Do you use Sudafed....?

[Eagle-scuba]

Actifed, about 1 hr prior to diving, and again every 4hrs if diving all day, it usually wears off in 4 hrs, hardly ever notice drousiness of inability to perform tasks at depth, but you should try it out first before diving it, it can affect people differently, sudafed doesn`t seem to have as good an affect on me, personally...see ya` under

 

[fairybasslet]

What's the bottom line? In normal, healthy divers breathing air, occasional use of pseudoephedrine at the recommended dose is probably safe. This presumes that the drug has been taken during periods when no diving has occurred and that no undesirable reactions have occurred. However, one should avoid chronic (daily) use when diving, and it seems reasonable to avoid the drug entirely if diving while using oxygen-nitrogen mixes where the PO2 during a dive might exceed 1.4 ata, the current recommended "safe" open-circuit scuba limit.​

I don't know. I used EAN 32, (at least that's what I think it was; I'd have to check my log book for sure) in the Flower Gardens and took Sudafed about an hour before every dive.
I also used EAN 32 and Sudafed in Roatan with 4 dives every day for 6 days. In Thailand, I dove air but used Sudafed for my 4 daily dives for 6 days. And here I am... I guess it does depend upon the person, but if someone has trouble equalizing, like I do, and Sudafed is available, I'd hate to give up diving because of a slight chance of some kind of undefined reaction. Did DAN say what the reactions were?

 

[lowwall]

I see a few of the responders are using Sudafed to control allergies. You might try talking to your doctor as there are much better choices than hammering your entire system with ephedrine. At least give Claritin (loratadine) a try before your next dive trip, it's OTC and works really well for mild seasonal allergies.

FWIW, if it's allergies that have you stuffed up, you really only have to worry about getting down. Reverse blocks are unlikely if your Sudafed/Claritin/whatever wears off as an hour breathing filtered air does wonders for clearing up the system.

 

[AlexMDiver]

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.

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

That is because pseudoephedrine (original sudafed) and methamphetamine (speed) have closely related chemical structure and pseudoephedrine has some effects on your heart rate and central nervous system. Phenylephedrine (Sudafed PE) does this less so. But it is much less effective as a decongestant.
Sudafed (pseudoephedrine), while being an excellent decongestant, is being increasingly restrictred because it can be illegally converted to methamphetamine in a relatively simple chemical procedure.

Both I believe have some effects on heart rate and blood pressure, hence I would only use it if really necessary while diving and doing exercise.

 

[AlexMDiver]

I don't know. I used EAN 32, (at least that's what I think it was; I'd have to check my log book for sure) in the Flower Gardens and took Sudafed about an hour before every dive.
I also used EAN 32 and Sudafed in Roatan with 4 dives every day for 6 days. In Thailand, I dove air but used Sudafed for my 4 daily dives for 6 days. And here I am... I guess it does depend upon the person, but if someone has trouble equalizing, like I do, and Sudafed is available, I'd hate to give up diving because of a slight chance of some kind of undefined reaction. Did DAN say what the reactions were?

Drugs on the market are very safe to take. They are tested in extensive clinical trials. However you should be aware that the metabolism and tolerance to drugs among the population varies greatly. This is often due to differences in liver function (and you don't have to have aparent liver dissease for this to be the case).
With this side effects vary greatly. There is no drug that is 100% safe. If you take a drug for some illness, you improve or cure the illness, but there is a risk of course with anything you take. It is also a question of the dose.

A number of drugs may have some unwanted cardiac effects and today all new drugs that reach the market are extensively tested for this.
With older drugs, that have this potential, most people have no problem whatsoever. Probably like you.
But immagine someone who may be susceptible. For some reason, the unwanted effect in this person (and this is very rare) can be much more pronounced. These compounds affect the potassium channel in the heart and may change heart rate or the cardiac excitability. In severe cases and for instance under stress and excercise this can lead to cardiac arrest. This under water is especially bad.
The problem is, that you can't know whether you are sucesptible or not. You will find out when you have such an event. If you are fit, healthy and have taken this drug in teh past, then that is a good sign, but again does not guarrantee anything.
So while diving on sudafed has served you well, and will continue to serve you well, there is an increased risk that you are taking.
When you dive, under increased partial pressures of oxygen, you are now in a grey zone that is no longer covered by clinical trials or any scientific data.
It is a danger of the public to assume that drugs have to be 100% safe and that you can take them at will in any circumstance. At very high doses any drug is toxic (even alcohol! even pure water!). The dose unfortunately varies from person to person and from the circumstance that person is in.
Diving is more risky than taking a sudafed, but the combination again increases risk. It is important to know of the risk before you take it.

 

[Diveral]

I have allergy problems. I take a claritin everyday and use Rhinocort Aqua during the days I dive. I also take a benadryl the night before a dive if I have congestion problems. Sudafed seems to make might sinuses stuffy.

AL

 

[scubaaaronh]

I quit using sudafed and started using Claritin D, my ENT had me try it out. Takes care of my allergies and clears me out for twenty hours. Thet say it is 24 hour but i get twenty out of it. I take it the night before the dive and since i started this i have not had to call a dive.

 

[adjuster-jd]

At the advice of an ENT, I take Singulair the night before diving, Flonase the morning of the dive, and then Entex PSE an hour or so before diving. Entex PSE is essentially 12 hour sudafed and guiafenesin. All of these require a prescription, so you will need to get some medical advice.. BTW, I dive Nitrox up to 1.4 PO2 with no problems.

Dive safe.

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't know. I used EAN 32, (at least that's what I think it was; I'd have to check my log book for sure) in the Flower Gardens and took Sudafed about an hour before every dive.
I also used EAN 32 and Sudafed in Roatan with 4 dives every day for 6 days. In Thailand, I dove air but used Sudafed for my 4 daily dives for 6 days. And here I am... I guess it does depend upon the person, but if someone has trouble equalizing, like I do, and Sudafed is available, I'd hate to give up diving because of a slight chance of some kind of undefined reaction. Did DAN say what the reactions were?

Nothing in the DAN article contradicts what you wrote.

I am willing to bet you never once went over the recommended 1.4 limit. In fact, I bet you never went near it. The DAN article says you should be safe, and you were.

If you read the entire article carefully, they fairly scream at you that they are being super conservative and making their recommendation on the very flimisiest evidence they could accept and still make the recommendation.

 

[matva]

sudafed saved me last weekend when i was highly congested (getting over a cold). Worked great, took it 1hr before dive and had no problems with reverse block or anything.