Technical diving and Type one Diabetes

[Wetsuit 4 life]

Hello

Was wondering if there was any information regarding Type one diabetics and technical diving?
Looking for any other source then DAN which I find sets there diving guild lines on a broader base line and not on an individual bases.
My future instructor is aware as well as my endocrinologist and both have no problems with me starting the technical diving program

Thanks

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

The DAN guidelines are necessarily broad, but they're also the most detailed available. I'm sure you've seen them, but for anyone else reading, they're linked here:

http://archive.rubicon-foundation.o...8/UHMS-DAN_Diabetes_Diving2005.pdf?sequence=1

How is your glucose management on diving days? What do you do to prevent hypoglycemia? From a technical diving perspective, high partial pressures of O2 tend to decrease blood glucose levels in diabetics. We find that time and again in our patients. If you're using a high pO2 deco mix, you're at increased risk of a hypoglycemic episode, and there's really no way to predict how much it will drop your glucose level. This is hazardous at best, especially if you're under a deco obligation.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Wetsuit 4 life]

DDM,

For diving days I'll normally reduce my long lasting / acting insulin the night before and reduce or skip any rapid insulin with breakfast same for pre dive breakfast sandwich (2nd breakfast) on the way to the dive site.

Thank you for the information regarding high pO2 and its effects on lowering blood glucose levels, this is the first that I have heard of this issue and is some thing I well have to consider, do you have any more information regarding this issue?

Cheers

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi Wetsuit,
This should get you started. I went to the Rubicon website and used "hyperbaric oxygen blood glucose" as search criteria.

[abstract] PRE AND POST HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (HBOT) BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS
[abstract] EFFECTS OF HYPERBARIC OXYGEN ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS
[abstract] BLOOD GLUCOSE CHANGES AND THE EFFECTS OF FEEDING IN DIABETICS UNDERGOING HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY

One thing that also deserves mentioning is that hypoglycemia increases the risk of oxygen toxicity, which is why most hyperbaric facilities carefully monitor their diabetic patients.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[zamburinha]

My regular technical dive buddy is a type I diabetic. Shoot me a PM if you would like to ask some further information on how he (and his team) manage tech and rec dives.