Elevation Sickness

[Northernpiker]

My doctor prescribed acetazolamide(diamox?), 1 tablet 2 times a day for 5 days and to start 1 day prior to ascent. I will hydrate a lot before and during the hunt. I won't have enough time for acclamation as I would like, I have to get there and go.

 

[COlineman78]

I was planning on bringing EmergenC with to put in my platypus bottles and then just run straight water in my bladders.

I agree with Aron in that EmergenC tastes like Sh*t. So unless you like the taste I'd go with his approach of pouring the powder straight in your mouth and use plain water to get it down. Powerade also make a Mio-like additive that may be a good idea.

 

[Finch]

Great thread! I'm thinking about ordering some Accli-mate online. It has awesome reviews and won't hurt the piggy bank at $21 a tub. If nothing else, I'll have some orange flavored water.

Still on the fence about being prescribed diamox. My buddy and I are coming into CO a few days into the season. I'd really like to think we'd take it easy but we don't have a whole lot of time.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Great thread! I'm thinking about ordering some Accli-mate online. It has awesome reviews and won't hurt the piggy bank at $21 a tub. If nothing else, I'll have some orange flavored water.

I used to use Acli-Mate, but unless they changed the formula, it contains a lot of sugar. Not good for folks with diabetes. Instead I use the Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover. Very low sugar content.

 

[Finch]

I did see it contained sugar. I'll check out the WA and compare.

 

[Mmcan]

What is the medrol dose pack used to treat?

2 things.

It's used to prevent/treat cerebral edema, which can be very dangerous. Signs/symptoms include severe headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting. It can really become a medical emergency, albeit it less likely unless your elevation ascent has been extreme and fast. I had the headaches and dizzies once when I was in my early 20's, flying from sea level and camping at 10k that same day. Didn't know better at the time (hadn't studied anything about this kind of thing), but it was an impressively uncomfortable feeling that I don't want again.

The main reason I bring it, however, is that I have an L5-S1 herniation that flares up every now and then. Carrying a good backpack usually doesn't worsen it because I really carry the bulk of the load on my hips, not my shoulders. But every now and then it just starts to ache down the back of my leg from lifting, jarring when I walk/run, or sit wrong. It sucks. And at some point, Aleve and advil don't even come close to touching it.

 

[live2huntelk]

2 things.

It's used to prevent/treat cerebral edema, which can be very dangerous. Signs/symptoms include severe headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting. It can really become a medical emergency, albeit it less likely unless your elevation ascent has been extreme and fast. I had the headaches and dizzies once when I was in my early 20's, flying from sea level and camping at 10k that same day. Didn't know better at the time (hadn't studied anything about this kind of thing), but it was an impressively uncomfortable feeling that I don't want again.

The main reason I bring it, however, is that I have an L5-S1 herniation that flares up every now and then. Carrying a good backpack usually doesn't worsen it because I really carry the bulk of the load on my hips, not my shoulders. But every now and then it just starts to ache down the back of my leg from lifting, jarring when I walk/run, or sit wrong. It sucks. And at some point, Aleve and advil don't even come close to touching it.

Thanks for the explanation!

 

[Mmcan]

Thanks for the explanation!

No worries!

 

[rileybassman]

idk if I am just a weenie, but I *think* I start to feel altitude effects as low as 5500 ft. I live at around 600 and am in pretty good shape, but at elk camp every year (around 6,000) I always feel light headed, nauseous, and puny for the first couple days... then I'm fine.

If I climb local mountains, I'm fine till a little above tree-line, then the same, but on the decent I'm fine, and pretty much normal by the time I get to the car.

I'm sure more conditioning would help, but I've always been like that even when I was in excellent shape.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I believe you are experienceing a normal reaction. It just depends how long it takes for your body to recover. Some takes a couple of hours, some a couple of days, and some never get used to it.
If you try to get there early to acclimate, and don't over do any strenuos activity, you should be fine. If the symptoms persist, reduce your altitude to a lower evleation, and you should recover. If not, medical treatment might be required. As stated several times before, stay well hydrated by drinking fluids well in advance (several days) before arriving at the higher elevations.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I did see it contained sugar. I'll check out the WA and compare.

I just checked the Acli-mate website, and they now show a lower sugar formula which only has 6 grams of sugar (cane sugar). The Wilderness Athlete website shows their Hydrate & Recover formula has 5 grams of sugar (fructose). Both are comparable in grams, only difference might be if you want fructose or cane sugar. Not sure which is the lesser of the two evils.

 

[Bar]

idk if I am just a weenie, but I *think* I start to feel altitude effects as low as 5500 ft. I live at around 600 and am in pretty good shape, but at elk camp every year (around 6,000) I always feel light headed, nauseous, and puny for the first couple days... then I'm fine.

If I climb local mountains, I'm fine till a little above tree-line, then the same, but on the decent I'm fine, and pretty much normal by the time I get to the car.

I'm sure more conditioning would help, but I've always been like that even when I was in excellent shape.

Nothing wrong with that. You're talking about a mile high. Most people think Denver is high altitude in other parts of the county. It's only a mile high. We're all different, and get the effect of altitude different.

I'm lucky, and get very little affect from high altitude, but I live at 8K too. I have to get to 13k to feel it, and that's just a little tired. I've never gotten sick. I know it's not the norm, so I always tell guys coming here to go up in steps. Don't go from low altitude where you live right up to 11K. Very few can get away with that. Try and spend a night at mid altitude before going all the way up.

 

[goodhunting]

I used to live in Colorado Springs (6,000ft) and did a fair amount of hiking, and still encountered altitude sickness in RMNP at 12,000+ft. You need to GUZZLE water as soon as you hit lower elevation altitude, and keep guzzling it. But if the sickness hits, the only think you can do is drop in elevation. When it hit me I was at about 12,500ft, and started feeling better after dropping only 600-700ft. If you start to feel it, you can't push through it. Need to get down and then slow down, and drink more water.

 

[Huntingfanatic]

Google Ginkgo biloba and altitude sickness. Lots of very interesting research. I started using it some years back and never had an altitude sickness problem. Maybe I'm lucky. Supposed to help memory and I can dang sure use all the help I can get in that area
I start taking 120 mg twice a day about 30 days out

 

[Bighub1]

There is a potential risk of increased bleeding with ginkgo and many other herbs that begin with "G". Just my 2 cents. It might work but could also cause some unwanted side effects.

 

[katdaddy2013]

We went from 34' elevation to hunt in 10,000 ft in the San Juan Mountains out of Durango Co. We got there a day early, spent the night in town then head up the mountain the next day. Drink lots and I mean lots of water. After every hike up and down the mountain when we got back to camp my son and I would drink "Wilderness Athlete-Hydrate and Recover". Talk about rejuvenation. Bring some Advils for headaches, I had to take one but that was it. Keep camelbaks full. When the outfitter came to pick us up he was telling us that he had to go get another hunter from another camp due to altitude sickness. he seemed puzzled why he got sick because the hunter was from Denver.