High blood pressure meds

[RJP]

If you have to answer yes to any of the questions on the Medical Statment you have two options.
1 lie about a yes answer and say no.
2 Get the Doctors Statement filled out by a doctor saying you are fit to dive.

I have done both, that has been my personal choice. I have the doctors statment and usually use it.

Lying on a medical form is not a "personal" choice. It's a choice in which you have involved your buddy, your instructor, your DM, the boat crew, other divers, the shop owner, the boat/resort owner, etc. All without their knowledge or permission. At the risk of being melodramatic, I've even seen such "personal" choices end up involving Coast Guard boats, helicopters, hospitals, coroners, grieving spouses, and fatherless children.

 

[BRT]

Lying on a medical form is not a "personal" choice. It's a choice in which you have involved your buddy, your instructor, your DM, the boat crew, other divers, the shop owner, the boat/resort owner, etc. All without their knowledge or permission. At the risk of being melodramatic, I've even seen such "personal" choices end up involving Coast Guard boats, helicopters, hospitals, coroners, grieving spouses, and fatherless children.

How about asking your doctor if it will be a problem and when the doctor says no, then no on the form?

 

[TONY CHANEY]

Don't check with a pharmacist... they will have no idea, and are far too busy to look into it, and won't really have the foggiest idea where to look. Good intentions and all.

Check with DAN.

PS - OP should be more concerned about high-blood pressure and diving, rather than high-blood pressure meds and diving. Not terribly concerned, but the underlying condition is more likely to present issues.

That is one of the worse advice I have ever read. The pharmacist usually knows about meds. more than the MD. What a blessing it has been since a Pharm D is in on every code Blue, rapid response and in the ED. I have been on BP meds for about 3 years. we started out with Benicar HTC but the diuretic made me uneasy due to dehydration which contributes to DCS. I am now on Losartan which is an long-term ACE-inhibitor. According to DAN, if you are on a high blood pressure med., an ACE inhibitor is one of best while diving. Please do your buddies a favor...let everyone know what meds you are on.

 

[RJP]

I am now on Losartan which is an long-term ACE-inhibitor. According to DAN, if you are on a high blood pressure med., an ACE inhibitor is one of best while diving. Please do your buddies a favor...let everyone know what meds you are on.

FYI - You might want to check with a PharmD about your BP medication; Losartan is not an ACE inhibitor. It's an ARB. Both act on the RAAS, but via different MOA's.

 

[Storker]

OP should be more concerned about high-blood pressure and diving, rather than high-blood pressure meds and diving. Not terribly concerned, but the underlying condition is more likely to present issues.

This.

My (diving medicine competent) doc told me that BP meds generally aren't counter-indicative to diving. High BP is.

 

[TSandM]

Nowhere in the world have I been asked to fill out any kind of medical form to go diving, not on land and not from a liveaboard or other boat.

Classes, that's different; you will have to answer "yes" to the prescription med question, and you will have to have a physician's statement on file, renewed each year.

There are a whole variety of BP meds. Some have implications for diving (beta blockers) and others have virtually none (ACE inhibitors). If your hypertension is well controlled on your meds, it has little impact on diving as well, except for the long-term increased cardiac risk (which is minimal if the BP is controlled).

Pharmacists often know much more about medications than the doctors prescribing them do!

 

[redacted]

Nowhere in the world have I been asked to fill out any kind of medical form to go diving, not on land and not from a liveaboard or other boat.

Some dive ops in Cozumel require a medical form for all diving. Pro Dive for sure. Others, but I don't recall who.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Two choices: lie on the questionaire ( bad choice ) or else get a short note from your doctor, make half a dozen copies so you can give one to each dive op as you need them (good choice). LOtse of people are on medication to control blood pressure. Each one is different. Most can dive with no problem, but not all. Doctor's note is best.
DivemasteeDennis

 

[Hawkwood]

Some dive ops in Cozumel require a medical form for all diving. Pro Dive for sure. Others, but I don't recall who.

I too have been asked on occasion to answer some medical questions, not training related.

 

[flots am]

Can anyone speak to the complications or considerations that being on medication can have with dive ops, insurance, waivers, etc. My doc has now put me on blood pressure meds. He says it won't impact my diving...at least physically. When signing the dive shop waivers I've never had to check the yes box before. Is the dive op going to want something in writing? What else should I consider?

You can take or ignore my unpopular opinion.

I take blood pressure medication. I have for the last 20+ years. Hypertension is hereditary in my family. My BP is excellent, I have good exercise tolerance and do 30 minutes on the treadmill or outdoors most days. My doctor signs off on my "fitness for diving" form whenever it's due. I checked with DAN to make sure that the type of BP med I take is compatible with diving.

So when I fill out a medical form for a dive op, I check "no" for everything. It's none of their business what meds I take and what medical conditions I have/had, as long as my doctor and myself believe that I'm fit to dive. Nobody is more interested in me surviving a dive, than me.

flots.

---------- Post added February 19th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ----------

Nowhere in the world have I been asked to fill out any kind of medical form to go diving, not on land and not from a liveaboard or other boat.

"Touristy" places tend to ask. I was handed one in Coz and also whenever I go diving from the cruise ship when we travel in the winter.

I think Dutch Springs also wants to know, although I'm not certain.