Recreational drug's=Death

[sky50960]

Maybe this man already had a heart malformation he did not know about?
If you add some other risk factors such as drugs and dive stress than you might be in trouble.

Maybe he ruptured a intracranial aneurysm?
How did yo know he was on recreational drug?

 

[Kane(adian)]

sky, the original post says that the SPECULATION was that the deceased was under the influence of drug(s). I imagine, that under the circumstances, an autopsy, and toxicology would have been ordered, which would have given a definitive answer to the question of whether this person was on drugs. You have a good point though, that maybe it was something physical that just broke, which may just as easily happened sitting on the boat.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Part of the original question was:
Is there a direct correlation between drugs, any drugs, be it recreational or medical and depth?

Netdoc had an interesting partial answer but it still didn't totally (in my small mind) answer the question.

I used to pop two sudafed before diving to insure the tubes stayed open. I actually picked up this habit from a dive master I knew. I have no idea if it really had any effect on my diving. I have since quit.

Netdoc more info please. If decongestants can become toxic at a specific pO2 what is that level. Equate that to a depth on air please.

I have read tons of literature on why you shouldn't dive on decongestants. Namely what happens if they stop working at depth. (Reverse squeeze on ascent)Nothing on toxicity.

Tom

 

[cherinere]

I had one glass of wine 2 hours before a dive once and my mouth was so dry I could hardly breath, taking any kind of drug no matter what it is or what you do after is playing with a life Your own or some innocent.
Diving is one of the best highs you can get, no drugs or alcohol needed. Some people just think they are invincible, that old saying " that won't happen to me"!
My sympathy goes out to the instructors who fight to save these lives, saving my share and not losing one yet, I can't image how helpless you must of felt. I am sure you did all you could.

 

[The Chairman]

Hey Tom and all,

Actually, I was specifically trying to avoid brand names, lest there be any legal issues raised. However, Pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient in the aforementioned product, is a CNS (Central Nervous System) exciter and would predispose you to Oxygen toxicity. We are very careful to plan our dives to stay within a PPO2 of 1.4 ata, with a PPO2 of 1.6 ata as the maximum contingency. Much more than that can bring on sudden convulsions with absolutely no warning. Obviously, underwater these convulsions usually result in drowning. So if I take a drug that makes me far more susceptible to OxTox, then the actual PPO2 that can kill me changes. Way unfortunately, I have no way to quantify this and make the proper adjustments in my diving profile. Thus I would be diving “blind” in regards to my Oxygen exposure, and hoping that I “guessed” it right. See page 39 of the PADI Enriched Air Diver Manual for a far better analysis of the situation.

The actual problem lies in the way the cells metabolize Oxygen. That’s why we don’t have to worry about having too much of it in us when we ascend… our cells consume it quite quickly. However, when the PPO2 gets too high the cells are overwhelmed and the oxygen actually disrupts normal cell behavior. Nitrogen, on the other hand is NOT metabolized and so we have to worry about how we are going to off-gas the excess. It also has a narcotic effect that can be affected by drugs that alter our CNS. As with oxygen, there is no way to quantify the effects it has on our ability to withstand its narcotic effects or how our cells will be able to off-gas it on ascent.

There are just too many variables and not enough facts! There are more questions raised than answered. I stopped using the pills and had my doctor prescribe a steroidal spray. The amount of the steroid absorbed is so insignificant that according to my Doctor, it is safe to dive with! Oh yeah, ingested steroids are CNS exciters too!!!

:nono:

To answer your question directly: there is no data on what PPO2 or EAD (Equivalent Air Depth) that Pseudoephedrine (or any drug) becomes a problem. It’s your guess AND your life... choose wisely!

Hope this helps, and is not too wordy...

 

[The Chairman]

Yo all,

There is also a residual toxicity associated with Oxygen that was NOT covered by the previous post...yes, you have to track it too! The post was way too long as it was! For more info on the ins and outs of EAN, just take a NitrOx course. You will then understand these concepts a lot more thouroughly than I can explain here.

Dive within your training!!!

:all:

 

[uwsince79]

This is an excellent post! It is an issue that should be addressed at all times. Drugs in general, both in front of the counter and behind and their effects under pressure and of course all Divers, Dive Masters and Instructors should talk about the use of illegal drugs. But I think a point that is missed is that we are on a LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM while underwater. Any use of drugs with out proper research to their effects may mess with your LIFE and its SUPPORT! Many people forget that we do not belong (naturally) under water. Only thru the use of scuba (Self Contained BREATHING APPERATUS) can we do what we all love. Major breakthroughs in understanding pressure and its effects STILL happen every day, and will continue for sometime. We do not know what the effects are on many things that we absorb while under pressure, One-Way science understands these effects is by the use of "guinea pigs" and through these test we may understand some of these effects.
So if you wish to be a lab rat and dive while on the use of illegal substances, before you do, please contact DAN and let them know so after you pass away and we find your body we can at least have a better understanding of the drugs you are taking and how it kills under pressure.
Yes I am an x-cop (narcotics) and I have seen what is does above the sea. I am still working on removing those memories…