wassermann
Guest
It seems everybody recommends Sudafed as a decongesdent, but why, and why can you not use prescription drugs when diving?
Sudafed
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The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
Hey Wasserman,
First let me point out that I am NOT a medical doctor. I am a Network Doctor. Sort of like a marriage counselor for computers... I get them talking again!
That being said, I am NitrOx certified, and if you dive on anything but air... DON'T use sudafed or the like. I have gotten great results from a cortizone spray, called Nasarel. It has cleared up my chronic allergies, and has no side effects on me. It is safe with what ever gas I dive, and is far more effective too. Glad I found it, er or I am glad the Doctor prescribed it.
First let me point out that I am NOT a medical doctor. I am a Network Doctor. Sort of like a marriage counselor for computers... I get them talking again!
That being said, I am NitrOx certified, and if you dive on anything but air... DON'T use sudafed or the like. I have gotten great results from a cortizone spray, called Nasarel. It has cleared up my chronic allergies, and has no side effects on me. It is safe with what ever gas I dive, and is far more effective too. Glad I found it, er or I am glad the Doctor prescribed it.
kauai_diver
Guest
Alot of guys use a sudafed type medication as it will keep the sinus passages really clear and thus, make it easier to clear as you decend. But if you are using Nitrox as I and the NetDoc do, it can be very bad. Most of these type drugs are oxygen excitors and can cause serious problems to people using enriched air for diving. Oxygen toxicity is a bigger concern when using enriched air and if you are taking a oxygen excitor, you can accellerate the oxygen toxicity process.....
You should not need to use sudafed to dive. If you have a cold and can't clear, don't dive. But I do know alot of guys that do this.....
Again I am not a medical doctor.....
You should not need to use sudafed to dive. If you have a cold and can't clear, don't dive. But I do know alot of guys that do this.....
Again I am not a medical doctor.....
scubabunny
Guest
I didn't know that about Nitrox and Sudafed. Thanks for the info.
I think most divers use Sudafed as opposed to other decongestants mainly because it has the least side-effects for most people. It drys up your head enough to equalize without making you sleepy or "loopy". I use it sometimes and it does help me (I ALWAYS have a stuffy head for some reason). I've used regular cold medicine, but it made me groggy. Once, I took some allergy pills instead..and that just made me feel like I was floating about 3 feet. Not a bad feeling..but NOT good when you are diving!
I think most divers use Sudafed as opposed to other decongestants mainly because it has the least side-effects for most people. It drys up your head enough to equalize without making you sleepy or "loopy". I use it sometimes and it does help me (I ALWAYS have a stuffy head for some reason). I've used regular cold medicine, but it made me groggy. Once, I took some allergy pills instead..and that just made me feel like I was floating about 3 feet. Not a bad feeling..but NOT good when you are diving!
kauai_diver
Guest
I'm not specifically saying that sudafed is a oxygen excitor, but alot of antihistamines are, so, read the info provided and if a med is a oxygen excitor, don't mix with enriched air.......bottom line, check it out if using enriched air........
scubabunny
Guest
This says "do not take with with other MAOI drugs. It doesn't say it is an "anti-histomine" (that is on our allergy pill lable).
We do sell a version of Sudafed at the shop called "Diver's choice". We get it from Trident. I will have to check on that. So, its the anti-histomine that messes you up? I'm kind of afraid to start using sprays because I hear you can become addicted to them.
We do sell a version of Sudafed at the shop called "Diver's choice". We get it from Trident. I will have to check on that. So, its the anti-histomine that messes you up? I'm kind of afraid to start using sprays because I hear you can become addicted to them.
OP
wassermann
Guest
Thanks a lot for all the info, I guess I just don't go diving with a cold. We are going to our first island trip ever, too bad.
ScubaBurt
Contributor
Hello Wasserman,
Glad to hear from another Virginian on the board.
Colds are a bummer when you are getting ready for a well deserved dive trip. My basic rule is: If I can not clear my ears on surface or take a deep breath without starting a coughing spasm, I do not dive. Your lungs, sinuses and inner ear do crazy and harmful things at depth if they don't have clear airways. If I feel a cold coming on I load up with Vitamin C and this usually stops the monster before it can take hold. Flo and I both dive Nitrox and have read about the increased risks of cold medications and enriched air. That makes us even more cautious while diving.
Like NetDoc stated before, I also am not a physician, just a diver that made the mistake of trying to dive with a very mild cold. At about 15-20 fsw I thought my head was in a vise with King Neptune's spear sticking in my ears. I had a very nice snorkeling day that day.
Where are you going on your trip?
Good luck and safe diving.
Burt
Glad to hear from another Virginian on the board.
Colds are a bummer when you are getting ready for a well deserved dive trip. My basic rule is: If I can not clear my ears on surface or take a deep breath without starting a coughing spasm, I do not dive. Your lungs, sinuses and inner ear do crazy and harmful things at depth if they don't have clear airways. If I feel a cold coming on I load up with Vitamin C and this usually stops the monster before it can take hold. Flo and I both dive Nitrox and have read about the increased risks of cold medications and enriched air. That makes us even more cautious while diving.
Like NetDoc stated before, I also am not a physician, just a diver that made the mistake of trying to dive with a very mild cold. At about 15-20 fsw I thought my head was in a vise with King Neptune's spear sticking in my ears. I had a very nice snorkeling day that day.
Where are you going on your trip?
Good luck and safe diving.
