Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Acetazolamide (Diamox)

I know a lot has been written about this subject but I can not recall seeing much about the 500 mg slow release diamox capsule.

There are several things that stand out in my mind from the various comments posted, the dosage seems to be 125 mg pill, everyone gets tingling of the hands and feet, soda pop and beer tastes funny, and the frequent urination.

I just got a PX filled for the 500 Acetazolamide capsule, which is taken only 1-2 times a day as directed by the doctor(not like the tablets which are taken 1-4 times daily) These are taken 1-2 days before you start to climb.

The most interesting thing about the side effects is that any tingling of the hands/feet is considered a serious side effects and you should seek immediate medical attention. This is taken directly from the patient prescription information given to me when I had my PX filled. I have seen in several places on the internet where you can count on this side effect. I hope people do not accept this as routine and ignore this side effect.

I have started taking a dose of this medicine as a trial course as I do not want to end up in a remote area without knowing what the effects may be. So far, with the highest concentration in my blood stream, the side effects are similar to viagra (without the woodie). Now I see why some have wondered if viagra might prevent altitude sickness! Side effects are some ringing in the ears (similar to tinnitus)blood pressure is a little higher than normal, this I will continue to monitor. I did not see anything in the side effects about an increase in BP. There are no allergic reactions at this point, so unless something develops as a delayed reaction, I will be taking this medicine when I hike Whitney.

My MD told me to expect some tingling in the hands and so forth but also explained it was just a annoying side effect. I have used Diamox on 5 separate trips to elevation with great results.

For 35 years I never had altitude problems, in the last 7 I started getting a severe headache on every trip above 8k. Now I take low dose Diamox 1 day prior to leaving on the trip and 1 pill per day while at altitude. It has worked like a charm for me.

There is a Canadian study which shows Viagra can prevent mountain sickness. I just don't need to carry an extra pole up the mountain!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060624120556.htm

You forgot to mention what I think is the worst side effect of Diamox - that carbonated beverages (like coke and BEER!) taste terrible. It was just wrong to have to give away that pitcher at the pizza joint after our hike.

Yes! That cold beer at the Portal Store along with the burger is too good to even consider giving up ! Viagra does seem promising, jokes aside, due to it's effectiveness in treating pulmonary hypertension.

Wondering if anyone has come across any info regarding asthma and altitude? I had alot of problems as a child growing up but have seemed to have "outgrown it" but just the same has always been something that does concern me.

My doctor originally prescribed the 500mg capsules. However, a previous thread suggested that I get the 250mg splittable tablets, so I obtained those as well.

I tried the 250mg tablet a couple of days ago. I became a little flushed an had to urinate more frequently. I suffered no other symptoms.

I'll try a 500mg capsule tomorrow and report back.

Now that the Diamox is completely out of my system, I can report that there were no side effects. The tinnitus and slightly elevated blood pressure was another issue, not related to the Diamox. I do not drink sodas, nor will I be drinking beer while taking the Diamox so the taste issue is moot.

Pill popping and hiking

(grumble grumble grumble)

> grumble grumble grumble

HoyL:  Maybe you are the lucky one who is not affected by high altitudes. ...Oh wait, Sparks is at 4400', so you get some natural acclimatization.  I can't believe you would be telling Inyo Wanderer, who gets severe headaches from the altitude that he should either stop taking the pills or stop hiking.

I pop pills every morning and evening. I could grumble about that, too, but I don't.

Here's the results on the 500mg capsule:

I took the capsule at 3:00PM this Sunday. They must be time released since I felt no adverse affects.

So at 6:00PM I went for a 10K run. Even though I live at sea level, I improved my time from two weeks ago by about 1 minute, 20 seconds, quite a significant drop. No wonder Acetazolamide is banned by the Olympics!

At 8:00PM, I drank some diet Pepsi and did notice that it tasted flat.

Next, I'll test Diamox on Mt. Dana.

Obviously, everyone has a different reaction to medications, so please contact your doctor and use your best judgement when taking Diamox or any drug.

I also had asthma as a kid and seemed to outgrow it. When I took up running, it came back. It was never severe, but it did impact my performance. Drugs kept it under control, and I ran whatever I wanted until an Achilles injury ended my running career.

I found that my asthma actually vanished at altitude. I couldn't run a fast mile at 5,000 feet (where I live) without symptoms, but I once ran from Whitney to Muir and most of the way back with no problem. I thought I must be some kind of freak. Then I read somewhere that it's actually common for asthma to improve or vanish at higher altitude.

I wouldn't get cocky and leave my meds at home, but I think it's safe to say that your asthma won't be any worse at altitude.

For my final test before Mt. Blanc I took a 500mg Diamox one hour before climbing Mt. Dana (10K to 13K ft.). There were no adverse reactions except for the problem of no fizz in the beer or soda.

I will be getting used to the altitude at horseshoe meadows and drinking beer and enjoying the taste.

taking a pill that may make you feel worse on the hill makes me shudder and worse still the even slight chance of ruining the taste of a cold brew