Can I dive while on medications?

This is an extremely common question yet one that cannot be easily answered.  There is simply no hard data on how taking any certain medication can affect diving.  Therefore, some general considerations should be weighed, including the medical condition being treated, the demands of diving on the human body, the results of clinical trials on land, and the diver's level of physical fitness.  The greater concern for those who are on medication is that the medical condition itself may cause problems for the diver.  However, if a diver has experienced side effects due to the medication or if it is a medication that must not be taken with alcohol or while operating heavy machinery, then there could be a possibility of the drug enhancing or being enhanced by the narcotic effect of nitrogen.  This is especially true for dives deeper than 24 m (80 feet).