Diamox for Altitude Sickness?

“I will be going to Philmont in June with my son and other Boy Scouts. In the past, I have had trouble with altitude sickness which tends to hit around 6000 feet. I live at sea level. I mentioned this to my doctor today and he gave me a prescription for Diamox. Has anyone used this? Did it work?”

“I haven't. But I have had good success in making a conscious effort to be good and hydrated. Ginger works wonderful for the nausea too. I kind of look at altitude sickness as a good diet. I tend to lose my appetite! LOL!”

“Yeah, I really hate to use drugs. But I get so dang sick, usually on the third day which is weird. It doesn't seem to matter how much I try to hydrate. Someone told me to start taking in extra fluids before the trip starts. That might work.”

“I have a bunch of them too. My doctor gave them to me. I have no experience with them, but I figure I take a couple with me in case I really need them. I am not planning on taking them though.

I heard that the side effects can be pretty bad, like getting pukey sick , and everything carbonated suppose to taste disgusting. (so no beer on the trail)”

“Sounds like the choice is puking because of the altitude sickness or puking because of the altitude sickness drug.”

“I have used a generic equivalent of Diamox. We'd spent a couple of days at nearly 14,000 in Mexico, hoping to summit at about 18,500. I started taking it about 12 hours before our summit attempt, but at about half the dosage prescribed by my doctor. (I think she prescribed 250mg 3xday : I think I took 125mg twice a day.) I was feeling ok at 14000ft but having put in a lot of effort getting conditioned for the climb, and having spent a fair bit of money, I (and 2 others in my group) decided we'd take it rather than risk getting sick.

The side effect I experienced is that its a diuretic. I have never peed so frequently. But I was keeping well hydrated. I did not experience any of the other side effects mentioned.

I've also heard that if you're not too unwell aspirin can help.”

“There was an article here while back about viagra used for altitude sickness. I guess the secondary benefit would be you would be ready to go in case you ran across Sasquatch on the trail !!! LMAO”

“The problem I have with Diamox is it's a diruetic...not good at altitude. Many times a little acclimatising and plenty of fluids can get you through it.

Sometimes it can be in your head...I remember renting gear to a whole group from a hospital a few years ago, they all took Diamox...not one made the summit. All of them claimed they had altitude sickness too bad to continue. Everyone else I rented to that day summited.

What are your symptoms when you go above 6000'? Are we talking major High Altitude Mountain Sickness or the occasional headache. I know some really get it bad and others seem to be able to work through it.


Myself and many of my friends use Ginkgo Biloba regularly. The British Military has experimented with it as well.

I have known several folks that don't go high regularly who do use Diamox and the side effects seem to have been minimal....your mileage may vary.”

“Yes, its a powerful diuretic and you'll pee frequently. I haven't taken it myself but have been on climbing trips where others have used it. The best info I've seen on its use is an aid to help you get DOWN when altitude sickness strikes, not as a preventative.

Seems strange you get sick as low as 6000 ft; have you tried being at that altitude for a few days, keeping well hydrated, AND eating enough? Are you fit enough? All help prevent the on-set of the condition.”

“I heard about Ginkgo Biloba. I am taking Ginsana right now...thought it can't hurt. Suppose to Enghance energy & Improve Oxygen absorption. I can't feel anything here,but it doesn't cost alot and I feel that it wont' hurt to take.

It's Ginseng, Ginseng G115 (standardized Panax Ginseng, CA Meyer Extract)(root) to be exact...

I doubt I will ever touch the Diamox, but the feeling that it's in my pack just in case it nice. :)”

“I think that using Acetazolamide(Diamox) as a preventative measure is not uniformly recommended medical advice. If you read the links at the High Altitude Medicine Guide it goes into detail about when Diamox is recommended and when it is not.

Acclamation is probably the most effective strategy. At Philmont, you get a day or two in the main camp at around 6000 or 7000 ft. Then you work your way up to the higher altitudes as you go on your trek. I don't recall altitude sickness being a big problem at Philmont...which I attribute to the acclaimatizing.

I personally recommend you hydrate well, get lots of sleep, and eat heartily for several days before you get there.”

“6000 feet? eeks...that seems so low...I only start feeling the altitued at 14,000 feet and then I just pop some asprin.”

