I've been camping and hunting at anywhere from 10,000 to 8,000ft. for the last 4 days.I've been feeling progressively worse each day.
it finally hit me that I was probably altitude sick. I came to town yesterday (6,000ft.) and spent the night. I feel somewhat better.
Does anyone have any idea what might help. Meds should be over the counter...no drug store that I can tell so I'm stuck with what the local Quicky Mart has.
I should add that I've got about an hour before I leave town and it's 11:20 mountain time on the 27th.
Charlie,
I hate to hear that your are sick on your trip. To my knowledge there is no over the counter medicine for Altitude sickness. However, if you double your normal intake of water, it will help you to recover and work to prevent it from coming back. Sorry I can't be more help, maybe someone else will be able to.
I don't know any OTC meds that would help. Drink lots of water. If you are in a tent at night with a heater be as far from it as you can. Better yet don't use the heater if possible. The heater uses oxygen up. Several of us were sick in CO one year and we stopped using wood heater and all got better quick. (That was a tip from the local Dr.)
It is my understanding that the best cure is to simply get acclimated to that height which I believe takes 2-3 days or longer. Of course, heading to lower elevation works too.
I know some climbers take oxygen, but do not know how practical that is. Ask a pharmacist what they recommend.
Most important of all is to not take this lightly since fluid can build up in the lungs and brain. Just take it easy and do not over exert...and get some meds for the headaches.
Altitude Sickness Prevention
Altitude sickness is preventable. The body needs time to adjust to high altitude. Physical conditioning has no bearing on this.
•For people who do not know the rate at which their bodies adjust to high altitude, the following preventive measures are recommended.
◦If traveling by air to a ski area above 8,250 feet (2,500 meters), incorporate a layover of 1-2 days at an intermediate altitude.
◦Avoid physical exertion for the first 24 hours.
◦Drink plenty of fluids, and avoid alcoholic beverages.
◦Consume a high-carbohydrate diet.
◦If mountain climbing or hiking, ascend gradually once past 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level
◦Increase the sleeping altitude by no more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) per 24 hours. The mountaineer's rule is "climb high, sleep low." This means that on layover days, a climber can ascend to a higher elevation during the day and return to a lower sleeping elevation at night. This helps to hasten acclimatization.
•The doctor may prescribe acetazolamide (Diamox) to prevent acute altitude sickness. This medication speeds acclimatization.
•If rapid ascent is unavoidable, as in rescue missions, or if a person is prone to developing HAPE, the doctor may also prescribe nifedipine (Procardia). Nifedipine is normally used to treat high blood pressure.
•Prevention of high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is the same as for acute altitude sickness.
Medical Author:Eric A Nazziola, MD
Sorry to hear this Charlie. Tough to deal with without prescription meds. You should be getting close to getting acclimated, but everone is a little different. You would probably enjoy yourself more by taking the time to drive to a pharmacy before heading back out to hunt. Give me a shout if you can make it to a pharmacy.
Thanks for the help guys. I'm headed back up the mountain and will pay attention to the advice. I may check in in a day or three.
Altitude sickness should not last 4 days at the 8-10,000' level for most people. Something else was probably going on. Water was mentioned, and I'll second that. However, don't go so ape**** on water intake either. You can overdo that, too. Eat frequently and in small amounts. Over exerting yourself could be a problem. My main rule as a 70 year old in the mountains is to ALWAYS walk slowly enough that I am NEVER out of breath. This may irritate the people I'm with, but the alternative is not getting there. And you'd be surprised how often I'm still going at the end of the day, while others have pooped out.
You may have a physical condition that needs to be checked. Have you had your heart checked lately? Possibly you were fighting off a cold or some other problem.
Learn to power breathe and rest-step. Power breathing means that you exhale as if you were blowing out a candle. The back pressure increases the oxygen available to your lungs and is said to be the equivalent of being 1,000' lower. Do this with every breath as long as you're aware of any problem. When you forget to power breathe, hopefully that means you don't need to anymore. Rest-stepping means that rather than moving continuously, you pause at the conclusion of each step and momentarily take the weight off your uphill foot. This rests each leg in turn and keeps you going a lot longer. It is most effective when you're going up a steep hill, particularly if you're climbing up a series of step-like rocks.
Get hydrated, get electolites. Both can be accomplished with sports drinks and make sure you continue to stay hydrated. Extra calcium may help, Rolaids, Tums, etc. change the ph of your system and do help on a limited basis. Ibuprofen also helps.
Take it slow and rest often the first couple of days. It could also be something else besides Altitude sickness. If you bave been at altitude for 4 days you should be acclimated already so watch for other symptoms.
Godspeed Charlie. Return safely.
