SCUBA diving while using antidepressants - Cause for Concern?

[Kobayashi]

I've come across several posts on various internet forums where people describe going through terrible experiences while SCUBA diving on antidepressants. Specifically Luvox. I am an avid SCUBA diver and was planing on doing several dives in Mexico next month while on vacation. I am starting Luvox tomorrow for OCD. The posts describe hallucinations, mental confusion and extreme disorientation - very disturbing and obviously very dangerous while diving.

Has anyone heard of this phenomenon? I wonder if this has more to do with anxiety and mental state vs something physiological? Could it be something to do with increased nitrogen blood saturation at depth?

Any ideas, or are these likely just random events?

Cheers,

KOB

 

[Andy]

I've come across several posts on various internet forums where people describe going through terrible experiences while SCUBA diving on antidepressants. Specifically Luvox. I am an avid SCUBA diver and was planing on doing several dives in Mexico next month while on vacation. I am starting Luvox tomorrow for OCD. The posts describe hallucinations, mental confusion and extreme disorientation - very disturbing and obviously very dangerous while diving.

Has anyone heard of this phenomenon? I wonder if this has more to do with anxiety and mental state vs something physiological? Could it be something to do with increased nitrogen blood saturation at depth?

Any ideas, or are these likely just random events?

Cheers,

KOB

That's interesting KOB I have never heard of that. Have you found that a lot of people have experienced this? (looking on other forums that is).
I wonder if you could maybe call a Diving club where you are and ask them what they know about it. Of course asking a Dr. would be good too. The body can react differently in different situations and that would definitely be a scary thing to experience when you were diving.
If you don't get any answers here could you let us know what you found out?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Asking your doctor or a pharmacist would be my recommendation. I've never heard of that as a reaction to Luvox or any other SSRI but then I don't know a lot of people on SSRIs who scuba dive (at least, it's not something that's come up in therapy sessions).