Headaches

[Warhammer]

BillP,

I always wandered why everyone says nasal sprays are a big no no. For instance if I have a cold, I can use Afrin 12-hour around 8:00AM and not have to re-juice until around 6:00PM that day. With that time span I could easily complete a full day of dives, clear as a bell. Your right about the come-down from them though. I find that after I stop taking it, it takes a good 2 days for everything to clear up, espeacially at night. My question is are the affects of the sprays reduced while diving since all breathing, except for equilizing, takes place through the mouth? I wander about this because if I don't consistently breath through my nose while on the spray, it seems not to last as long, overnight for instance. I have never tried using them while diving for this reason, but have threatened to a time or two. What I usually do is just not dive if i'm not clear.

 

[John Reinertson]

Another option to add to the nose spray dialogue is the use of cortisone nose sprays.
They are Rx only.. you'd have to talk to your Doc about them.
they do work for this problem if started several days ahead of time, and there's no "rebound" effect coming off of them, so the reverse squeeze that can occur when Afrin or Pseudoephedrine wears off won't occur.
They have no adrenaline-like effects (which sudafed and phenylpropanolamine do.)
They are newer than sudafed and not as well known, but have worked well for many people and have been out for over 10 years, so it's not like some exotic experimental combination.
John

 

[AllenP]

And yet another nasal spray option is Nasalcrom. It is not a decongestant or cortisone-type drug.
Like the cortisone-type sprays, it works on allergies.
It is a mast-cell stabilizer that prevents the antigen-stimulated release of histamine, rather than blocking the effect of histamine like the antihistamines. It does not cause drowsiness.
It must be started at least a few days ahead of time because it does nothing for the effects of histamine that has been already released.
It does not require a prescription.
I find that it does cause some irritation to the nasal passages, but it has worked well for me.

 

[scubadoc]

Here is a web site about scuba diving headaches that might be helpful to some:
http://www.scuba-doc.com/headache.html

 

[junior]

Originally posted by scubadoc
Here is a web site about scuba diving headaches that might be helpful to some:
http://www.scuba-doc.com/headache.html

Hey, thanks. I actually did visit that site when I was doing this research. We're going to try it again in the spring when the weather gets warmer. We are really hoping a better fitting mask will solve the problem.