Alcohol and diving

[findme23rls]

Does diving effect your body's ability to process alcohol out of the blood stream?

 

[Tortuga68]

No, drink a fifth of JD before you dive next

 

[El Orans]

No, drink a fifth of JD before you dive next

 

[Tortuga68]

I was making a joke, as I hope the OP was

 

[TSandM]

I found THIS study, which found that hyperbaric oxygen accelerated alcohol metabolism. However, both that one and THIS one failed to show any improvement of function with the falling EtOH level; in fact, the second study showed that hyperbaric oxygen seemed to potentiate the ill effects of alcohol on one's balance. A final paper, THIS one seems to suggest that there may be some liver stress associated with diving, whether or not one drinks.

By the way, I'd like to put in a plug for the Rubicon Research Repository here -- Through the hard work of Gene Hobbs and others, there is a wealth of research information collected there that is easy to search, and it's ideal for answering questions like this. My first reaction to the OP's question is that nobody would have looked at alcohol metabolism under hyperbaric conditions, but I was wrong!

 

[findme23rls]

I was making a joke, as I hope the OP was

Look guys I would never drink before or during a dive. What is the point, you miss everything you are down there to see. What I am asking is; Will the Nitrogen in your blood after diving is done for the day produce complications or not allow your body to burn alcohol (cunsumed after diving) out of your bloodstream. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[mwilding]

I believe the main issue with drinking after diving is the state you will be in for the next day's dive.

 

[TSandM]

Well, to address that question, I have only the third paper I quoted, which showed some liver function abnormalities in people after a week on a liveaboard boat, whether or not they consumed alcohol during that period. It's one, very small study, and the magnitude of the abnormalities wasn't very great. I seriously doubt you'd see any difference in EtOH metabolism as a result of them.

 

[vshearer]

Just tell your buddy he is the designated diver.

 

[Thalassamania]

I found THIS study, which found that hyperbaric oxygen accelerated alcohol metabolism. However, both that one and THIS one failed to show any improvement of function with the falling EtOH level; in fact, the second study showed that hyperbaric oxygen seemed to potentiate the ill effects of alcohol on one's balance. A final paper, THIS one seems to suggest that there may be some liver stress associated with diving, whether or not one drinks.

By the way, I'd like to put in a plug for the Rubicon Research Repository here -- Through the hard work of Gene Hobbs and others, there is a wealth of research information collected there that is easy to search, and it's ideal for answering questions like this. My first reaction to the OP's question is that nobody would have looked at alcohol metabolism under hyperbaric conditions, but I was wrong!

You missed my favorite: Rubicon