Do you use Sudafed....?

[EliotD]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the use of Sudafed or similar decongestant before a dive? I personally dont use it as I rarely get sick and never have trouble equalizing (knock on Al 80) but I know people who do. It seems to me that it might impair your functioning...any thoughts?

 

[NCSCUBADOOBA]

Well, sounds like YOU don't need Sudafed. But, they make a new Sudafed w/o pseudoephedrine in it, I think it's Sudafed PE. I have used it and I'm highly intolerant to the old Sudafed. It didn't do anything to me, but perhaps tell your friend to try a saline spray and irrigate the sinuses with salt water instead of medication.
Angela

 

[cleung]

I use Sudafed all the time when diving. I have year round allergies and therefore have a hard time equalizing without decongestants. What I do is take an antihistamine like Benedryl at night to start clearing my passages, then in the morning I take a long acting 12 hour Sudafed to get me through the dive day.

 

[BarryNL]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the use of Sudafed or similar decongestant before a dive? I personally dont use it as I rarely get sick and never have trouble equalizing (knock on Al 80) but I know people who do. It seems to me that it might impair your functioning...any thoughts?

Personally I don't use it - any time I've been so bunged up as to need to I've felt unwell enough not to dive anyway. However, the only real danger is that it wears off during your dive and your ears can't clear during surfacing (a 'reverse block'). The dose certainly needs to be timed to avoid this, which mean testing it on the surface first to confirm how long it is effective for you.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

I use Flonase nasal inhaler during dive season, then take Sudafed before diving. Works great for me! Note: It's very important decongestants do not wear off during a dive

 

[DORSETBOY]

I will use sudafed or actifed when diving, especially on hols as i tend to get heavy colds on long haul flights with the recycled air. It's not really a good idea though and if I could get away without using it then I would, reverse blocks being the main worry but also the drowsiness it tends to cause.

 

[Jcsgt]

I take the 12 hour Sudafed about an hour before boarding the boat, along with a snootful of saline solution. I have one ear passage that gets constricted, so this combination ensures that passage opens up to equalize without drying out my nose. Also, with the 12 hour version, the Sudafed doesn't wear off during diving.

 

[JimQPublic]

Pseudoephedrine- the original Sudafed acts like speed to me. My heart rate goes up and I'm very jittery. Also I tend to get nosebleeds if I'm in dry desert air and taking it. It does clear my sinuses up nicely.

I find that an expectorant is important, otherwise I get crud caked up in my sinuses so they're still blocked even with a decongestant.

Finally the new Sudafed PE doesn't act like such a stimulant with me- I don't notice any side effects at all. The downside is it doesn't seem nearly as effective at decongesting.

Jim

 

[Damselfish]

If you look at the links under "Similar Threads" at the bottom of this page (or search) you can read some of the many earlier discussions about this.

 

[Scottri]

I use it all the time and I've never had a problem with it. The new Sudafed PE is not as long lasting but works well also. I think the experience could be different for everyone but very few people I know have problems with Sudafed and diving.