Vomiting at altitude

[Bluefish]

Acclimatization is the best answer. From what I understand from talking to a couple of DR’s one of the issues is spinal fluid moves due to the change in pressure. That can cause “altitude sickness”. No easy way to fix it other than go up or down more slowly.

 

[WoodBow]

I think some read a lot into this. That's the internet i guess. I understand that time is the way to prevent the problem. I was seeking things to recommend to my friend because he seems fine with puking every year and has never made an effort to stop it. The only hunt it ended was his. 3 of us were there, and only he had a tag. He popped smoke after having a very active day, puking, not being able to eat, and feeling that he could not continue to meet the demands of big stalks if he could not eat and felt sick. On other hunts, he has had a rough day in the first day or two, and then he recovers. We have done big trips together for years. If I said we need to just hang out for 3 days while he acclimated, he would say no I will just puke and carry on.

Thanks for the helpful advice.

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[nettereo16]

It's happened to me a few times over the years. Felt like total crap, hungover as a dog, headache, puking, weakness. It's scary too because while it's unlikely, some of the more serious altitude related illness is very dangerous.

I've done diamox and it works. You still want to acclimate but it kept me from getting sick. Got sick again last year trying without diamox so back to the doc before this year's hunt...

 

[Jaker_cc]

Gotta love a guy that comes here to ask a question. Then tells everyone they are wrong, and already knows the answer.

 

[ToolMann]

I lie at 6k feet and this happens to me when I backpack in to 12k-ish. The first time was pretty scary. Diarrhea and vomiting. Glad I had a buddy to take care of me. It subsides after sleeping a bit. I now set up the tent first thing, take a nap, and I'm usually ok after a few hours.

Was thinking of trying Diamox this year for our hunt just under 12k. We're taking horses in so avoiding the laborious hiking in part. Any had any weird side effects or advice when taking it. I've heard on tingly appendages.

 

[ColeyG]

Acclimatization is the best answer. From what I understand from talking to a couple of DR’s one of the issues is spinal fluid moves due to the change in pressure. That can cause “altitude sickness”. No easy way to fix it other than go up or down more slowly.

If you get altitude illness, go down AS QUICKLY as possible. Going down quickly doesn't make you more sick, quite the opposite. HACE has nothing to do with spinal fluid and pressure, only lack of adequate O2 perfusion in the brain.

 

[ColeyG]

I lie at 6k feet and this happens to me when I backpack in to 12k-ish. The first time was pretty scary. Diarrhea and vomiting. Glad I had a buddy to take care of me. It subsides after sleeping a bit. I now set up the tent first thing, take a nap, and I'm usually ok after a few hours.

Was thinking of trying Diamox this year for our hunt just under 12k. We're taking horses in so avoiding the laborious hiking in part. Any had any weird side effects or advice when taking it. I've heard on tingly appendages.

It also makes carbonated beverages taste like crap. Diuresis is quite common as well. Other than the tingles as you noted, no real side affects for most.

The std dosage is one 250mg tablet a day, which is a lot. At low to moderate elevation, half, or even a quarter 250mg tab has been shown to have about the same benefit as a whole one. Fewer side effects with the lower dose. Start taking it a day or two before you are at altitude rather than once you get there so your breathing has already ramped up a bit and you aren't trying to combat symptoms while starting the Diamox regimen.

I used to get hit pretty hard moving from 14k to 17k, the first night especially. I'd usually take half a tab of diamox the day before the move and day of and then lay off it after that it it made a big difference in jump starting the increased breathing for that first night up high. Most definitely don't need to run a full course or continue taking full or even half dosages for more than a day or two after you've arrived at your highest altitude.

 

[Pk_in_Dallas]

Just take 125mg x 2 daily of Diamox and it usually takes the edge off for *mild* altitude sickness for me when I’m above 9 or 10k. I reside at 600 feet above sea level. Make sure and start it a day or two before you leave and take it for 3 or 4 days before stopping.


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[Felix40]

Gotta love a guy that comes here to ask a question. Then tells everyone they are wrong, and already knows the answer.

Or asks for alternatives and is given an answer that he already said he knows about

 

[awbowhunter]

If acclimating at a lower elevation is not an option as stated, have him take it easy and hang around camp the first day. Drink plenty of water and maybe he just glasses from camp area? Limiting physical activity at elevation to start with will help some.

 

[WoodBow]

If acclimating at a lower elevation is not an option as stated, have him take it easy and hang around camp the first day. Drink plenty of water and maybe he just glasses from camp area? Limiting physical activity at elevation to start with will help some.

I think this will likely help a lot. He does not have a tag this year so it should be a much easier acclimation just sitting behind glass.

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[KsRancher]

I absolutely wrecked my 16yr old son last year. It was his first time going to the mountains hunting. We left home which is 1600ft at 6:00pm. Drove 12 hrs straight thru. Pulled up to the trail head, threw on our packs and hiked 3.5 mile in 1hr 15min at 9000ft. It was 4th season rifle in Colorado so it was fairly chilly. I think it was 11° when we left the vehicle. When we got back in there and were hunting he told me he didn't want to say anything but his head was pounding so bad he couldn't even think straight. He said he could feel his heartbeat in his forehead. He is a runner and his resting heartrate is 38-42bpm. His heartrate never got under 100bpm for over 8hrs. (He didn't tell me that until we were in the motel room that night.) So I stopped to give him some Ibuprofen and I strapped his pack to mine and we headed back to the truck. We didn't make it a quarter mile and the snow moved in and was so thick you couldn't see 100yds. After watching the snow blow and a headache he got BAD. The high temperature that day was the low 20's and he hiked that 3.5 miles back to the vehicle in nothing but a short sleeve t-shirt during a snow storm.

