Post by LSDeep on Nov 30, 2005 9:34:20 GMT -5
By Alex Brylske
Q: Natasha Kravtsov had a follow-up question to a subject I addressed in a recent issue concerning seasickness. "On a recent cruise vacation, I was wearing a transdermal patch for motion sickness and I went diving. After a few days I was feeling ill with ear pain and went to the ship's doctor. He diagnosed me with an ear infection and noticed I was wearing the patch. He told me the patch had more side effects than other motion sickness medications, and he specifically would not recommend it to divers, mostly because it may cause hallucinations both above and below water. In a recent column, however, you seemed to say it was fairly safe, and the articles from DAN [Divers Alert Network] also seemed to suggest this. So my question is, what to use next time?
A: As I'm not a medical expert, I thought the best approach was to go the source. So, I asked DAN's vice president for medical services, Joel Dovenbarger, to wade in on this issue. Here's a synopsis of what he had to say:
The transdermal scopolamine patch is widely used in recreational diving and by many boaters. It has the same side effects as any other antihistamine medication, including drowsiness, dry mouth and, if you get it in your eye, blurred vision. This last side effect is very disturbing as it can last for several hours. In addition, there is a small risk of psychological problems, particularly agitation at depth and hallucinations, but this occurs in only a very small number of users.
The patch actually has an advantage over oral medication because it delivers a sustained dose at therapeutic levels for 72 hours. You can then switch to a new patch without a drop in medication levels. By contrast, oral medication levels can peak and drop depending on how often and when they are taken. You should also know that you may get a sedative effect within 30 minutes to an hour each time you take these medications, making it important to carefully consider exactly when you take the drug.
The best advice without recommending any particular medication is to use what works for you. Plan your medication and diving activity to avoid a peak or valley in levels, and monitor yourself for any side effects. Most importantly, always do a land trial of any medication that you're considering taking while diving; never take a drug for the first time before diving. Finally, always read the packet instructions, and discuss your plans with DAN or your physician.
Q: Natasha Kravtsov had a follow-up question to a subject I addressed in a recent issue concerning seasickness. "On a recent cruise vacation, I was wearing a transdermal patch for motion sickness and I went diving. After a few days I was feeling ill with ear pain and went to the ship's doctor. He diagnosed me with an ear infection and noticed I was wearing the patch. He told me the patch had more side effects than other motion sickness medications, and he specifically would not recommend it to divers, mostly because it may cause hallucinations both above and below water. In a recent column, however, you seemed to say it was fairly safe, and the articles from DAN [Divers Alert Network] also seemed to suggest this. So my question is, what to use next time?
A: As I'm not a medical expert, I thought the best approach was to go the source. So, I asked DAN's vice president for medical services, Joel Dovenbarger, to wade in on this issue. Here's a synopsis of what he had to say:
The transdermal scopolamine patch is widely used in recreational diving and by many boaters. It has the same side effects as any other antihistamine medication, including drowsiness, dry mouth and, if you get it in your eye, blurred vision. This last side effect is very disturbing as it can last for several hours. In addition, there is a small risk of psychological problems, particularly agitation at depth and hallucinations, but this occurs in only a very small number of users.
The patch actually has an advantage over oral medication because it delivers a sustained dose at therapeutic levels for 72 hours. You can then switch to a new patch without a drop in medication levels. By contrast, oral medication levels can peak and drop depending on how often and when they are taken. You should also know that you may get a sedative effect within 30 minutes to an hour each time you take these medications, making it important to carefully consider exactly when you take the drug.
The best advice without recommending any particular medication is to use what works for you. Plan your medication and diving activity to avoid a peak or valley in levels, and monitor yourself for any side effects. Most importantly, always do a land trial of any medication that you're considering taking while diving; never take a drug for the first time before diving. Finally, always read the packet instructions, and discuss your plans with DAN or your physician.