SSRI's and diving

[jmsdiver]

Looking for information on SSRI's and/or Tetracyclines and diving. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi jmsdiver,

Assuming you mean "tetracyclines" & not "tricyclics," I am aware of no published reports of adverse effects of tetracycline on scuba. This antibiotic is usually well tolerated, with side effects of diarrhea, abdominal pain & vomiting being the most common. It would of course seem unwise to dive if such adverse reactions were pronounced. As you have specified no disease process, the diving implications of the condition for which the drug is being prescribed remain uncertain.

If you mean "tricyclics," a class of drugs used to treat depression (as are SSRIs), then there are implications for scuba. I refer you these URLs for a discussion of the issues.

http://www.scuba-doc.com/deprssn.html

http://www.scuba-doc.com/psych.htm

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such. Medical clearance to dive while under treatment for an affective disorder is the province of your physician.

Best of luck.

DocVikingo