Diving and high blood pressure

[sean0801]

Dudes,

Err err this mate of mine has recently been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) which is now being controlled via the use of drugs. This mate of mine would like to know if this will have any bearing on his diving at all?

My mate, thanks you in advance for all your replies

Cheers

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by sean0801

Err err this mate of mine has recently been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) which is now being controlled via the use of drugs. This mate of mine would like to know if this will have any bearing on his diving at all?

Yes. Some hypertension drugs mess up you lung capacity and some slow down you 'accelerate to full power' reflex when there is a problem. Invest in a diving doctor's check out. Finding you're stuffed at 30m with a problem could be bad news.

I'm on this every year now.

[colinicky]

Hi
The best thing that you're erm mate can dio is give you all the details of the drugs he/she is on .You then send a pm to ChrisP on here .He is an HSE doc for dive medicals .He can advise you wether the drugs are relavent or not in the first instance .Then if necessary you're "friend" may need a medical .Chris is very helpfull & I recently had to consult him on the self same problem having been prescribed Attenanol .I am back diving having been cleared by Chris .
All ther best in getting it sorted

[hopper]

Originally Posted by sean0801

Dudes,

Err err this mate of mine has recently been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) which is now being controlled via the use of drugs. This mate of mine would like to know if this will have any bearing on his diving at all?

My mate, thanks you in advance for all your replies

Cheers

Er my mate has had hypertension since it was diagnosed in May 2000. If the truth be told, he er I haven't because it is controlled by drugs.

I have been diving ever since with not a problem. The only problems are when I'm on holiday or doing a course or something similar where I have to fill out the usual questions re my heath.

Not long after diagnosis I realised that this questionaire would one day pose a problem to me so I visited my GP and asked if in his opinion, diving was a problem, he didn't know but said he knew of a doctor who would and he would ask. The doctor came back saying it would not be a problem.

I then asked my GP to issue me with a letter stating the medication I was on and that, as my GP he saw no reason why this should effect my diving. I make copies of the letter and give a copy to each dive centre I use, they then have cover as far as their insurence is concerned.

IMHO, its better to be pro active about this than not be able to dive or for a dive centre to insist on a £xxx medical in order for me to be passed fit dive.

[Scubee]

When I took up diving, my BP had been controlled by drugs for nearly 6 years. My GP signed the medical form to say I was fit to dive, and renewed that for £18 annually until I had to get an HSE medical done. I did a bit of research at that point (can't remember what sparked it) but I discovered that Atenalol (which is what i was taking), along with any other Betablocker is a bit of a no-no for diving. Apparently, when the goo goes, the drugs may have inhibited the 'fight or flight' reflex.

The advice given to me by an HSE diving doc was to switch to a different drug ( I am now on Lisinopril) before I went anywhere near an HSE medical. It took a few weeks to get everything sorted and back under control, but eventually it worked for me.

However, I am not a doctor. I would suggest that you seek advice from a doc with diving knowledge.

[Steve S]

Hi Sean,

hope this helps your mate http://www.uksdmc.co.uk/standards/St...pertension.htm

Safe diving,
Steve

[sean0801]

Cheers dudes, Steve my bp is well within that thanks and my bloods checked out fine. I'll give the ddrc a ring next week just to be on the safe side, and will follow any advice they give.


Errrm, i mean i pass on all the advice to my mate

Thanks everyone

[recurve]

The fact that some of the BP drugs inhibit the 'fight or flight' response, is not in my mind nescessarily a bad thing.

The response is there so we can either belt a sabre tooth tiger over the head, or run away from it and would do little to provide a reasoned rational response to an underwater crisis.

What the 'f or f' response is likely to do is; close down your peripheral circulation (not good for off gassing), make you purge your stomach contents (into your reg), and empty your bowels (which with either a wet suit OR dry suit is not something I would relish).

Maybe we should ALL be on beta-blockers when we dive

[the goat]

Tell "your mate" not to follow a team that promises so much yet delivers so little






































and tell him to support City

[nigelH]

Originally Posted by recurve

The fact that some of the BP drugs inhibit the 'fight or flight' response, is not in my mind nescessarily a bad thing.

My Atenalol took the buzz out of sliding my knee round a roundabout on a motorbike.
Several people thought that was a good thing.