Aloha to all,
Many people have been asking recently if it's ok to use sudafed or phedren products for congestion before diving, please read the DAN (divers alert network) report and then you can decide for yourself if it's worth diving that day

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=51

I personally wouldn't but if you do, good luck to you.
Mako

Is there a decongestant generally recognized as "safe" to take when diving? If systemics are not, what about decongestant nose sprays and drops? What is the dive medicine field's position on those?

The problem with taking something for congestion is that it might mean your body is not up to 100% health wise. Diving when your not completely healthy is not a good idea. Especially when it comes to your body’s air-spaces.

Aloha Reefmonkey,
drops and sprays are probably the least best option, as a dive professional I can't make a recommendation as to meds to take but will offer this, find something that normally works good for you, a long lasting med and be cautious, if meds run out while at depth you may get a trap-door effect (reverse block) while generally not life threatening, you could do severe damage to your ear drum or inner ear (ie oval window, anvil etc)I just don't dive if I can't clear without meds. A medical doctor may offer better recommendations but most meds are not tested under pressure so the effects are not known. 8(

If you have an illness related congestion, you should not be diving. If you're sick, you put yourself and your buddy in danger. Although it would be best not to dive with any drugs in your system, sometimes it is nessesary. If decongestants were not available, people like me who have mild but regular congestion would not be able to get into the water. I have been diving 25 yr & used sudafed for more than 75% of my dives. The only problem I've ever had was a reverse squeeze when I took the pill to early and the effect wore off during the dive. My advise is, do not use it unless you really need to, try it on the surface first & than on a few shallow dives.
Then if all goes well, use in moderation for deeper diving.

Greg

[ 01-20-2003, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: Greg Scubaholic ]

The best thing to do is check with a diving doctor and take their advice.

A lot of good information. Sounds like the best advice if you're stuffy is stay on the beach.

An old saying "when in doubt... don't".

Hi to all! I'm an RN-CEN TNCC(Emergency Medicine/Trauma) and this is my take on antihistamine use during diving. First, you need to establish WHY a person needs an antihistamine. Is it because of a cold, or because of allergies? If it is because of a cold, do not take it! Do not dive, as the potential for infection, be it viral or bacterial can increase the effects of the antihistamine in your system. You have a compromised immune system, and more is going on in your body than you realize. (or are willing to admit)
If you are taking it because of allergies, only take the RECOMENDED DOSE! DO NOT DOUBLE LOAD! MORE IS NOT BETTER! IT WILL NOT LAST LONGER! The most seriouse ADVERSE REACTION (not to be confused with side effects) is a condition called SVT Supra Ventricular Tachycardia. Antihistamines affect the area of the central nervous system that directly control heart rate. The heart can suddenly go bonkers, and reach rates in excess of 250 beats per min. This is a serious condition, I have seen it many times before.The panic that a person feels in the ER is overwhelming enough, imagine if you were at 40 feet, and you felt like your heart was going to explode.(might make you feel like bolting away from your group) That is the feeling you would experience. I have severe allergies scince I moved to Houston. (thank the chemical plants for that)The best way to approach dealing with your allergies is on a daily basis, with medications prescribed by your doctor. There are many good ones out there, but if your allergies are respiratory related, and most are, the newer streriod type nose sprays are the best. You must use these for a few weeks before you will feel the effects fully. If you are still having trouble diving because of your allergies, as I sometimes do, take an extended release antihistamine the night before your dive, and the morning of, but DO NOT take more than the recommended amount at one time. You ARE asking for trouble. Please note, not many dive boats carry an automatic defibrilator when they go out.
Ultimatly, you must know yourself, and your reaction to these medicines. If you take an antihistamine in your daily routine, and KNOW that they make you feel hyper or nervous, odds are you run a higher risk of having problems using them while diving. Additionally, watch out for 'cold and sinus remedies' that have multiple medications in them. For instance, don't take an antihistamine AND something like Tylenol Cold and Sinus. You are double dosing the antihistamine. I have had to scratch dives because I just knew that my allergies were too bad that day. It's not soo bad, I just snorkle over the group and watch them. I can always dive another day, But I'll be darned if I want someone pulling me out of the water and hitting me with 30-80 joules of electro-shock in order the slow my heart. I will never forget the first person I cardioverted, she begged me in tears not to do that again. Unfortunatly, I did, three more times before she went to ICU, in third degree heart block.
Okay, I end my rare but lengthy lecture!~DIVE SAFE~

Since my original post about clearing my ears, I visited our general practitioner (doctor). Unbeknown to me, he is an avid diver. He recommended using Afrin and Sudafed! They have long lasting formulations of both - 10 to 12 hours. Reverse blockage could occur if you dove beyond the time limit.

Afrin works great but should not be used continuously for long periods of time, as described on the package. I think the package says 2-3 days.