Tylenol, get to lower elevation, rest and drink lots of water. Sometimes it goes away soon and sometimes it lingers for a good while.
Good luck
I hope you get better quick Charlie. I regret this thread has been at your expense Charlie but there is information here that is new to me.
I love to READ about mountain climbing and have READ most books on the subject.(Note the all caps on READ -- I am not a mountain climber!) Yet, there were things here that I had never come across yet -- Power Breathing and Power Walking! I can't wait to try this techniques. Thanks McDave!
Charlie has plenty of medical problems including a bad back and two bad knees, moving slowly and cautious is not a problem for him. He knows how to pace himself while hunting in the mountains he's been at it for a long time.
The area he is hunting has a lot of roads up and down the mountain, his host Todd could be driving him around a lot showing him all the beautiful spots and possibilities and that could be getting to him. They will be there several weeks so I bet it will settle down for him I just wish I could have been there with them. Here's the area!
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/x2-2.jpg)
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/a3-4.jpg)
Look forward to the story's and new pick, it's killing me to be here and not there. Give me a call Charlie when you get to town and I will give you my remedy!
Tracy
Charlie, I had good results this summer at 11,400 ft with a product skier use. Boost is the name of it ,it comes small or large can the large can is like a 20oz bottle and fits in a pack well. Most ski shops sell it I got mine off big A. 95 % pure oxygen and can say 150 shots. Might look at it.
Charlie, I had an outfitter in Colorado tell me to eat apricots. I don't know if it works but he swore by it and said it worked for him in the past.
Good luck, Scott
Tylenol, get to lower elevation, rest and drink lots of water. Sometimes it goes away soon and sometimes it lingers for a good while.
Good luck
Apricots, like Bananas are high in potassium and are good for cramps though being well hydrated is even better. Apricots have many times the potassium level of bananas.
Charlie,
I was told to take a baby asprin every day. I tried it but had a persistent headache for 3 days anyhow.
Beautiful country. I hope it gets better for you and look forward to hearing about your hunt.
Diamox 250mg po bid
Never had altitude sickness or bad feelings again.
QuoteOriginally posted by The Night Stalker:
Diamox 250mg po bid
Never had altitude sickness or bad feelings again.
That is my plan for this year. Starting 2 days before hunt, then for the first 5 days of the hunt. After that, I figure I ought to be acclimated.
When planning my first hunt out west years ago, I was told altitude sickness was caused by a build up of acids in your body. I was given the advice to take two antacids (tums, rolaids etc.) before heading out every morning and as needed. Not sure what an antacid in your stomach has to do with any of this but I have used this advice on numerous high elevation trips ever since and have never once had altitude symptoms.
We used hard candy and drank lots of water. Just carried a bag of assorted hard candies with us while hiking. Chewed on one most of the time and no problems. We took our son to the mountains one time and he had the sickness. He took a break, drank water and gave him some candy and told him to just let it dissolve in his mouth. About and hour later he was ready to go.
His head was about to explode with a severe headache at the time.
Nothing, except time, truly works to alleviate altitude sickness. Not even excessive training at lower altitudes. A 50 mile forced march hike at 600 ft does not equate to even a 2 mile mountain ramble at 10K ft.
I lived near Mile High Denver for several years, then went to work at 10K feet at the Climax mine near Leadville. Still took several days at altitude to adjust to 10K+ feet.
Flatlanders coming to even 5000 feet haven't a clue...
Take TUMS or ROLAIDS. Chew them like candy. As Dave said, don't over do it on water, but certainly keep hydrated. Drink enough to urinate regularly and it should be "perfectly clear".
Rolaids is included in every high altitude search and rescue kit.
QuoteOriginally posted by Brian Halbleib:
When planning my first hunt out west years ago, I was told altitude sickness was caused by a build up of acids in your body. I was given the advice to take two antacids (tums, rolaids etc.) before heading out every morning and as needed. Not sure what an antacid in your stomach has to do with any of this but I have used this advice on numerous high elevation trips ever since and have never once had altitude symptoms.
This is exactly what I do, after getting altitude sickness I was given the same advice and it worked for me, many times. I was told cherry flavoered Rolaids so that is all I ever used but never got sick again.whats nice is you can carry a small pack in you pocket and anytime you start feeling it coming on just pop a couple and your good to go.
Might not work for everybody but all my buddy's that hunted with me over the years that got it and tried it worked for them to.
Tracy
Wow...I didn't even know he was going....just spoke to him last week...guess I should have chatted longer....man those are some nice pics.
I hope you get settled in Charlie.....and have a blast....wish I was there with you. I cherish those days afield in WY more than you will ever know.
Take care my friend.
Or, you could just move back to Wyoming!
I had to plan ahead for the trip with the church kids to NYR in Colorado because only one of my lungs work.
