Tylenol or Advil before a dive?

[NC Wreck Diver]

My typical answer to these questions is to ask DAN. If you are not a member, they will still help. Also, if you're not a member, sign up. They are great. Worth the money. Just e-mail them and follow up with a phone call. I wouldn't call their emergency number, since you need some help, but it's not a critical diving accident, but it still needs attention.

CO2 build up is a good estimation. So is decending too fast. Make sure you are equalizing your mask/ears often. Also, there are some quality doctors here on SB, so they could give you excellent advice. Personally, I do not take any medication before diving, but that is just MY choice. Nothing to go by. Good luck finding out how to stop your headaches, and safe diving to you.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Recap:
HA occurs bilaterally and in the temporal region during descent. The pain ranges from a dull to sharp pain. The HA pain is increased by greater ambient pressure and somewhat mitigated by a decrease in ambient pressure. The HA is treatable with "normal meds." I interpret "normal meds" to mean OTC analgesics (Tylenol, Advil, etc.).

@samsumon: The air space inside your mask requires equalization during descent by gently blowing through your nose. It doesn't take much to equalize the space and relieve the mask squeeze. People who fail to do this usually experience intense pressure along the outline of and inside the mask. It's possible that the mask squeeze is generating eye pain which is being referred to your temples. Try equalizing your mask during the descent on your next dive. Also, make sure that the mask isn't too tight to begin with.

I wouldn't recommend taking Advil before the dive. If I understand the situation correctly, you're not even sure that this HA will happen on a reliable basis on every dive. AFAIK, it only happened on your last dive. How do you know that it will happen again?

Try descending slowly on your next dive. This will give you a chance to equalize your ears and will force you to practice buoyancy control (which is a good thing).

Your profile doesn't reveal where you are diving. Are you diving in cold water? That could also play a factor. You mentioned that when you had the HA and walked into a cold room, the pain increased.

How many lifetime dives have you done? Are you doing your OW certification dives? If so, let your instructor know about your HAs. Maybe there's something really obvious we're missing that he/she will pick up on.

Let us know what works.

 

[tarponchik]

I seem to be getting some headaches either after or maybe a bit during my dives. Is it ok to take 2 maybe 30 min before my dive to prevent? I think its just my body getting used to the dives.

If you have a choice, take Advil (ibuprofen), of course. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is bad for your liver and should generally be avoided.

 

[samsumon]

So today i did a 25ft reef dive and had no headaches. IMO I think I went down to fast but no pain. I did feel like I had some water in my ears,the feeling you get when you did not get a satisfying equalization. I blame it though on a BCD being to big and to much starting weight. Going down was just a bad trip =-/!.

 

[samsumon]

Recap:
HA occurs bilaterally and in the temporal region during descent. The pain ranges from a dull to sharp pain. The HA pain is increased by greater ambient pressure and somewhat mitigated by a decrease in ambient pressure. The HA is treatable with "normal meds." I interpret "normal meds" to mean OTC analgesics (Tylenol, Advil, etc.).

@samsumon: The air space inside your mask requires equalization during descent by gently blowing through your nose. It doesn't take much to equalize the space and relieve the mask squeeze. People who fail to do this usually experience intense pressure along the outline of and inside the mask. It's possible that the mask squeeze is generating eye pain which is being referred to your temples. Try equalizing your mask during the descent on your next dive. Also, make sure that the mask isn't too tight to begin with.

I wouldn't recommend taking Advil before the dive. If I understand the situation correctly, you're not even sure that this HA will happen on a reliable basis on every dive. AFAIK, it only happened on your last dive. How do you know that it will happen again?

Try descending slowly on your next dive. This will give you a chance to equalize your ears and will force you to practice buoyancy control (which is a good thing).

Your profile doesn't reveal where you are diving. Are you diving in cold water? That could also play a factor. You mentioned that when you had the HA and walked into a cold room, the pain increased.

How many lifetime dives have you done? Are you doing your OW certification dives? If so, let your instructor know about your HAs. Maybe there's something really obvious we're missing that he/she will pick up on.

Let us know what works.

Thanks,I got my OW certification. I just think the problem is, to fast going down with not enough equalize.

 

[boulderjohn]

So today i did a 25ft reef dive and had no headaches. IMO I think I went down to fast but no pain. I did feel like I had some water in my ears,the feeling you get when you did not get a satisfying equalization. I blame it though on a BCD being to big and to much starting weight. Going down was just a bad trip =-/!.

Some things to think about:

1. When you descend, you should do so under control. You said you had too much starting weight, and that is almost certainly part of the problem. When I am on a reef dive and am properly weighted, the only way I an get down really fast is to go head first and kick. Otherwise I just drift down gently.

2. I do dive overweighted, though, often by quite a bit. If I am doing decompression dives with steel tanks, I am going to get rid of a whole lot of gas during the dive, so I start out very heavy. When I do that, I add air to my wing a little at a time throughout the descent so that I am never plummeting so fast I can't control it.

3. Many, probably most, divers descend with their feet below them so that they can control their descent speed through kicking. If you are properly weighted and/or know how to adjust your buoyancy as you descend, that should not be necessary, but it might help you now.

4. If you feel like you have water in your ears, it may be because you have water in your ears (the outer ears). When I was first diving I thought I had some kind of ear damage a couple of times, only to see that some alcohol drops in the outer ear provided a miracle cure. I now use a mixture of water and vinegar in my outer ears regularly.

 

[samsumon]

I was first TO heavy but then I was just perfect. Im about 185 so roughly 14-15lbs of weight with a full 3-3200 psi tank is what keeps me down.

I think my issue is I release my BCD's air TO fast. Ill start out next time slowly letting a bit everytime.

-Now,water and vinegar (what kind?) you just dab a few drops around the outer ear and thats it?

 

[samsumon]

I wanna dive with boulder..Answer to everything lol.

 

[fjpatrum]

Headaches may be caused by mild dehydration as well. Make sure you're well hydrated before a dive and get more liquids (non-alcoholic... those cause dehydration) after each dive as well.

EDIT: DOH! Looks like someone else already mentioned this and I missed it.

 

[fjpatrum]

If you have a choice, take Advil (ibuprofen), of course. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is bad for your liver and should generally be avoided.

Just out of curiosity, where do you get that information? I've never heard anyone ever say acetaminophen should be avoided except in specific circumstances.