HELP WANTED: How to dive with a COLD....or something like it.

[zahgurim]

The pseudoephedrine found in most decongestants is a bad mix with nitrox, too... I understand it increases the chance of ox-tox.

I'm wary of diving w/colds. Have missed dives before because of them, but am more than happy to go on the next when my head is clear.

 

[divechk]

okay...i didn't do saturday dives. but ended up doing 1 sunday dive. i've been loading on up sudafed, since friday and both sudafed and cough meds since saturday. i was able to clear without problems. i don't know if this is the recommended, but it did work in my circumstances. glad i didn't do saturday though.

 

[Hoomi]

After posting my reply in this topic, I may have to apply it to myself. Our OW cert dives are this coming weekend, and I have that slight congestion and irritation that precedes a cold.

It would figure; I've gone all year without catching a cold or flu, and the week of the dive trip would be when one decides to catch up with me.

I'm going to focus on the preventatives this week...

 

[DwayneJ]

Don't do it. Worst case is snot will be pushed up into your eustachian tube which will:

1. Block it and you will not be able to equalize effectively.
2. Give you a whopping ear infection.
3. Due to you inability to equalize, damage your ear drum.

Took me 8 weeks before I could get back to the water.

 

[vladimir]

The pseudoephedrine found in most decongestants is a bad mix with nitrox, too... I understand it increases the chance of ox-tox.

In this thread there is a post on the subject of pseudoephedrine and nitrox by DocVikingo in which he describes the link between use of the drug and increased ox-tox risk as "largely theoretical."

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/231960-ear-drops-help-equalize.html

Here is a more complete treatment of the subject by DAN that reinforces the notion that the link is tenuous:

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

I'd also question the assertion that pseudoephedrine is found in "most decongestants."