Burt
BillP
Senior Member
Hi wassermann:
People frequently, and very understandably, get confused when they talk about medications- especially over-the-counter (OTC) medications which I'm convinced the manufacturers intentionally make confusing (grin). For example, there is no medicine called "Sudafed". There is a medicine called "Sudafed 12 Hour Tablets", and one called "Sudafed Sinus Headache Tablets", and one called "Sudafed Severe Cold Formula Tablets", and at least 11 other preparations with "Sudafed" in their name, but there is no "Sudafed". I think that it is VERY important that people are clear on exactly what they are talking about before they give advice on a medication or discuss its effects or side effects. (Regular board readers will probably tell you it is a pet peeve of mine.)
There is also no blanket rule that you can't take prescription (or OTC) medicines when diving. Many are safe and effective. Often the benefits of a medicine outweigh the potential risks. However there is a general recommendation that you not dive when you are in a physical or mental state that would make diving less than acceptably safe. That might include diving when sick, dehydrated, hung over, or on medications that might have effects or side effects that would interfere with diving.
When divers say "Sudafed" they generally mean one of the active ingredients in the "Sudafed" family of OTC meds called pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine belongs to a class of chemicals called sympathomimetic amines. It has effects and side effects similar to amphetamines, ephedrine, and adrenaline. It is not an antihistamine nor does it really excite oxygen. Divers use pseudoephedrine because it shrinks the mucosal linings of the nose, sinus passages, and eustachion tubes and helps with equalization of air spaces. Since it's in the "adrenaline family" it does not (usually) make you sleepy like antihistamines can. The intended "effect" of pseudoephedrine is a beneficial one for divers and it lacks (or has less of) some of the side effects of other medicines that might have similar effects, so it is probably the most often recommended decongestant for diving. At least one study has looked at the effects of pseudoephedrine in diving and found it safe in the environment they studied.*
But remember, pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine in the "adrenaline family" and will have effects similar to adrenaline. It is not really an "oxygen exciter", but I guess you could call it a "nerve exciter". At increased partial pressures, oxygen can also be a "nerve exciter" so there is the theoretical concern that the nerve excitement might be additive. So some recommend that pseudoephedrine not be used with nitrox where the risk of oxygen toxicity is greater.
Since pseudoephedrine is a "nerve exciter" it can also cause nervousness, sleeplessness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, and tremor- all untoward effects when diving. It should not be taken by people with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, hperthyroidism, kidney disease, or prostate enlargement without the advice of a physician.
But, hey, I sometimes take it when I dive when I think the benefits of the effects outweigh the risks of the side effects.
HTH,
Bill
* Study Link
NOTE: This study looked at the effects of pseudoephedrine on air at 3ATA (66 fsw) in a dry chamber.
People frequently, and very understandably, get confused when they talk about medications- especially over-the-counter (OTC) medications which I'm convinced the manufacturers intentionally make confusing (grin). For example, there is no medicine called "Sudafed". There is a medicine called "Sudafed 12 Hour Tablets", and one called "Sudafed Sinus Headache Tablets", and one called "Sudafed Severe Cold Formula Tablets", and at least 11 other preparations with "Sudafed" in their name, but there is no "Sudafed". I think that it is VERY important that people are clear on exactly what they are talking about before they give advice on a medication or discuss its effects or side effects. (Regular board readers will probably tell you it is a pet peeve of mine.)
There is also no blanket rule that you can't take prescription (or OTC) medicines when diving. Many are safe and effective. Often the benefits of a medicine outweigh the potential risks. However there is a general recommendation that you not dive when you are in a physical or mental state that would make diving less than acceptably safe. That might include diving when sick, dehydrated, hung over, or on medications that might have effects or side effects that would interfere with diving.
When divers say "Sudafed" they generally mean one of the active ingredients in the "Sudafed" family of OTC meds called pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine belongs to a class of chemicals called sympathomimetic amines. It has effects and side effects similar to amphetamines, ephedrine, and adrenaline. It is not an antihistamine nor does it really excite oxygen. Divers use pseudoephedrine because it shrinks the mucosal linings of the nose, sinus passages, and eustachion tubes and helps with equalization of air spaces. Since it's in the "adrenaline family" it does not (usually) make you sleepy like antihistamines can. The intended "effect" of pseudoephedrine is a beneficial one for divers and it lacks (or has less of) some of the side effects of other medicines that might have similar effects, so it is probably the most often recommended decongestant for diving. At least one study has looked at the effects of pseudoephedrine in diving and found it safe in the environment they studied.*
But remember, pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine in the "adrenaline family" and will have effects similar to adrenaline. It is not really an "oxygen exciter", but I guess you could call it a "nerve exciter". At increased partial pressures, oxygen can also be a "nerve exciter" so there is the theoretical concern that the nerve excitement might be additive. So some recommend that pseudoephedrine not be used with nitrox where the risk of oxygen toxicity is greater.
Since pseudoephedrine is a "nerve exciter" it can also cause nervousness, sleeplessness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, and tremor- all untoward effects when diving. It should not be taken by people with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, hperthyroidism, kidney disease, or prostate enlargement without the advice of a physician.
But, hey, I sometimes take it when I dive when I think the benefits of the effects outweigh the risks of the side effects.
HTH,
Bill
* Study Link
NOTE: This study looked at the effects of pseudoephedrine on air at 3ATA (66 fsw) in a dry chamber.
I do not recommend Sudafed. The stuff sets my heart off to the races and scares me to death.
Rick
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