High blood pressure meds
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flots am
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Unless this thread has now elevated that hypertension...
Naaa. Mine isn't self induced, it's apparently inherited.
It's "essential" hypertension which is a medical term meaning "Beats the crap out of me where it came from, but it's yours now."
flots.
In my personal view the question about prescription meds is too broad and the ethics of disclosing or not disclosing the medication depend on the answers to the following questions:
1. Does the medication itself impact on diving safety; and
2. Does the condition for which the medication is prescribed impact on diving safety
I take prescription medication for a condition which, by its nature, is irrelevant to diving safety. I have taken the medication for some 20 years, with no side-effects after the first few weeks. There is no evidence that the medication compromises diving safety, apart from side-effects that can occur in the first few months of taking it (long past for me). There is no also no evidence conclusively proving that the medication is safe with diving - no one has done detailed studies, although I'd bet there are many, many people on the same or similar medication diving regularly.
I have a note from my doctor to the effect that it's safe for me to dive on the medication and that the condition for which it is prescribed is perfectly controlled.
Every dive op I've dived with has asked for a medical statement and every time I have ticked "no" to the prescription medication box. Yep, that's called lying. But I'm being asked a broad question in relation to medication in circumstances where the medication and condition for which it is prescribed do not impact diving safety and which I am asked to disclose simply because the medication is "prescription" rather than over the counter variety. Also, if something did happen and someone tried to blame it on the medication, my doctor is not liable for writing the note and the dive op is not liable for accepting the note.
If I was suffering from lung/respiratory conditions, heart conditions or a condition that could compromise diving safety, or taking medication that has known risks with diving, the ethics of not disclosing (aka lying) would be quite different.
1. Does the medication itself impact on diving safety; and
2. Does the condition for which the medication is prescribed impact on diving safety
I take prescription medication for a condition which, by its nature, is irrelevant to diving safety. I have taken the medication for some 20 years, with no side-effects after the first few weeks. There is no evidence that the medication compromises diving safety, apart from side-effects that can occur in the first few months of taking it (long past for me). There is no also no evidence conclusively proving that the medication is safe with diving - no one has done detailed studies, although I'd bet there are many, many people on the same or similar medication diving regularly.
I have a note from my doctor to the effect that it's safe for me to dive on the medication and that the condition for which it is prescribed is perfectly controlled.
Every dive op I've dived with has asked for a medical statement and every time I have ticked "no" to the prescription medication box. Yep, that's called lying. But I'm being asked a broad question in relation to medication in circumstances where the medication and condition for which it is prescribed do not impact diving safety and which I am asked to disclose simply because the medication is "prescription" rather than over the counter variety. Also, if something did happen and someone tried to blame it on the medication, my doctor is not liable for writing the note and the dive op is not liable for accepting the note.
If I was suffering from lung/respiratory conditions, heart conditions or a condition that could compromise diving safety, or taking medication that has known risks with diving, the ethics of not disclosing (aka lying) would be quite different.
TONY CHANEY
Contributor
And you are correct. Sorry but I was getting the meds. mixed up. Still the Pharmacists usually know meds bette than the MD and you should listen to them.
---------- Post added February 21st, 2015 at 01:04 AM ----------
That is not exactly a correct statement. I have several of patients with angioedema that have been on their HBP meds for a very long time. Lisinopril being the most cause of it. Lisinopril Side Effects Can Be Life Threatening: Beware Angioedema and ACE Inhibitors! - The People's Pharmacy
The good thing about those on HBP meds is that we ARE seeing our doctors and taking precautions to corrent a complication. I never even knew I had it until I went to my MD for a rather routine pain. There is a reason why it is called the silent killer. High Blood Pressure - A Silent Killer - Blood Pressure Center: Medical Information on HBP and LBP That is one in four of all Americans! Most do not even know that they have HBP and it often goes untreated.
My fault, I should have been clearer. The meds I was talking about are not for blood pressure, I was just using the example to illustrate the proposed principle that, if there is no known risk from meds or from underlying condition, the ethics of non-disclosure (ie. lying) on the medical form differ to not disclosing contraindicated conditions/medications.
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