Steelfrog's statement about acclimatization taking weeks are true if you want to measure the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity -- it increases very slowly in response to someone's transition to a high-altitude residence. However, that oxygen-carrying capacity is not the problem when hiking Whitney. It is rather, the AMS symptoms people need to avoid. These can usually be alleviated for
most people by acclimating for 24 to 36 hours at elevation.
As for Diamox, I had to go searching for steelfrog's mentioning its counteracting edema (fluid retention), and I did find it -- suggested as a possible drug to treat edema related to Congestive Heart Failure. The same article mentions its use in helping with mountain sickness.
But the explanation I have seen most often is its effect on the pH levels in the blood. It causes the kidneys to excrete bicarbonate, resulting in a more acidic blood pH. Blood becomes less acidic due to the hyperventilation caused by hikers sucking air at altitude. The lower acidity causes one set of receptors in the body to reduce breathing and oxygen intake, especially during rest and sleep. Taking Diamox counteracts this blood pH problem, thereby restoring breathing levels during sleep. Here are two references:
Diamox: Altitude Acetazolamide (from Wikipedia)If taking Diamox before a high-altitude hike, most hikers will take the lowest dosage recommended: half a 250 mg tablet once or twice a day. When people complain about the side effects, it is usually because they took huge doses, 500 to 1000 mg per day, recommended by some (
Drugs.com/Diamox).
Regarding Bee's talk of permits and entering on different days, that is a possibility if Woody does not get his special use permit, and therefore needs to enter the lottery. Woody, if you enter the Lottery in February, your chances of getting all 14 day hike permits for a Saturday in September are iffy. We can address that issue if the conditional use option fails.
