How to Prevent and Treat Altitude Sickness

My sister recently traveled up to the Colorado Mountains (about 9,000 feet in altitude) to go dog sledding and she asked me how to prevent altitude sickness. If you have ever had altitude sickness before, you know how debilitating it can be. The symptoms resemble a hangover after too much alcohol: throbbing headache, fatigue, lightheadedness, nausea and vomiting, disturbed sleep, and mild shortness of breath.

Here was my advice:

How to Prevent Altitude Sickness:

1. This should go without saying, but maintain hydration and drink plenty of water throughout the trip. And for the first 48 hours, avoid alcohol, greasy foods, and over exertion.
2. If you plan to travel above 9,000 feet, get some acetazolamide (Brand name is Diamox) from your doctor. DO NOT take acetazolamide or Diamox if you have a SULFA allergy! You will take one acetazolamide 125mg tablet twice daily 24 hours before your ascent and continue it for 2 days after reaching your destination.

What about Natural Supplements?

Unfortunately, my sister did not take acetazolamide, but rather than took a natural supplement called Altitude Rx (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Gingko, Alpha-lipoic Acid, Rhodola Rosea), and ended up vomiting six times! Based upon my medical research, there is not much evidence for using natural supplements for preventing altitude sickness.

How to Treat Altitude Sickness:

Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, my sister vomited six times.  Hyperbaric oxygen would have helped, but it is not usually readily available. Luckily, she had some acetazolamide on hand, so she took  two acetazolamide 125mg tablets twice daily. Treating altitude sickness requires a higher dose than preventing it.

She also took some acetaminophen (Tylenol) for her headaches, which is okay to take with acetazolamide. She ate some crackers and remained hydrated with some Gatorade diluted with water because she lost a lot fluid from vomiting so many times. The next morning she felt so much better, probably because her body acclimated to the high altitude. If she did not feel better, I would have advised her to descend to a lower altitude.

When to Contact a Doctor:

You must descend to lower levels and go see a doctor if you have the following signs: unbalanced walking, inability to stay awake, an confusion with difficulty thinking. This mental decline could indicate brain swelling, which is an emergency condition that could lead to a coma.