Diving and Doxycycline

[ArcticDiver]

I've done a literature review and spoken with some non-diving folks. There seems to be no contraindication to diving while using doxycycline. However I could find no specific studies on the subject.

Opinions?

 

[Dive-aholic]

Shouldn't be a problem. No major issues I know of in regards to diving. I'm sure if the docs know of anything, they'll post it.

 

[SA-Diver]

We have used Doxycycline on a number of dive trips to Mozambique.
The only issues we had were nausea if taken too late in the day or with too little water, and skin photosensitivity (which could be an issue in a sunny place like Moz).

 

[mania]

I'm not so sure. Doxycycline is an antibiotic and a strong one in fact. Taking it requires - at least that's what they do here - also taking medicines that help to rubuild the bacteries in stomach (sorry - I'm not very good with the scientific English language). I wouldn't dive taking antibiotics - even without any official scientific results.
I myself am trying to keep the basic rule - taking medications (of any kind) = no diving.
Mania

 

[BillP]

I myself am trying to keep the basic rule - taking medications (of any kind) = no diving.
Mania

Why?

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent

Very interesting quote in your signature. What do you suppose it means?

 

[mania]

Why?

Because only few medicines were tested for diving. Majority was not. My inner voice tells me it's better not to dive when taking any medicines. My friend MD and a diver says the same. There is still al ot of things we don't know about our body and diving - why taking the risk?

Very interesting quote in your signature. What do you suppose it means?

Well, to answer your question you either need to read Wittgenstein works (he was a philospher) or I would need to make a lecture that will be way too long. But to make the long story short - if you can't speak you should be silent. Seems obvious but it's not. another quote - You can think only as much as you can say.
So if anybody is interested on the philosophy of language (any language) and of communication - read Wittgenstein and then Gadamer. Just a quick OT - sorry for that.
Mania

 

[BillP]

Because only few medicines were tested for diving. Majority was not. My inner voice tells me it's better not to dive when taking any medicines. My friend MD and a diver says the same. There is still al ot of things we don't know about our body and diving - why taking the risk?

If that's your personal preference, of course that's fine for you. You're right, there are still a lot of things we don't know about our bodies and diving. So the logical conclusion of your argument would be the "basic rule"- "Don't dive at all because we don't know everything about it". Why take the risk?

DAN and likely virtually all diving medicine specialists disagree with your own personal rule of "taking medications (of any kind) = no diving". Many "basic rules" that are quoted (in all walks of life) are misinterpretations of general recommendations (or even inappropriate extrapolations of specific unrelated recommendations). Other "rules" are are laid down to make it simple for the ignorant (who will likely never understand the basis for the "rule") to make it easier for them and to protect them from themselves. There may sometimes be some risk to taking some medications when diving, so the easy thing to say is "taking medications (of any kind) = no diving" because of the risk. But in many instances the risk of not taking a medication while diving exceeds the risk of taking it. There are many many divers who safely take medications while diving, and benefit from the taking of the medicine. To tell those divers to not dive because they take medicine is unfair. And to leave the impression that they should stop taking necessary medication when diving is potentially dangerous.

You're right, if a diver doesn't have the intelligence and sense to check out a medication they are taking before diving, they probably should consider not diving. But ArticDiver is a bright guy. He's asking appropriate questions (and getting some very good answers). Doxycycline is an antibiotic, and (with all of the usual caveats about side effects like the sun-sensitivity mentioned above, allergies, etc.) is generally considered safe to use when diving. Doxycycline is often specifically prescribed for divers traveling to tropical areas for malaria prophylaxis. ArcticDiver doesn't seem to me to be the type to need an arbitrary and unnecessary "basic rule" to protect him from himself.

But to make the long story short - if you can't speak you should be silent. Seems obvious but it's not.

Wouldn't a better explanation of the quote be, "If you don't really know what you're talking about, you should remain silent"? It does seem obvious, doesn't it? I suppose you're right that it's not obvious to some people.

 

[mania]

If that's your personal preference, of course that's fine for you. You're right, there are still a lot of things we don't know about our bodies and diving. So the logical conclusion of your argument would be the "basic rule"- "Don't dive at all because we don't know everything about it". Why take the risk?

That's taking the argument a bit too far. After all we can say - the whole life is a risk so better die before you were born

OK, let me rephrase or explain what I meant. I think that if you don't have to take medicine better don't take them when you are diving. As a generally healthy person I stick to this rule - so I don't take pain killers when diving (even if I have a headache evening before), I don't take seasickness medicine etc. But if you have to take medicine - check it first with the appriopriate MD.
I'm not a MD so it's simply - as I wrote before - my instinct that this is better. As for malaria - I remember reading here about some other medicine probably less strong than doxycycline - as this subject was discussed several times

Wouldn't a better explanation of the quote be, "If you don't really know what you're talking about, you should remain silent"? It does seem obvious, doesn't it? I suppose you're right that it's not obvious to some people.

The beauty of Wittgenstein works is based on the fact that this is not what he meant. A lot of people think the same way as you - but this is not what he meant. It has nothing to do with whether somebody should or should not talk. It has everything to do with the philosophy and the basic question - how does our mind work? What are words? How do we think? Ihat is the language?
Mania

 

[KidK9]

First I'll post this - I'm a senior veterinary student at Ohio State University. So take that with a grain of salt. I dont work on people.

However, what I do know is that Doxy is an antibiotic in the class of antibiotics called Fluoroquinolone.s. Probably the best calss of antibiotics any medical profession uses and hence it is used sparingly.

Antibiotics arent going to do anything to my knowledge to you under water as they work on the immune system. HOWEVER, why not check DAN's website? They are the experts.

Maybe a more important question would be this - why are you on such a high powered antibiotic? Should the condition warrant you to sit a few dives out? I'm not asking you to divulge your medical history as that is very private, but I would recommend you think about why you are on the medication and base your "should I dive" question on that.

Hope that helps. Please take with a grain of salt.

 

[BillP]

That's taking the argument a bit too far.

Risk is subjective, isn't it? Frankly, I thought that you were taking the argument too far with your "basic rule".

OK, let me rephrase or explain what I meant. I think that if you don't have to take medicine better don't take them when you are diving. But if you have to take medicine - check it first with the appriopriate MD.

IMHO this is a much better "basic rule". Thanks for clarifying.