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Altitude Sickness

I'm trekking to Everest base camp this summer and I was wondering if anyone on here could give me some advice on coping with altitude. I have low blood pressure so I'm worried that I'll be particularly susceptible to altitude sickness, I'm thinking about taking Diamox but I've heard some scare stories and I'm not sure whether it's worth it.

Reply 1

devilwallride

How high is Everest base camp? I climed Mgoun in the Atlas mountains last summer (4100m), however i'm guessing Everest base is a fair whack higher than that.
I know that we were given tablets of some description the evening before we went for the top, however I don't know if they were Diamox or not... no adverse side effects to speak of except for tingling, we were only on them a day though.
I think your best best bet for this kind of info is a climbing-specific website.
Have a great time anyways, I'm sure it'll be amazing!

Reply 2

BlackHawk

Have you consulted your doctor about this? Climbing to Mt Everest base camp with low blood pressure can cause you some serious problems.

Reply 3

JayD

Base camps at 5600m, so bloody high! As BH says would reccomend a trip to the Doc. This would be good practice for anyone but esspecially so as you know you are hypotensive. High altitude can lower BP anyhow, and with such a condition your chances of AMS are greatly elevated. A lot of the stuff you hear about Diamox is rubbish, but the medical opinion on using it is divided and often highly specific to the patient. Forced prophylaxis with medication is normally used if a rapid ascent is unavoidable (this is certainly not Everest BC), or if you have a history of AMS. You do not sound like an experienced high altitude mountaineer so I figure that's not relavant also. So Acetazolamide derivatives are not really necessary, plus hypotension might cause complications, I'm not sure.

This is such a specialist subject users of this forum really won't be able to help. Get yourself to the Doc to ensure you are fit enough to do this.

Reply 4

purplemil

Hey
I've had altitude sickness before whilst on diamox as well,
It was a couple of years ago for just over a week and there was quite a few side effects which weren't particularly harmful
The Diamox does give you a really weird tingly feeling in your fingers and toes and sometimes around your face, its not unpleasant or anything just a really strange sensation,
and it does make you need to pee A LOT but these were the only side effects that anybody in our group experienced
Diamox doesn't prevent AMS it just reduces the risk of getting the serious symptoms
Even though i was taking diamox i still got atitude sickness and i have low blood pressure too like you said although i've got no idea how much this contributed to it
The only way i can describe it is like having bad flu and just feeling really really weak, i had a couple of panic attacks while we were at the highest camp which had never happened to me before or happened since then.
Coming down out of the altitude makes such a big difference, you can feel energy coming back into you
If you've got any questions pm me, although i don't know much more about it all, you should probably talk to someone experienced like the others said
Hope that you have a great trip

Reply 5

SammyD

I've been to the doctors already and they were so unhelpful, I'm now looking for someone who specialises in altitude so if any of you know anyone could you please pm me and I'll love you forever. I'm just worried I'm gonna screw up a once in a life time opportunity by making the wrong decision over diamox, we were all told to avoid it and given loads of scare stories until I mentioned my blood pressure, then the group leader said "Oh maybe you should look into it then". I've done loads of research and I think I'm swaying towards getting it, but I'll try and get more advice. Thanks guys.