What kind of sickness keeps you from diving?

[Guy Ellison]

I have also just undergone chemotherapy including bleomycin. I have been told that scuba diving is out of the question ,ever and that oxygen is now on my allergies list. A friend of mine who is a master diver wanted to take me for a dive when I return to the Philippines and said that they don't use oxygen. They used compressed air. So what is the difference between the two or is it the pressure? I have yet to find out the dosage of bleomycin I received over 8 courses of chemtherapy for Hodgkins lymphoma.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Guy,

Prior exposure to bleomycin can lead to lung complications if you're subsequently exposed to high concentrations of oxygen. It wouldn't be considered an allergy though; we've treated numerous patients with hyperbaric oxygen who had been given bleomycin in the distant past prior to their treatment and have not seen any complications. An article published by some of our staff in 2012 is linked below.

Safe administration of hyperbaric oxygen after bleomycin: a case series of 15 patients. - PubMed - NCBI

An article from Alert Diver on the subject is linked below.

To Dive or Not To Dive with Bleomycin

Dr. Mike Bennett is a diving physician who lives in your neck of the woods, you may want to ring him up.

Professor Michael Bennett | Prince of Wales Clinical School

Best regards,
DDM