“SnowDude takes Diamox for long trips. He gets HAPE on the 3rd day. It happened 10 years before I met him (was helicoptered out from Guitar Lake), and 3 times the first 2 years we hiked together.

He drinks more water than anyone I know, and it still didn't help. Now he has to go up 1-2 days ahead of me and acclimatize at 9000'-10,000' and take diamox. He hasn't been sick since.

The first time we were on day 3 of a 6 day trip (had to go over 2 passes to get out). The 2nd time we had to turn back on day 3 of a 9 day trip (went over 1 pass to get out). The 3rd time we were climbing a 14er on day 2 and he was sick, but kept telling me he was ok. He woke up with rales the 3rd morning.

Side effects are tingly fingers, and carbonated drinks taste like metal.”

“Blah, doesn't sound fun. The sickness or the drug or sitting around for days to acclimate. : (
What altitude is Vail? Boy, I got so sick there. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling pukey. Went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub. Woke up on the floor. Yikesy! Good thing I didn't wack my head.”

“What the nyphm said.


I had HAPE at Vail. Wish I had the diamox and alittle more time to acclimitize.”

“Good read on Diamox from the UIAA
UIAA Mountain Medicine Centre Information Sheet 3


You may want to read this about HAPE as well...
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema
last edited: 5/05/05 9:34:39 AM”

“..I've seen folk talk about altitude sickness...is it similar to motion sickness. I know motion isn't the cause but symptom wise?”

“Carlette - There is a good site at the link I put in my previous post. There are a variety of symptoms, of which you may have one or more.

A killer headache that will not go away is the major symptom. With motion sickness the major symptom is nausea.

When I am at higher altitudes I lose my appetite. I have to force myself to eat enough to sustain my energy needs.”

“For me, it was dizziness, nausea, wooziness. I'd get super hungry for meals, sit down to eat, take two bites and lose my appetite. And then there was the middle of the night incident on my first night, which was scary.”

“When I am at higher altitudes I lose my appetite. I have to force myself to eat enough to sustain my energy needs.�
Phil

The first trip I took to altitude, I brought way too much food. It was a weeklong trip so I packed a lot. While lugging my pack along the CDT in Colorado, I'm thinking the whole time, if I could just eat this thing would get lighter. On a week long trip at altitude I lose about 15 pounds. I'm 6'4" and 250# so thats not too much. When I come back down I'm thinking Steak and lots of veggies especially the veggies. Never had the headaches or a problem with sleep, I mostly feel it above 10,000 feet. While on a ski vacation last year, I pigged out the whole time. We were at about 9000 feet.
last edited: 5/05/05 2:27:51 PM”

“I've hiked with people that used Diamox and unless I had previous problems I would't use it. They complain of weird finger sensation and a weird metalic taste with carbonated beverages and some other foods. They started taking the drug 24 hours before going to altitude. I do remember one guy getting up to pee all hours of the night so he didn;t sleep much anyway.”

“The whole trip will be really awesome, and I can't wait to see and climb some of those mtns in the west. BUT what I really think (or worry??) about more than anything is the altitude. I've never been in higher elevations here in the US, so I have no clue how my body will react. Highest was a little over 6700ft maybe 6600ft or so I think.
Never had any sort of problems at that height though. Actually didn't even know you could have problems at that elevation.

yeah...I don't like not knowing how I will react.”

“In case anyone was wondering (I was) Vail is 8150 ft elevation.”

“okay...so I was wondering what happend to you in the middle of the night...BUT I have no idea what you just now said!
last edited: 5/05/05 2:49:32 PM”

“I took diamox once and got sick as a dog. I'd rather just move slow and drink lots than ever take that stuff again.”

“By 10,000 feet I slow down due to the elevation and by 14,000 feet I'm in super slow motion but I can keep going as long as I stay hydrated. Sometimes I get a bit of a headache. I find that taking Tylenol Sinus when I'm going above 10,000 feet makes it easier to breath. I've never been over 14,600 feet, so I don't know what it's like way up there.”

“Acute Mountain Sickness usually occurs at elevations above 3000 m. BUT I think it can happen at lower elevations in some people. Usual symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy (tired).
When I lived near sea level, I backpacked in the Sierras and the Rockies without problems. Our last night at Whitney I spoke with a woman who was vomiting at Outpost Camp after driving up from LA and hiking up. I personally feel that some people are naturally suceptible to AMS and some are not. The level of physical fitness is not correlated to the succeptibility of AMS.

