Diving and taking Sudafed. Is it safe?

[Manchester Will]

I find I suffer from equalization problems when I haven't been diving for a couple of months. I can equalize, but it can take me around 15 min's and I can have difficulty equalizing on the way back up.

I was told by another diver back in 2002 to try Sudafed. I find it works great. I can equalize very quickly with no reverse blocks. I have also discovered that I don't need to carry on taking Sudafed after 4 or 5 dives in succession.

Can anyone tell me what's happening to me here? and whether taking Sudafed can be dangerous in any way?

I understand that a potential problem is that the Sudafed could wear off whilst underwater, so I manage my Sudafed pill taking to account for this.

I also had my 'sinus holes' widened in a hospital operation in 1998. As I recall, it was due to fluid retention causing headaches. I not sure if this information is or is not be helpful.

Many thanks

William

[PW1664]

"What's the bottom line? In normal, healthy divers breathing air, occasional use of pseudoephedrine at the recommended dose is probably safe. This presumes that the drug has been taken during periods when no diving has occurred and that no undesirable reactions have occurred. However, one should avoid chronic (daily) use when diving, and it seems reasonable to avoid the drug entirely if diving while using oxygen-nitrogen mixes where the PO2 during a dive might exceed 1.4 ata, the current recommended "safe" open-circuit scuba limit. "

Full article, must be read in full....

DAN Divers Alert Network : Pseudoephedrine & Enriched-Air Diving?

As for your op or clearing problems, just give a diving doc a call....

[David Pye]

Sudafed in the UK usually uses phenylephedrine, rather than pseudoephedrine, arguably because of pseudoephedrine's utility for producing methamphetamine.

I'm not sure what the evidence is regarding phenylephedrine and CNS tox, if there is any.

David

[shippy]

Check with ENT specialist for best answer.

[Manchester Will]

Thanks Paul.

The Dan article was really helpful

William

[Gene_Hobbs]

and just for the sake of completeness...

THE BEHAVIORAL TOXICITY OF SUDAFED, BENADRYL, AND DRAMAMINE UNDER HYPERBARIC AIR.
Walsh and Burch, 1977
RRR ID: 4117
Note: This is an abstract, there is no article available. More available at RRR: 4252

This is from our "suggested reading list".

[Howard Payne]

Sounds like any scuba diving rats out there are on borrowed time. Any with Nitrox tickets are dead rats walking.

I like the Olbas Oil sticks myself. I tried one on a rat once and it made its eyes bulge - so perhaps Sudafed is a better bet for them after all

How do they manage the packets BTW?

[Gene_Hobbs]

Originally Posted by Howard Payne

How do they manage the packets BTW?

Don't confuse me, I am still trying to figure out how they rolled the tiny little fags in these studies...

BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF THE INTERACTION OF MARIJUANA AND INCREASING PARTIAL PRESSURES OF N2 and O2.
Walsh and Burch, 1978
RRR ID: 4320
---note: this is an abstract so NO paper available.

Reduction of the Behavioral Effects of delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol by Hyperbaric Pressure. (editor note: Cannabis)
Walsh and Burch, 1977
NMRI report ADA046749 published as: Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, v7 p111-116 1977.
RRR ID: 4226

[lloydwatkin]

Originally Posted by Gene_Hobbs

Don't confuse me, I am still trying to figure out how they rolled the tiny little fags in these studies...

Where there's a will there's a way

[dry suit diver]

they must be as one brand has them coloured the same as nitrox labels.

I know of one diver who calls them Nitrox tablets.