Can I go scuba diving if im on Lithium medication?

Question

My psychiatrist advised me to find out from my scuba instructor. My scuba instructor told me to ask my doctor and my GP but she has no idea how Lithium is effected by underwater pressure either. I'm not taking the medication for any phobias as I certainly would'nt consider scuba diving if that was the case! I'll be taking it to calm down my 'racing' head and rapid speech which results in making me feel depressed.

Answer 1

As a scuba diving instructor, i would advise you to call Dan Europe's office in the UK on 0870 872 8888 (their website is daneurope.org).
They do a lot of research on diving, including the effect of medication on diving, so they will be able to help you. They're a reference (most dive centres and instructors turn to them when they have a question on diving). So whatever their answer to you is, trust them and do as they advise.
If they say no then it would be stupid not to tell the dive centre you're on medication just so you can dive. By doing so, you would run the risk to put your life, your buddy's life and/or your diving instructor's life in danger. I don't want to scare you. Diving is great and is a lot of fun but is also serious stuff.

If Dan Europe say that you should be ok to dive, it is best to have a medical certificate from a physician who knows about hyperbaric medecine, as most doctors don't know anything about the effect of drugs underwater (at higher pressure). On this link, you will find a list of the hyperbaric chambers in the UK who can help you get this medical certificate
http://www.ukdivers.com/info/hyperbaric.asp
Then you can take the certificate (which should specifically state that you are fit to dive while taking lithium) along with you to the dive centre.
Hope this helps and that you'll be able to dive.
If so, i'm sure you'll love it. Happy bubbles!

Answer 2

The question is not what medication you're taking, but why you're taking it. Psychological illnesses such as phobia, depression, bipolar disorder, paranoia, etc. are good reason for refusal by doctors to allow someone to dive, on the grounds that if that person already has greater-than-normal difficulty coping with life above the surface, they will be even less able to cope underwater.

When we strap on scuba gear and go diving, we are immersing ourselves in an alien environment to which we are very poorly adapted, and if something goes wrong, that environment will very likely severely injure or even kill us. Imagine if an astronaut went for a spacewalk having forgotten to fasten his helmet properly, or forgot what he was supposed to do if his suit sprang a leak... 99% of diving accidents are a direct result of the diver's own actions (or negligence), and given that we dive in an alien environment, most diving accidents are by definition serious.

As previous answerers have already posted, you have to have your act together when you go diving, both for your own sake and your buddy's, and for the sake of the instructor who is legally responsible for your safety during your diving course. Instructors can be (and have been) held criminally liable in the event of a serious accident, EVEN IF the student in question lied on their medical form.

The rules governing medical fitness to dive are designed to protect everyone involved, including those who should not be allowed under water for their own safety. The rules are no more discriminatory than preventing a child from playing with matches is discriminatory.

Answer 3

Little work has been done to factualize the relationship between mental conditions and scuba diving. Other than the obvious proscriptions against someone diving who is out of touch with reality, severely depressed and suicidal or paranoid with delusions and hallucinations---one has to consider the many who can dive with everyday anxieties, fears and neuroses.

Successful divers have a profile that is positively correlated to intelligence, is characterized by a level of neuroticism that is average or below average, and score well on studies of self-sufficiency and emotional stability.

There are some actual psychological disturbances that are well known to all but are poorly documented. These include the phobic states, over-reactive anxiety states, illusions and responses to physiological abnormalities.

The normal anxiety induced by the undersea environment is complicated by an overawareness of the potential but definite dangers, causing a phobic anxiety state in susceptible people. A vicious circle results and the diver may then develop an actual phobia to descent into the water. Some "dragooned" divers experience this while learning to dive but other stronger motivating factors temporarily override their fear.

Some divers have true claustrophobia, preventing their immersion into water or even into a recompression chamber. This syndrome may only surface during certain times of stress and diminished visibility, such as in murky water, night diving or during prolonged diving.

An agoraphobic reaction - often called "blue orb or dome syndrome", it also is seen when a diver loses contact with the bottom and the surface and becomes spatially disoriented.

An over-reactive anxiety state usually occurs in response to some inadvertent mishap, such as a mask flooding with water-causing the diver to panic unnecessarily and behave irrationally. Most often this results in emergency ascents with the attendant dangers, frantic grabs for air supplies, and lack of concern for the safety of others. This is seen more often in those divers who have an above normal neuroticism gradient.

Answer 4

This has been taken from a forum on the website below. You may like to visit the site, as there's quite a lot of imput from contributors: 'Lithium may pose a problem with divers who become severely dehydrated from excessive sweating in wetsuits or drysuits before or after they enter the water, resulting in elevated and potentially toxic levels of lithium. As always, it is best to consult your personal physician.' AND from the second website: 'Prospective divers should in all cases provide full disclosure of their condition and medications to the dive instructor and certifying agency - bearing in mind the safety of buddies, dive instructors, divemasters and other individuals who are always affected by diving incidents.'

Answer 5

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Answer 7

If I were you I'd ask your Dr. not us because everyone is different when it comes to taking drugs.

Answer 8

the answer to your question is very simple ...ask your doctor ..... this is becaue they need to sign your medical forms.

Answer 9

Talk to your doctor 1st!!!!!!!!!!