Cerebral edema (HACE) and Pulmonary edema (HAPE) are more severe forms of AMS. HACE is characterized by ataxia (unsteady drunk type walking) and altered level of conscious with possible coma. HACE is usually treated with a powerful steroid, Dexamethasone. HAPE is characterized by noisy lungs (rales), shortness of breath (dyspnea) with exertion or rest, cough, fast breathing (tachypnea), and poor oxygen levels in blood (cyanosis) can be treated with Nifedipine or oxygen.

AMS is thought to be caused by abnormal water handling by the body. Altitude, in and of itself, is thought to cause hormonal changes resulting in water retention (indreased renin-angiotensin, aldosterone, and Antidiuretic hormone or ADH.)

The most effective treatment for any form of AMS is descent! This cannot be overstressed enough. Severe forms of AMS can be, and are sometimes, fatal!The use of Diamox is, and should be, one of personal choice and experience. Most physicians are ignorant about AMS and other wilderness syndromes. It just isn't taught in medical school. It is an area of interest that providers choose to learn.

The usual dose of Diamox is 250 mg 3 times a day for 24 hours prior to altitude and continued for 48 more hours. More easily is staying hydrated and eating a high carbohydrate foods

At Philmont basecamp is about 6000 feet? If memory serve me right, the only big elevations are Mt Phillips and Baldy; both >11,000. Have fun with your son. Philmont is a great place to hike.”

“Pixie --

Yup 8150 is Vail. And I spent a lot of time on top of the peaks. (10,000 -11,000).

I had HAPE fairly severely. Lungs were full of fluid. Couldn't walk more than 20 feet without stopping.

At the emergency clinic my blood/oxygen lelvel was 48 . .normally at 95+.

If I had gone up the lift instead tothe emergency room there's a pretty fair chance I'd of died.”

“Creek Dancer, I also live at sea level. You're more likely to experience intestinal bloating and such from the altitutde difference. It takes me 2-3 days to adjust to the elevation change every single time I go to the Smokies. It sucks. Take gas-x and immodium with you, and if you do happen to get a headache, take an aspirin.”

“Wow, thanks for all the feedback. At around 6000 feet the headache starts and then around 9000 feet the bad stuff hits -worse headache, stomach problems, increased shortness of breath, confusion, brain fog, etc. After the third day or so, I am fine again, except for the dull headache. For me, I don't think that age and fitness level has nothing to do with being prone to the problem because this has happened ever trip out west since my first ski trip 20 some years ago.

We will be staying at Petersen Air Force Base for 2 nights at the beginning of the trip, so that should help with acclimatizing to the elevation change.

Based on some of the stories here, I don't think my problem is all the bad. I think I will just stick with lots of extra hydration, carbs and ibruprofen.

I am just so excited for this trip and I really don't want anything to slow me down!”

“I read a story about a marathon runner being carried down Kilimanjaro. He had felt the symptoms on the way up, but was able to ignore them being a marathon runner and accustomed to pain. Eventually, he got delirious and had to be carried down. He made metion that one of the people that helped carry him down was an overweight woman. He mentioned that his male ego was forever changed after the humbling event. Altitude sickness can strike you regardless of fitness level.”

“Has anyone had experience with Ginseng or Ginko biloba and altitude sickness? I get sick at about 7000-8000 ft with nausea, weakness, dizziness. Never get much of a headache. I'm heading to Yosemite in 2 weeks and won't have time to acclimatize before my first bckpng trip. It will be short--2 nights/3days, but I would like to avoid the sickness as I'm going to be trying to put in a lot of miles. Diamox does help some, but not completely. Hydrating doesn't make much difference, although I have noticed that if I drink a lot of gatorade and not just water I do better.”

“Sorry, no experience with anything but Diamox.”

“climb high, camp low. your body needs to acclimate. be careful.”

“Several years ago I read that Viagra was used for altitude sickness. Get high (elev), get wood, get it on.”

“Not allowing yourself at least a day to get accustomed to being even at 5,000 or 6,000 feet upon arrival is just asking for trouble - especially if you KNOW that you have trouble at relatively low elevations.