This year driving out a day and a half early to mess around and scout and make sure he gets good night sleep in a motel room before going hunting. Hopefully can truck camp after that. But will not think twice about going back into town and get a room if he isn't feeling good. I know you dont want to lose time from hunting. But give it extra time and I think you will be more productive from feeling better than the time you will lose from not wanting to lose time.

 

[def90]

Spend a day in town before hitting the mountain. Make sure you hydrate and walk at a pace where you can still hold a conversation without gasping for breath.

 

[MattB]

I lie at 6k feet and this happens to me when I backpack in to 12k-ish. The first time was pretty scary. Diarrhea and vomiting. Glad I had a buddy to take care of me. It subsides after sleeping a bit. I now set up the tent first thing, take a nap, and I'm usually ok after a few hours.

Was thinking of trying Diamox this year for our hunt just under 12k. We're taking horses in so avoiding the laborious hiking in part. Any had any weird side effects or advice when taking it. I've heard on tingly appendages.

Diamox can make carbonated beverages taste gross.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Diamox is worth trying. He may only need to take it for a day or two.

 

[ianpadron]

The only time I've ever gotten altitude sickness we were only at about 7500 feet. I lived around sea level at the time in Western WA. Hadn't experienced anything like it prior, and haven't experienced anything like it since, including several hunts and climbs in that 10-11k range.

The trip I got sick on there were a couple of variables that I believe contributed to me taking a turn for the worse:

1) poor night's sleep the night prior. Only got a couple hours due to early departure, I distinctly remember hitting the trail with that anxious feeling in my chest that you get when you're low on sleep. Elevated heart rate, kinda heat sensitive, just feel "off"...
2) definitely didn't eat enough food or drink enough fluids on the hike in as I was rushing. Also had mysterious quad cramps which should have been a massive red flag to pump the brakes and get some fuel.

By the time we got to the target ridge I had the worst headache of my life, literally felt like I had a railroad spike in my brain, couldn't open my eyes, stomach crawling outta my throat...nasty nasty stuff.

Fortunately my wife is a nurse and ultra runner so she whipped up a mountain house, some nuun tablets, force fed me, and made me take a nap about 1k feet lower. Woke up feeling like a million bucks about 3 hours later.

So yeah acclimating is never a bad idea, but I also think your buddy should take a long hard look at hitting the trail right after a 14 hour drive not being fresh and rested, and be VERY methodical/structured about fueling/hydration.

Since that trip I stop every 1-2 hours to eat and drink, whether I'm hungry/thirsty or not, and make sure there's plenty of salt/electrolytes in the fluids I'm consuming. I refuse to pack in on foot unless I got at least 8 hrs of sleep the previous night, and make it a habit to sleep at trailheads to make sure that happens.

Absolutely zero issues since.

 

[Dos Perros]

One thing I've noticed: my boy tends to vomit in the middle of the night after a big dinner. I hypothesize that digesting food requires more blood flow, which requires more oxygen, and the body decides to dump it when it can't keep up. Worth trying spacing out calories throughout the day and avoiding large meals.

 

[WoodBow]

One thing I've noticed: my boy tends to vomit in the middle of the night after a big dinner. I hypothesize that digesting food requires more blood flow, which requires more oxygen, and the body decides to dump it when it can't keep up. Worth trying spacing out calories throughout the day and avoiding large meals.

I have also seen this happen to him.

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[Mike 338]

From personal experience... combination of altitude sickness and neck tension. I've had identical symptoms at same altitudes. Nothing to do with physical conditioning or hydration. In fact, when I was in my best shape, it was at it's worst. I could feel coming on as I drive up to my spot as a slight headache. Wake up the next day with a bigger headache but get through with aspirin. Next day... muey malo and no amount of aspirin helps. Probably makes it worse.

The whole thing got much better if I went up a couple days early and just ate and napped around camp. Actually, being by myself with nobody around to bounce ideas off of probably helped keep me down so I could acclimate. I'd just avoid physical exertion. No glassing or scouting. Just kicking back. Take a book or something. Frequent massaging on the upper backstap where it connects with the skull plate, along with numerous applications of Biofreeze (oh it helps) on the entire neck (into the hairline) and shoulders. Chances those two long muscles that run up each side of the spine and connect with the back of the skull and hard as rocks from tension. Gotta massage them pretty aggressively like Big Sally, the Swedish massage therapist is working you over good. Get some good meals, lots of rest and acclimate.

Here's one they don't tell you about in puking school. Massage your bare feet. Seriously. Your feet are connected to the entire nervous system. What the heck... you're sitting around anyway. Just like the back of the neck, work 'em good. Find the spots that hurt when you rub them, like between the toes, and massage them a lot. You can feel your face twitch as the tension goes away.

I noticed it was also much better if I could do an overnight trip or two for a couple days each at altitude. Doesn't have to be 10-K, but something quite a bit higher than home. Nothing big. Just drive up, pull off the road, set up a tent/hammock, a chair and chill. Next day, take a nice little walk and go home.

All this may sound dumb but to anyone like me who'd make a valiant effort just to stand up and walk down the trail due to nausea, you'd do just about anything to figure out how to make it stop.

Most guys just run 'n gun to their spot. Next day, hunt hard and they're fine. If the altitude is getting you though, it's days of misery. Hope your Bud gets to feeling better come opening day.

 

[roadrunner]

You have answered your own question.

Exactly. Worrying about it eating hunt time on the front end or ending a hunt early on the backend, plus being miserable in between