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Ugh what a bummer this is. Sitting in the Gunnison airport after being cleared to fly after coming down with HAPE on Wednesday. Least I got a couple good days in CB prior to this.
Anyone have experience with this? I’m mainly concerned about the possible likelihood of having this happen again next time I’m out West skiing. I lived at 6500 for 15 years and never any problems, moved to 500 ft about 6 months ago and first trip out and got creamed.
I'm sorry that happened to you.
Recurrence risk is VERY significant UNLESS you do the right preventative things. Strategies are acclimate (spending time at an altitude in the 5000-8000ft range before you go >8000ft), sleeping lower, and taking acetazolamide prophylactically. You could also sleep on O2 at altitude (rent a concentrator or buy a portable). You should definitely see a travel med/wilderness med doc for acetazolamide before your next trip (you start taking this 2 days before leaving home). Going to CB? Consider staying in Gunny town or spend the first night or two in Gunny.
Acetazolamide (Diamox) works. It is important to start it 2 days before you arrive at altitude. It works by changing the pH of your blood (makes it more acidic) which allows you to hyperventilate without making the blood too basic which shuts down your hyperventilation. It takes a couple of days for this to happen. Usually it's taken for a couple daysou more after you arrive.
It will make your fingers and toes tingle. It will make you urinate more--drink plenty of extra water even if you a pissing up a river. It will lower your blood pressure--if you take blood pressure medicine you may have to cut back on it so take a cuff with you to check. And worst of all--it makes carbonated drinks, including beer, taste awful while you're taking it.
ThisQuote:
Originally Posted by Summit
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I think I should elaborate on my qualifications to discuss HAPE. There may be doctors here who know more about treating and preventing it. There may be others here who have had it besides me. But I bet I am the only person here who was the subject of a double blind prospective study of the effect of altering 2,3 DPG metabolism on pulmonary physiology at altitude. We were flown and driven from Detroit to the top of Pike's peak. Some of us got a drug, some placebo. It wasn't very blinded--the drug had magnesium in it and I was shitting water non stop while I puked non stop from the altitude. Eventually the doc thought I had pulmonary edema and gave me oxygen so they couldn't use my data. I did get a free plane ride with 120 pounds of gear to spend the rest of the summer climbing in the Winds and by the time the week on Pike's Peak was over I was well acclimatized for the summer. I don't remember what the study found out, if anything.