Scuba diving and Chiari Type 1

[Marconis1]

I enrolled in a scuba diving course for next semester at my school, though I am thinking I may need to drop it because of Chiari. I want to be a field biologist, and I have a great interest in aquatics; have been keeping aquariums for many years. This being the case, I was thinking that getting scuba certified would be highly beneficial to me. Of course, it doesn't seem like it'd be beneficial at all to my Chiari.

Is it a bad idea? How does scuba diving actually effect your Chiari? I really don't want to drop the course, as I will be highly upset if I cannot do it. What do you guys think...

[selmaS]

  I did recall the name, but not ur specific issues....

So where r u at, did u get the thoracic MRI done yet?...I scanned the other thread quickly to refresh me with ur history.,...don't hold me to remembering it all tho....lol...remember I too have chiari : )

Did u ever got to TCI?

[Marconis1]

Selma, I don't know if you recall but you and I have shared correspondence in this thread:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Chiari-Malformation/My-Chiari-Quest-Making-Changes/show/1672062

I never had a drop attack, thankfully. I'm sorry that you su

[selmaS]

  What other symptoms do u have?....I had drop attacks and I never knew when I might have one, I would hate to be under water and suffer one...that would be scary....

I read u r looking for another specialist...what area r u looking in, have u looked at the list of Drs we have to help u in ur search?

[Marconis1]

I have not had surgery, my symptoms vary. I have headaches almost everyday but they are not that bad. I can swim underwater fine, I feel pressure at greater depths just like anyone else, I believe...though I have never gone very very deep. I guess I can test it out this summer in a pool. I don't have a syrinx, either.

[selmaS]

  Hi, it really depends on how u r being affected now by ur chiari, but many of us have issues with pressure HA's and diving goes down to where u will have pressure added...not sure I would want that.

I stopped swimming under  water altogether as it was too much pressure for me and that was b4 I was dx'd....

Did u have surgery?...what r ur symptoms like?

[Marconis1]

I am currently seeking a new specialist. Sigh...I guess I'm screwed for this...