will this stop me?

[kitcross]

Last spring I had a thing called a pulminary embolism (blood clot in your lung) and for a couple of days they thought I was going to die. But in true Monty Python fashion, I got better. End result was rat poison for 6 months (warfarin in UK or coumadin in America) That was then and this is now. My doc thought I might have been able to drop it after 3 months, but I was out of the country.

Here's the question. I've been off it since september last year. I'm as healthy as a horse, but they did decide it was a hereditary condition and not just the plane flight back from Sao Paulo. I fly all over the place. I want to take a PADI certification. Um...can I dive or do I have a problem? I'd ask my doc but I'm in Guatemala and she isn't. Any thoughts?

Kitcross

 

[chickdiver]

Yes,this could very well prevent you from getting a SCUBA certification. As an OW Instructor, I would need to see a medical clearance from a physician familiar with diving. I STRONGLY urge you to get medical clearance before pursueing SCUBA.

Good Luck.

 

[Scubakevdm]

But in true Monty Python fashion, I got better.
Kitcross

"I feel happy !"

 

[beche de mer]

Here's the question. I've been off it since september last year. I'm as healthy as a horse, but they did decide it was a hereditary condition and not just the plane flight back from Sao Paulo. I fly all over the place. I want to take a PADI certification. Um...can I dive or do I have a problem? I'd ask my doc but I'm in Guatemala and she isn't. Any thoughts?

Kitcross

It's not clear whether you are still taking the anti-coagulants or not. (Or are about to be put back on them.)

If you are still taking them, it's unlikely you would get a medical clearance to dive. Diving is associated with all sorts of physiological insult to the body, including minor skin trauma, middle ear barotrauma, and the more serious items such as pulmonary barotrauma and DCI. All of these could be complicated if you have an increased bleeding time.

If you are now off the anti-coagulants, your fitness to dive would depend on the extent of damage done to your lung by the embolus. A major embolus can cause quite extensive damage to lung tissue, reducing your pulmonary reserve. There might also be scarring and adhesions, which could lead to air trapping and pulmonary barotrauma.

You really need to be assessed by a respiratory physician who is familiar with the issues inherent in diving. He might carry out a CT scan of the lung (special type of X-ray), or even a V/Q scan, which gives information about the perfusion of your lungs.

 

[Marebythesea]

Yes,this could very well prevent you from getting a SCUBA certification. As an OW Instructor, I would need to see a medical clearance from a physician familiar with diving. I STRONGLY urge you to get medical clearance before pursueing SCUBA.

Good Luck.

...and I strongly agree with Chickdiver. With a pulmonary embolism, a common illness, blood flow is blocked at a pulmonary artery. When emboli block the main pulmonary artery, and in cases where there are no initial symptoms, a pulmonary embolism can quickly become fatal.

Risk factors for pulmonary emboli may include: prolonged bed rest, surgery, childbirth, heart attack, ******, congestive heart failure, cancer, obesity, a broken hip or leg, oral contraceptives, sickle cell anemia, chest trauma, certain congenital heart defects, old age (yikes, I better watch out!) and I'm sure other conditions that I'm not aware of...

If in fact your pulmonary embolism incident was from a congenital heart defect, or other blood dyscrasia, you may put yourself and your dive buddies at grave risk. When you do seek advice I would recommend you do so from a physician who is an active scuba diver and who has had recent experience in treating divers.

Best of everything too you...

 

[kitcross]

Many thanks all for your advice. Somewhat disappointing to be sure, but life does go on. For the record, I am no longer taking either fragmin (initially in the 'gonna die' part ) or warfarin. I just don't know if this is now an ongoing condition. My doc didn't think so but she doesn't dive. According to her I only needed the blood thinners for 3 months after the incident. I stayed on them for 6 because I was at sea and couldn't get ashore to see her. I expect that doesn't matter anyway because its the propensity for the condition I think is a problem rather than the medicine.

Anyway, thanks for your help.
cheers!
Kit

 

[beche de mer]

The other aspect of this enquiry is: if you have a genetic predisposition to thrombosis, would diving increase the risk?

I doubt there is any data to support this, but there are theoretical reasons to suppose that "subclinical DCI", i.e. the physiological changes that many divers experience after dives, but which don't cause overt symptoms - may increase the likelihood of blood clotting disorders. If you have a genetic predisposition, the risk may be amplified.

 

[miguel sanz]

Hi, kitcross! I´m sorry about your experience, without a doubt it´s a difficulty to get into diving, but I ´m not sure it´s contraindicated for you. You should see a pneumologist to see if you have any sequelae (probably not), but more important; a Haematologist that can assert what your risk for rethrombosis is. Of course, if you have a genetic predisposition for thrombosis (Leiden factor V, Prothrobin mutation, etc...), this would theoretically (as stated by beche de mer) worsen the effects of gas clot. But I think the most important is to stablish your relative risk for rethombosis: wich mutation or mutations you have, man or woman, on antibabbies or not, smoker or not, etc...(since you already had a pulmonary embolism, this prediposes you to have more, specially in special conditions such as surgery, traumatisms, long bed rest, cancer, etc...where you probably should receive prophylaxis).
Well, I´m not sure this will help you, I hope so, anyway, don´t be discouraged and get well informed. There are people diving on "rat poison" ( you´re right, that´s what it is).
Ah! here in Spain you would probably had been treated for 6 months, like you finally did.