I carried a couple of small bottles of oxygen with me.(Praxair)
I used it sparingly, sorta as needed and by day 3 I wasn't being affected any longer.
God bless,Mudd
I know it's a little late for the first part of this, but what worked for me the last time was a combination of things...
1)Get to elevation a day or two before your hunt and spend the time LOUNGING -- no exertion
2)Gatorade powder - take a Platypus bottle (weighs 1 oz)and an appropriate amount of Gatorade powder. I drank a liter of it per day.
3)Ibuprofen. I see several folks have recommended aspirin and Tylenol but they are not anti-inflammatory. Everything I've read on this topic says the extreme headaches are due to brain swelling and anti-inflammatories will help with this. I took 200mg of ibuprofen on a daily basis. This is probably something most folks should talk to their dr about before doing but I'm a believer and I'll be well-stocked with 200 mg ibuprofen the next time out.
I did take a few diamox probably 4-5 days before my last trip to the Rockies, but they made me feel light-headed and a little disoriented so I stopped pretty quickly. They could have still helped, it's hard to say.
Charlie. I hope you are doing well. I look forward to your updates.
I talked to him a couple days ago and he's still fighting it some but a little better. Pretty sure we now what the problem is but not much he can do about it on the mountain. Don't want to give away any hunting news.
He's will be heading back this weekend probably, looking forward to Charlie's awesome story telling :readit: :bigsmyl:
Tracy
Diamox saved my trip into the Umcompahgre Wilderness last year. Camped at 12,000 feet and have never been so sick ( headache) in my life. Diamox & advil seemed to really help. Just got back from Nevada ( Jarbridge Wilderness ) 8,000 to 10,000 feet. Took advil & Diamox as a precaution. No problems other than missing a big Mule Deer. Good luck. Hope you feel better. leaving for AZ Elk in Unit 1 next week. No elevation problems are expected.
Thanks, Randy Chamberlin
Randy Chamberlin
Last year in Wyoming I felt poorly for the first couple days...I don't remember our elevation, but we were in the Bighorn Mountains. We were running a cold camp(mornings) just so we could speed things up and get moving. In doing so, I was not drinking coffee in the morning. I can skip coffee here in Michigan, and it's no big deal.
Well, after dealing with feeling poorly and a massive headache, my partner (Mike Vines) said "drink some coffee dummy". I was cured with the first cup.
I'm not sure what it all means, but high altitude is no time to quit caffeine cold turkey.
Living at 150' elevation and flying to Colorado to hunt at 9000' requires some pre-planning on my part. I usually start taking Diamox 2 days prior to leaving and the first 3 days there. We also spend the first night at a motel at 5500'before heading up to camp at 8500'. We always drink extra water and take it slow the first couple of days and feel good. Usually 1/2 way thru the hunt we make a trip to town to resupply, do laundry, shower, (hopefully check in elk) grab lunch and return to the mountain. It is usually during this resupply trip I feel poorly, ( 4000'elevation change) and require Tums, Advil, and extra rest. The next morning I feel great and good to go chasing elk again. Are you making several elevation changes?
TTT
any News Charlie? I hope you had a great Trip and the elevation sickness wasn't terrible.!
I'm back from the hunt and want to thank everyone for the tips.
I've never been bothered by altitude before but I guess things can change as we age.
I never did really acclimate and finally decided to pull camp and head home. I could see the guys concern for me and this move would take some of the burden off them.
Todd and Tom are still on the mountain. The elk season is over so they are chasing grouse and deer.
Any close encounters for you Charlie ? Or were you too under the weather for getting around well ? Being sick takes all the air out of one's sails.
ChuckC
Hey Buddy! Sorry your hunt got cut short, but glad you're back in good shape!
Got some pesky whitetails up here that need schooled a bit.... :bigsmyl:
Glad to hear you are OK!!!
Welcome Back Charlie. Sorry your trip didn't go as planned.
Good luck chasing Deer.
Glad you made it back safely, Charlie.
Glad to hear you're safe, Charlie.
It's like a breath of fresh air to hear that you're back and ok.
How are you feeling since returning?
God bless,Mudd
Good,to hear your OK Charlie.
Good move on breaking camp. Had the same experience.
Glad to hear you're alive and well Charlie! Sorry you got brow beaten by the mountains. They can be a cold, cruel mistress...
Great to hear your back and doing well.
Late into this thread, but once on a mission trip to Ecuador, my wife was with a group working up around 13-14000'. They were fighting altitude sickness and the locals told them drink a lot of water and eat chocolate. This was a medical team and they all reported relief from this, although maybe it's just cuz they wanted the M&M's.....
wow those are beautiful pics. AWESOME