Diabetes and diving

[SamDiver14]

I was just wondering if there were any other divers here that are diabetic and what are some of your stragtegies for coping with your disease and pursuing your hobby? I am non insulin dependent but wonder if anyone is and still dives.

 

[ppo2_diver]

I was just wondering if there were any other divers here that are diabetic and what are some of your stragtegies for coping with your disease and pursuing your hobby? I am non insulin dependent but wonder if anyone is and still dives.

This topic has been debated quite a bit. I'm an insulin dependant diabetic. Here's my routine. About an hour before a dive I check my blood sugars. At 30 before the dive I check them again. Right before my dive I check them again. The reason behind this is that I can see a pattern of who my blood sugars are doing (moving up or down) and I can take action to correct them. Right after a dive, I check them again to make sure I'm not tool low. I also carry a watertight tube of glucose just in case I get any low feelings underwater. I also benefit from using an insulin pump. When I'm off the pump there is no insulin in my body which can lead to a low.

Not only do I dive, I'm an instructor.

Duane

 

[Ann Marie]

My 16 y/o son, who is my dive buddy is insulin dependent. He has had diabetes since he was 7 y/o. We started diving in Feb 04. I have always taught him to control his diabetes not to let diabetes control him. He is on an insulin pump. He checks his blood sugar twice before a dive, about an hour out and then right before. I prefer his blood sugar to be about 200 before we get in the water. We both carry a tube of cakemate icing in our BCs just in case. After the dive, he checks his blood sugar again and then adjusts his insulin as necessary.

 

[gchapman]

My 16 y/o son, who is my dive buddy is insulin dependent. He has had diabetes since he was 7 y/o.

A somewhat tangent question:

Has anyone ever known of a dive incident where the cause of contributing factor could be directly traced back to a diver having diabetes?

Furthermore, what do people think about it being a responsibility of a diver to inform their buddy of things like this if they've never dived together?

Just thinking out loud...

 

[ppo2_diver]

A somewhat tangent question:

Has anyone ever known of a dive incident where the cause of contributing factor could be directly traced back to a diver having diabetes?

Furthermore, what do people think about it being a responsibility of a diver to inform their buddy of things like this if they've never dived together?

Just thinking out loud...

I knew a caver who died in a cave in Mexico after he had an insulin reaction.

My regular dive buddy knows. If I'm on a charter somewhere and I'm teamed up with an experienced person, I'll let them know. I probably wouldn't tell a newbie because the stress level might be too much for them. It usually isn't an issue. I can tell whem my blood sugars are dropping. I usually have 10-15 minutes before things get any worse. That is plenty of time to get to the surface. I always carry mints in my dive kit just in case.

 

[Gary D.]

One of the PSD's on my team is insulin Dependant and doesn't have any problems. Keep control of your diet, activity and meds.

Gary D.

 

[crpntr133]

I also have a DB that is diabetic. The only problem that we have came across is the fact that he sucks the air. He checked into it and his doctor told him that it was because he was diabetic. Had something to do with the fact that the lungs didn't absorb the O2 like they should. Didn't make sense to me but I am not a MD.

 

[SamDiver14]

Do any of you guys know if the higher level of O2 at depth, higher PPO2, perhaps more so if diving EANX, could cause a higher rate of metabolization of glucose that could result in a hypoglycemic reaction faster than normal PPO2? I ask because I was asked the same question by a hyperbaric tech that was diving on the same boat as my brother and I last summer. Just wondering. I never have had a problem but I would rather anticipate it that get suprised.

 

[Ann Marie]

Furthermore, what do people think about it being a responsibility of a diver to inform their buddy of things like this if they've never dived together?

Just thinking out loud...

I believe that a diver that has ANY medical problem that can arise (diabetes, asthma, etc..) while diving should inform their buddy. If the buddy doesn't want to dive with them, fine. At least both parties are prepared if something should happen.

 

[strondbakken]

I am anm insulin dependent diabetic as well and I have a set routine for dives:

1.check my blood sugar 1 hour before the dive, then again 30 minutes before the dive to see if my blood sugar is dropping faster than normal.

2. I ALWAYS carry a glucose "gel" in my bc pocket (it can be bought at any drug store and comes in packets that are easy to take underwater), in case my blood sugar gets too low underwater and I dont feel confident waiting until I surface to treat it.

3. Remember that your dive buddy may not be able to tell if your blood sugar gets too low (hypoglycemic) underwater, even if they are familiar with diabetes.

4. If in doubt, drink some juice or eat some fruit before your dive to raise your sugar a bit (better to have your sugar level a bit high than too low on a dive, although VERY high blood sugars are dangerous as well).

5. Trust your instincts. If you even THINK your blood sugar is low, end the dive immediately. Hypoglycemia can cause irrationability and confusion and thats not what you want uinderwater. No dive is worth dying for.

6. Dont dive if your blood sugar is unpredictable that day.

7. Make sure your Buddy knows you are diabetic, so that they don't confuse the symptoms of hypoglycemia with DCI(numbness, shaky hands, etc.) Conversely, dont confuse the symptoms of DCI (decompression illness) with hypoglycemia. If in doubt, drink some juice, eat some sugar and test your sugar level until you know you are not hypoglycemic. If the symptoms persist, follow steps for treating DCI. Better safe than sorry.

8. Believe in yourself. A good diver knows his limitations and wont press them. Diabetes is controllable under ANY conditions, but hypoglycemia is dangerous, though preventable.