There is no real shortcut you can take, your body simply requires time to adjust itself to lower levels of oxygen in the air.
last edited: 7/20/09 3:16:30 PM”

“i have always wondered how altitude sickness works. it's something i need to read more about. i know it has something to do with the O2 levels, but i think there is more to it than that. people at altitude that are given O2 don't necessarily recovery from altitude sickness. i think it has something to do with cellular respiration which involves O2 intake as well as releasing CO2 and how it is altered based on the density of the air and the pressure. anyone know the story here?”

“funny - CBC (Canada's national radio) had something about this on one of the morning shows this AM.
no link up yet on the podcast- http://www.cbc.ca/ottawamorning/archives.html
but, i think this is what they were talking about: http://www.hypoxico.com/home.htm


i'm sure they were talking about renting the system for training purposes.
last edited: 7/21/09 6:28:13 AM”

“Flying at 30,000 ft. doesn't get one acclimitized?! That's just wrong.”

“Um you know that aircraft are pressurized to 5000 feet?

Altitude Sickness Prevention.

1. Acclimation (there is a long list of how to do it)

2. Yogi is right...climb high, sleep low. PLUE HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE...WATER!! no Caffeene, no alchohol etc.

3. Learn the signs of Air Emobolysim (sp?) before you go. Most times a drop of 1000 feet will help.”

“you better learn up by next year, yogi. once i hike into the sangres, im not hiking you back out!”

“I've had really good luck with the following "formula" for bringing sea level dwellers to the CO mountains.

Day 1: arrive at the denver airport and spend that night in denver (or suburbs) at about 5,300 feet.

Day 2: hike to no higher than 8,500 feet or so and spend the night there.

Day 3 and beyond: go as high as you want. Allthough, practically speaking you don't tend to camp any higher than about 10,000 feet or so.

So far, I've only had one friend that has issues with altitude sickness and he does every time he spends more than an hour or so above 11,000 feet. And he's a really strong hiker, in generally good shape, stays hydrated, everything your supposed to do. He just has issues with elevation. He lives here and has seen a doc and everything. Its rather frustrating for him.”

“I had a migrane brought on by altitude. If I wasn't a dork and brought my meds w me I would have been fine.”

“I find how you are impacted by altitude can vary every time. I jump up to 8-9K from sea level all the time with no problems except shortness of breath. But I can jump up to 10K and above from sea level and get altitude sickness.”

“Being in good shape is no guarantee of avoiding altitude sickness.

Acclimation at 7-9000 ft. is definitely desirable. Diamox seems to work for our group.

My symptoms are loss of appetite. I have to pack foods that I really like!”

“I've done a lot of research on altitude sickness ever since i first recognized that I was dealing with that and not some strange weakness (10 years ago)--as I go hiking in the Sierras every summer, and often from sealevel to 7-9000ft. Sometimes it is worse than others. it is basically caused first by fluid shifts in the brain caused by the blood becoming acidic from low oxygen levels, then later fluid shifts in the lungs causing pulmonary edema. I noticed when I was at 10,000+ for a few days once I had a rattly chest, but no nausea, go figure! The diamox makes my hands and feet tingle, but does help. I've been reading about ginko biloba and ginseng, will be trying it this trip and let you all know. I remember using it on a day hike up Mt. Whitney, but I acclimated for 2 days before going up. Stanford Univ. was doing a study at the top on HAPE and we all got our oxygen levels checked--mine was in the low 80's, which in the hospitals I work at would have been cause for all kinds of concern! I had no symptoms that time.”

“Just bumping--anyone have experience with ginko biloba and ginseng and altitude sickness?”

“http://www.liebreich.com/LDC/HTML/Climbing/Ginko_Biloba.html

says to take it 5 days prior to ascent... good luck and be careful. personally, i wouldn't depend on this as my only way to address ams and certainly not hape or hace.”

“thanks Yogisan--I will be sleeping at 6400 ft first night, then 8400, hiking at 9000. I'm also experimenting with diet--backing off on a lot of protein and going for high complex carbs. I will be careful, I've dealt with this in the past and am experimenting with a 3 day trip before I try longer trips. I've already found that overhydrating prior to altitude helps, plus drinking gatorade along with my water while hiking. With my lifestyle I am not willing to completely give up on being able to fly to a destination and hike at altitude So, I keep trying different things to see what works when i don't have 3-4 days to acclimate.”

“Perdy neat reading Yogi, thanx.”