With aisles full of over-the-counter medication, self-dosing a stuffy nose, burning stomach or aching back is all too common. In Thailand, and other third-world countries, where the corner phamacy will gladly sell you prescription drugs usually only available after a doctor’s examination, it’s even easier.

While we all know of people who down the Actifed before a recreational dive to beat congestion, popping pills as a technical diver is a mch-different situation. As a post on South Africa’s Liquid Edge’s excellent technical diving blog points out, techies are more prone to side effects due to depth, longer exposures and higher partial pressures of oxygen. (more…)