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Elevation sickness

Jeeperrick

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Green Bay,WI
I would love to do Moab, Rubicon, and other places, but here is the problem. in 2003 I towed my CJ-7 from Green Bay to Colorado Springs. My sister at the time lived in the Springs so we thought we'd visit for a few days then head off to Ouray and other areas of Colorado. I knew it was going to be higher elevation so I geared up for it by not drinking soda or alcohol,lots of water, etc. I ended up with elevation sickness so bad I spent one night in the hospital, 3 days sick in a motel, finally bought a one way ticket home and flew back to Green Bay. My brother-in-law drove my truck and trailer back to Gbay and I paid his way, plus a flight back which really turned into an expensive vacation. Now I just dream of mountains and am afraid to try it again. How do you guys combat this? My doctor told me it might have been a one time fluke and to exercise, eat healthy months in advance and to try it again. I've read of people dying of this and don't want to check out quite yet. I'd like to shoot for Moab on oh-ten! Whats your thoughts on this?
 
I've never had this issue I think drinking water is the appropriate preventitive medicine. Are you sure you didn't just get sick. Or pshyc yourself up or something I've never heard of anyone getting elevation sickness before.

I would think if anything the thinner air would need stronger lungs. Cardio exercise FTW.

Are you in shape?
Healthy?
Age?
 
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Yeah, you usually hear of elevation sickness amongst those who are climbing big mountains on foot. Like say climbing Everest, or running and exerting themselves at high elevation when they haven't had time to acclimate. I've gone from about 3000 feet (where I live) to 7-8000 feet in the course of a day and been fine, and I'm in bad shape. When I was younger I used to go from fairly low elevation in Tucson up Mt Lemmon run around, hike, climb on boulders, etc at 7000 feet and go back down the next day.
 
The only effect altitude ever had on me was a lack of oxygen. I run out of breath fast on the top of Pikes peak :D
Seriously though, a lot of people get low blood-oxygen levels in thin air. That will make you feel rotten - flu/cold symptoms.

Do you smoke? That right there drops your Blood-O level 4-7%. A pilot friend of mine started smoking again, and found he had to use supplemental oxygen at 5000 feet, where he used to fly at 12000ft with no problem.

Really the only "cure" is to improve your cardiovascular health. I know,... bummer.
 
Check with your physician for a prescription of diamox.

Altitude sickness can affect the most physicaly fit person, many of the things mentioned fitness, water intake, rest, etc can help eleviate the symptoms, but some people need the meds.
 
I feel a little ill every time I go back up the mountain. Living and working at sea level and then exerting myself at 8000+ I will get nauseated and get bad headaches. I am very vunerable to Sinus headaches, in fact I got one suddenly this morning, only to come out on deck and find that it was raining and a frontal boundary was passing through.

I have only gotten really truly altitude sick once, and since then the effects have decreased each time I travel. Good hydration helps as does a regimen of Advil and Tylenol cocktail, neither one alone seems to help, but both combined keeps me feeling ok until I get acclimated.
 
My brother is in excellent health. Doesn't smoke, is in good shape etc. Every time he has attempted to go skiing he gets just as sick as you described. Has had to go to the hospital the 2 times I have been skiing with him for altitude sickness. He usually doesn't get sick until up around 8000 feet though. I'm not sure how high Colorado Springs is though. Now he can go stay with friends in Denver but I don't think he'll ever ski again. You can always try going out there again but maybe have a backup plan or something. Maybe take someone with you who could drive home in a pinch.
 
Start over-hydrating at least a week before your trip - it will help thin your blood and move more oxygen to the vital parts.

Yes - stop smoking. :D

Since you already had a bad high (pun intended), I would suggest that you take an O2 tank with you.

If you go I-70 thru Colorado, you're going to get to about 9,000 feet for a while.

I would suggest going I-80 thru Wyoming - you will get to about 7,000 ft at Park City, UT.

physicians in Colorado know that most altitude sickness problems occur OVER 7,000 ft.

===
Fun info:

Denver's Capital Building has the Mile-Hi step 5,280 ft.
with a gold marker:
448_IMG_4766.jpg


448_IMG_4768.jpg


It was installed in 1969 on the 18th step.
A GPS reading taken in 2007 determined that they were about 8" off.
 
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Colorado Springs is on a slant, actually and varies from about 6,000 to 7,500 just north and east of the city.

My wife and I lived at sea level and she got terribly sick just going to Idyllwild (about the same as Denver). She puked, got dizzy enough that she couldn't stand and had a pounding headache. I had to literally stuff her in my SUV, and run her down the mountain. I left a lot of good camping gear up there because I just didn't have time to gather it. As soon as we were down to about 3,000 feet, she felt better, only exhausted.

Since then, we've moved to Falcon (7,000 ft.) and I've taken her over several 12,000 ft. passes, and even up to Pikes Peak (over 14,000 ft.) with no problem.

Moral:
Elevation sickness is unpredictable. But, you really can hedge your bet as mentioned above by climatizing for several days. So, dump WI, move to CO, but don't go up in the mountains for a few months. Even after living her for months, it can hit you for a solid week. I got a headache and queeziness after six months. So did my wife.
There's hope.
DRINK SO MUCH WATER YOU'RE PEEING CONSTANTLY!!!!!
 
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Drink water and take it easy when you first get there. My second day in the Springs the wife and I drove to the top of Pikes Peak she got a little sick but was fine after she sat down and drank some water.
 
We see it every once in a while here(Flight Training in Florida), get in better shape at your altitude and it will help. I have been at 17000 or above the last two days for flights. Cabin altitude climbs up to around 9000 feet. The reason we see much less of a problem in Flight training is that we are breathing O2. And they pretty much tell the people having problems with it to run more and drink more water, that way your body can process the less dense air more efficiently.

At Ellsworth SD a few years ago a guy in my flight had to go home because of altitude sickness.
 
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