Utah Bound.
LowcarbNY
Posts: 546 Member
My son and I are off to Utah tomorrow. Going to ski Snowbird & Alta Th, F, Sa & Su. Starting to take Acetazolamide prophylactically, to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and High Altitude Pullmonary Edema (HAPE) which I have a history of if I don't medicate. As we go from near sea level here on the east coast to 11,000 feet very quickly our bodies don't get a chance to acclimate to the change in altitude. The medication helps speed up the acclimation process of a "forced" (ie overly quick) ascent.
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My 1st trip to altitude was decades ago to Summit County, Co. (condo @ 9000 feet) Skied Copper the 1st day, fine. Skied Breckingridge 2nd day, headache all day. Skied Arapahoe Basin (over 13K ft) the 3rd day and was bringing up the rear all day. At the end of the day I had to have them bring the car to me because I could not walk across the parking lot. Couldn't eat dinner that night. Wicked headache still. 2am and I'm coughing up fluid, drove to the Summit Co. emergency clinic. Spend that night and 4th day sucking O2 in the clinic and watching game shows while my friends skied. They drove me down to Denver than night and I flew home early. After that I took the meds every time I was going to be sleeping above 8000 feet. That is until Vail in 1995 when I figured I'd done so good that I could not take the meds. Well, 3rd night again and I'm in the clinic. This time though I caught it early enough and was able to rent an O2 concentrator so I could have O2 at night while sleeping (a major factor in causing AMS and HAPE and HACE is periodic breathing while sleeping caused by blood gas changes as a result of being at altitude) Having O2 solves that. Being on the med should make everything OK. At least it has in the past. Sleeping at 8600 ft so I def need it. Going to spend Wednesday night in Salt Lake though before heading up early Thursday. That should help a bit. Every other trip I've made has been from sea level, fly , go right to the mtn.0
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I hate altitude - headache, cough, fast heartbeat, breathless. Is the med you take prescription? I'm guessing it is. I'm going to Utah in March. I can't wait but I dread the altitude. To make matters worse since my last trip out west I've found I have a heart electrical problem - superventricular tachycardia - and I'm a bit worried about it. In Colorado year before last my heart rate was very fast at night and now that it trips up to warp speed perhaps I should look into your meds.
I hope your trip was fun. I can't wait. Skiing is one of my favorite things in the world.0 -
The trip was fantastic and the Acetazolamide (125mg, q 12 hrs (ie twice a day) ) worked fantastic too. No AMS issues.
Maybe spending the 1st night in Salt Lake helped too. The OLD protocol was 250mg 2x/ day. Ithey since found that 125mg 2x/day works just as well with less side effects (I did not get the tingeling in hands and feet I got when taking 250mg )
Yes, you do need a script for it but it is a relatively benign drug (primary use is for glaucoma) In your case I would be sure to discuss your plans with your cardiologist. There are other drugs that are used also (procardia, and also all of the ED drugs )
Your doc might want you to take something in advance but might also want you to have something on hand for an emergency.
How high will you be going, but most important, what altitude will you be sleeping at?0
