Alpha Blockers and diving?

[amnesia]

Hi;

I was wondering if there are any known effects of alpha blockers like Silodosin (Rapaflo) or Tamsulosin(Flomax) on the physiology of diving. These medications are becoming increasingly popular for treating prostatic hypertrophy (in old geezers like me) and I'm sure there are lots of guys diving with them on board. I was just wondering how they interact with sympathetic physiology under pressure and if there's anything of concern regarding diving. They could potentially be stopped prior to diving, but the results might not be all that pleasant. Some of the more obvious problems are dizzyness, passing out, and nasal and sinus congestion. These would obviously precluse diving, but after a reasonable period on these drugs, these annoying side effects usually disappear. I'm more curious about the loss of alpha receptor activity in chronic use of these drugs.

Thanks
Amnesia

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello amnesia:

Sorry for thelate reply; I was out of town on vacation [Disneylandwith the grandchildren].

Questions concerning alpha blockers have been askedbefore on Scubaboard. The answer is that no researchwork on the blockers and diving has been done. Alpha blockers [but not beta blockers] appear to be without problemssince nothing has been reported from the field. That is not good evidence, however.

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[DocVikingo]

Alpha blockers [but not beta blockers] appear to be without problemssince nothing has been reported from the field. That is not good evidence, however.Dr Deco

Indeed, construing absence of evidence as evidence of absence is bad science.

Cheers,

DocVikingo