Migraines and diving

[lulubelle]

Hi lulubell,

Headaches in and of themselves, migraine or otherwise, are not included in the UHMS INDICATIONS FOR HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY (Indications). In essence this means you can obtain HBOT for them by being in a reserarch protocol and or paying out of pocket. Don't anticipate any assistance from your health coverage.

Regards,

DocVikingo

I understand, i wasn't looking to this statement as a treatment for migraine, I was just wondering how the poster knew this to be true. Interesting idea that diving might relieve migraine symptoms via this mechanism, although i am quite sure I would not be interested in diving if I had one.

 

[dhkalb]

I aws recently diagnosed with PFO after both a transcranial doppler and transesophageal echocardiogram testing - hope all is bteer for you.

 

[vicmac]

I also suffer from severe migraines linked to my menstrual cycle. I am on 25 mg of amitryptaline every night which reduces the severity of migraine but does not stop them.

Then i take sumatriptan with an attack. I ve just started diving and my last boat dive I started to feel sick just after Id put all my gear on, but i thought it must have been sea sickness so i continued diving and was fine.

Then much later on when i was back in the boat the sickness returned then the headache started and i knew then it was a migraine as they always feel the same.If I had known I was going to have a migraine i would never had gone diving, but i did not get the symptoms which i usually do to warn me.

Im now concerend about diving as a migraine sufferer some im going to see a migraine specialist. i heard people talk of dive doctors, where can you find one locally?

 

[cdolphin]

Im now concerend about diving as a migraine sufferer some im going to see a migraine specialist. i heard people talk of dive doctors, where can you find one locally?

Contact DAN (it is good to be a member, too) at 1-919-684-2948. They can help you find doctors who are involved with Dive Medicine in your area in Canada. Dial the U.S. prefix.....I don't know what it is.....

Or, all their contact info is here: https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/contact/index.asp

 

[cdolphin]

Contact DAN (it is good to be a member, too) at 1-919-684-2948. They can help you find doctors who are involved with Dive Medicine in your area in Canada. Dial the U.S. prefix.....I don't know what it is.....

Or, all their contact info is here: https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/contact/index.asp

Here's the International contact page for DAN:

DAN Divers Alert Network : About DAN : International Contact Information

 

[CaveMD]

The vasodilation theory of migraines is a fairly antiquated explanation of migraine physiology and has been pretty thoroughly refuted as a cause and found to be more of an epiphenomenon rather than causative.


As to whether or not triptans will cause problems in diving, theoretically they could, but like many things in diving there is not enough data to support or deny it.

 

[cdolphin]

The vasodilation theory of migraines is a fairly antiquated explanation of migraine physiology and has been pretty thoroughly refuted as a cause and found to be more of an epiphenomenon rather than causative.


As to whether or not triptans will cause problems in diving, theoretically they could, but like many things in diving there is not enough data to support or deny it.

What is an epiphenomenon?

 

[CaveMD]

What is an epiphenomenon?

: a secondary phenomenon accompanying another and caused by it; specifically : a secondary mental phenomenon that is caused by and accompanies a physical phenomenon but has no causal influence itself

Epiphenomenon - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

 

[cdolphin]

.....so the vasodilation is an epiphenomenon of the migraine? Now I think I get it, thanks.

 

[tracydr]

I have terrible migraines. My only aura is getting too hot or too cold. Luckily, unless it's around menstruation, I have less migraines if I'm diving. Less, not none. Also luckily, they are very responsive to trip tans. I don't leave home without them. I suspect if I got a headache on a dive trip that didn't respond to maxalt or zomig, I would check out the nearest dive doctor because it wouldn't be acting like my normal headache.
Migraines suck, I get about nine or ten a month. But, they better not stop me from living life!