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Re: How long to acclimatize?
bobpickering #58072 09/13/20 12:09 PM
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J
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I have seen a lot of posts about having to play with Diamox dosing to get it right and that most
doctors are not high altitude experts. I remember reading one post where a hiker did "White Mountain Peak"
3 or more times to dial in his dosing.

The problem was that I was no longer getting any side effects on the last trip and maybe the previous
trip. No excess urination, no tingly feelings, I drank a coke and it did not taste weird.
This contrasts the first few times I took Diamox where the "urge to go" came on like a
freight train.

Just to be clear I was not suggesting to go to 1000mg, just ramping up to the prescribed
2x125mg = 250mg preventitive dose to somewhere at or below the prescribed
4 x 125mg daily dose = 500mg treatment dose (maybe to 375mg?)

I also found this post:

http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthreads.php/topics/2222/Diamox_for_Mountain_Sickness

Quote
Posted by wbtravis5152, 05-04-05

I work with some side a effects, which can be mitigated with dosing.

My Whitney regiment would be something like...

Day before...125 mg./twice
Travel to Portal...125 mg./AM; 250 mg./PM
Day of...250 mg./AM; 125 mg/PM

I might go another dose or two depending on how long I intended to be out and how high I was going.

I found out you have to play with the dosing to get it right. Most doctors aren't going to be able to help you with this one.

Just be aware of the side effects which in some cases can be debilitating, tingling in the extremities, loss of appetite and carbonated beverages tasting like dirty socks.

YMMV


So the question is, if you do not have any Diamox side effects and you are going to push faster than the 1000 feet elevation gain per day
(such as the 12,000 to 14500 foot trail camp to summit on Whitney) for the final push does it help to up your dose somewhat?

Aside:
Man, if knew the forest was going to burst into flame on the other side of the Sierra Crest, I would have slung my P100 (shopping) respirator on my pack (would ave been especially useful on the down hike where filter restriction would have been less of a problem). Also, if I was hiking with my dog instead of a group paid trip, no way I would have gone up. My lungs are still paying for it a week later.

Jay

Last edited by jaym; 09/13/20 12:09 PM.
Re: How long to acclimatize?
jaym #58074 09/13/20 01:04 PM
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Re: How long to acclimatize?
bobpickering #58137 10/07/20 08:18 PM
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Captain Obvious here: I am still recovering a month later from my smoke, ash and AMS summiting of a 13700 foot Sierra peak near the "Camp Fire". Likely, smoke and ash do not mix well with the AMS proto-HAPE (lung altitude problems)." Just say NO to climbing in smoke and ash!

I bought a Nonin Bluetooth pulse oximeter ("Made in USA" because I am a sucker for USA made stuff) and I can't wait to try it at high altitude. Thank you Bob for the O2 percentages (if I go below those I will call in a rescue chopper (just kidding)). I will have to do some online research to try to get some data on O2 percentages at various altitudes. I did find a research paper that correlated subjects with low O2 levels having AMS problems.

Last edited by jaym; 10/07/20 08:24 PM.
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