Air Travel & Scuba Diving

[luluc 6]

Question?

Has anyone experienced extreme tightness during air travel, with an inability to eat for a day or two? Also are there any scuba divers here that have had any issues?

I ask for my husband who was banded w/me, and he has a really hard time with air travel - and is also a scuba diver. He got pretty scientific w/me discussing that air travel and scuba diving would have the reverse affects from one another (I don't pretend to understand), so I figure I'd put the question out to the masses.

He would like to get back into scuba diving after losing some weight, the air travel though is kicking his butt due the frequency of business travel. Irregardless of the length of time between fills, he gets so tight he can barely keep liquid down. After touching down for a day he can resume eating - odd.

Just thought I'd hit ya'll up for insight...appreciate it

[Wheetsin 714]

Some air travel makes me extra ordinarily tight. About 10% of the time I'm uneffected, but normally I get very tight. It happens mid-flight, and will get to the point that in-flight liquids take a very long time to pass.

I am a scuba diver, no problems, but I've also not gone below 60.

Your husband's theory is correct. Going up alleviates atmospheric pressure so things get bigger. Going underwater increases atmospheric pressure, so things get smaller. A moderately filled balloon pops if it goes too far, but looks empty at 50 ft underwater.

I talked several times with Inamed about this before banding, and they assured me no problems, and that the silicone the band is fabricated from is rigid enough to maintain its integrity. I'd imagine any changes are with the saline inside the band (should adjust to normal state as soon as pressure returns to normal), or more likely - the reaction to our soft tissues and their Fluid retention.

[shortgal 5]

I'll be watching for answers. I am scheduled to fly and am worried about it. Not sure that enough people will see this thread "as a complication" and wondering how many answers you'll get.

Maybe start a "poll" in another topic thread, if you don;t get many responses?

[shortgal 5]

I'll be watching for answers. I am scheduled to fly and am worried about it. Not sure that enough people will see this thread "as a complication" and wondering how many answers you'll get.

Maybe start a "poll" in another topic thread, if you don;t get many responses?

[luluc 6]

Yeah I guess I should move this - didn't really know which forum to throw this out. I did travel w/my husband last wk (first time since getting the band) and I was tight. It only last an hr after landing but I did get a tight sensation, something I hadn't experienced before. My husband was a totally different story. He PB'd on Water on the plane, and afterwards couldn't get anything down for well over 24hrs. We're still new to this process, but believe he's at his sweet spot, me I think I need one more fill - but won't know till next wk when I have #4.

Thanks Wheetsin, hubby is a big scuba diver (hadn't in the last 2yrs - weight gain, et all) and was terrified when he was told he may not be able to with the band. Again thanks for the response.

[Heatherz88 2]

I am also flying in Feb on my honeymoon and was worried about being tight.So interesting to know that i may be! I am lso a scuba diver and am anxious to see what happens with that as well.

[shortgal 5]

Is there anyone reading this thread that knows how to start a poll asking people about their experiences flying with the band?

I would think there'd be more flyers than scuba divers, with business and pleasure travel being at an all time high.

Maybe questions about do they expereince tightness and how close to restriction they are???

Can someone help? Oh but not under the complication forum. I see this more as a side effect than complication.

[Marimaru 7]

If you search the forums there's a large number of threads on flying with the band. I've answered a number of them myself, as flying does make me extra tight for at least a day.

Scuba diving seems to have no real effect one way or the other for me though, and I've been diving a number of times since being banded. I will say that using less than 20 lbs of weight to get down under the Water has been AMAZING! It's so nice :smile:

[neveragain 9]

I've been diving and I've had no issue, but no flying just yet.

[Missy0224 6]

I got a fill in July right before I left for Aruba and was very tight for a couple of days after flying. It could have just been the swelling from the fill, but my mom was tight as well.

[shortgal 5]

thanks marimaru, I'll look for previous threads!

[KimInMD 1]

I can't eat much solid food flying day and for much of the day after. I'm usually back to normal by evening the second day. I stick to Soups, Protein Drinks and soft foods until the swelling goes down and the band loosens up.

I have been banded a little over 1 1/2 years now, and scuba often. I have had NO restriction problems at all. As hubby loses weight, he will continually have to make adjustments as to how much weight to use. He will even notice his weight distribution may change. I make sure I write it all down in my log so that I have a starting point for the first dive at the next destination. For the first dive, I always have to re-adjust to find my new neutral buoyancy point. As he loses weight he'll also be changing sizes in his BCD, wet suit and yes, even fin size! Oh, and tell him don't forget to adjust his mask too!

The only other thing I noticed is that I now get cold faster without as much body fat. He may find he needs to make an adjustment in the mil thickness of the suit that he normally wears, though in my opinion, guys don't seem to get cold as fast as girls do.

Hope this helps!

Happy diving! - Kim