Altitude Sickness

[CountingCoo]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-19-04 AT 00:09AM (MST)[p]Thought I would share this with the other flatlanders.

I moved to Colorado about 2 years ago from Georgia, and had a bunch of problems with altitude, and in fact still get migraines if I hike too long and far.

Last year before elk season I started doing some serious research on altitude sickness for fear that my season might be ruined because of it. I found an article on Gingko Biloba and I took it's advice and popped a double dose morning and evening during my hunt. I camped at about 10,500 and hunted hard up to 11K
feet. I killed an elk on the second morning and hauled the meat by myself to a pack trail over the course of the next 2 days. Not only did I not get a migraine, I never even got a headache!

I took 120mg morning and evening starting the day before my hunt. If you are traveling out west to hunt this season, or like me , live out west and still get sick then this tip just may save your hunt.

You can get Gingko Biloba tablets at WalMart or just about any pharmacy or health food store.

 

[txhunter58]

Thanks for the info. I will give that a try this year.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

 

[Cazador]

It is also known as elevation sickness. I get this as well when I hunt Northern Arizona. It basically has to do with how you acclimate to the elevation change. It usually takes me about 24 hours to adjust to where I don't have any headaches/migraines. Some people get this really bad. I have a friend of mine that had to be rushed to emergency when they were out with their ATV's near Springerville. The Doctor told him that he needed to acclimate to the elevation before exerting himself. He also told him due to his severity of elevation sickness that its probably best for him to gradually come up in elevation for example drive up to Payson (~5000 ft), stay a night then drive up higher in elevation Springerville (~7000-7500 ft)and his symptoms would not be as bad. Last year when helping my cousin with his Elk hunt near Heber I drove the night before the hunt started. He arrowed his Elk the next morning and needless to say I did not have enough time to acclimate and I had a severe migraine the whole time helping him pack it out. Not good!

Thanks for the info! I will give Gingko a try!

 

[COHunter]

I hear Rolaids help, but I don't know as I've never suffered from altitude sickness. I guess living at close to 6,000ft helps

 

[CountingCoo]

I actually live at about 8000ft! Unfortunately I am apparently one of the minority that never fully adjust, or at least still suffer symptoms. In my case it takes the form of migraines. I had never had one until I moved here, and never get them except when hiking at high altitude.

Supposedly Gingko increases blood flow to the brain and limbs and that is the mechanism that controls the headaches by increasing oxygen flow, and also reducing fluid buildup in the cells.

Articles on Gingko and altitude sickness:

http://www.enerchihealth.com/healthnotes/20021031_good_news.html
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/Altitude.htm

 

[alsatian]

Interesting information. Thanks!

Altitude sickness, I believe, is rather unpredictable. I experienced what I think was altitude sickness once. I went hiking in the Sangro de Cristo mountains in northern New Mexico, around Jicarilla Peak, probably around 9,000 feet. My girlfriend and I set off to climb aways up the mountain, through the bush not following a trail (not recommended!). It was tough going, and after awhile I became very tired and dispirited and came down with a headache. The fatigue was not proportional to my labor. My girlfriend, who was less conditioned than I was, had no particular problems. Dropping back down to Taos, New Mexico, at about 7,500 feet elevation everything was OK.

Another time, a friend and I drove to Durango, Colorado, in one day from Tulsa, Oklahoma (900 foot elevation?). The first day in Durango we took a train to a trailhead at 9,000 feet and backpacked with heavy packs to 10,200 feet. The next day we continued backpacking up to an overnight camp at 12,200 feet. We spent the rest of a seven day trip between 12,850 feet and 8,500 feet. No altitude sickness.

Several times I have hiked around Taos, New Mexico, in recent years hiking from 9,200 feet to 11,000 feet to Williams Lake above the Taos Ski Valley. On another occasion hiking from 9,200 feet to 12,000 feet on a trail towards Wheeler Peak, above the Taos Ski Valley. No altitude sickness.

My son who is in good physical condition, however, claims he has had some degree of altitude sickness on each of two hikes to Williams lake and on the trail to Wheeler Peak.

I think there are lots of variables involved. I also think someone who rarely or never has experienced altitude sickness may nevertheless experience altitude sickness -- because of weather, because of their own condition, because of food they have eaten, I don't know what the variables are. At any rate, it seems wise to take precautions to avoid altitude sickness if you have some remedies at hand such as those described in the other posts. Slowly acclimating is good advice, but lowlanders don't always have the time to do this.

 

[DonV]

My father (61) and I went from our home in Ohio at under 1,000 feet straight up to hunt and camp at 10,500 - we took diamox as prescribed and were in good shape and had no problems. I attribute it to Diamox. Well worth it.