lungs as is humanly possible

Any advice on doing this Doc? exercises and the such...
Oh yeh - How long would it take a smoker like myself (X-SMOKER as of 2 weeks ago ) to get rid of the tar in my lungs? I know you cant give me a very accurate figure ..but a rough one would be great. Thx

 

[LoCz]

I forgott to mention that my life long friend who also started smoking at the same time as me was involved in a near fatal car accident ....and upon arrival to the hospital he had to have his lungs sucked of tar from smoking. Now my friend has 100% dissolved oxygen in his blood the lucky sod....hmmm i wish i could get my lungs sucked

 

[John Reinertson]

Usually within a week, the tiny cilia in your lungs resume sweeping the matter out of your lungs, and within three to four weeks you should be at 90% of your final breathing capacity. That doesn't mean that you'll get to 90% of what you were at before smoking, but you'll be pleasantly surprised, I think.
That also won't get you back to the physical condition you were in for running and hockey, that will take fitness training also. But there's no question that lungs clear themselves, and although it's not the same as never having smoked, your Carbon monoxide levels and oxygen capacity do recover quickly.
Each day of smoking contributes a little bit of irreversible decline, so don't delay.

Good luck. Dive often and breathe clean!
John Reinertson

 

[LoCz]

Heh thx I feel a bit better after your post now anyway. Although the trachial cilia are probably permanently dead in my case unfortuanately....infact I've never heard of cilia returning to their beating state....my lecturer of biology at university told me that in most cases these cilia undergo irreversible damage , although I suppose it depends upon how long you've been smoking and how many cigarettes you smoke per day.

 

[Thistle]

I think you need at least one year to get read of the tar from your lungs. As far as I know it is possible for lung's cells to regenerate themselves. Good ideea about the open diver course.
About the drinking that goes with smoking that is true. I experience the same temptation when I go party. One option is to find yourself something else to do (not drinking too much) dancing or talking......
Take care.
Victor

 

[Thistle]

Until couple of years ago there was a strong belief within the medical world that the brain cells can not regenerate. They said that a brain cell once dead is dead for good. Now the trend is changed and they realized that the impossible is actualy possible. If that happened I think lots of other things are possible. I also believe that not all the people recover in the same way. It's up to your body. A strong mind helps in these cases. So don't be so tragic about it.
Have a nice dive and a clean breathing, as sombody said before.
Victor

 

[Rick Murchison]

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Rick