Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Bronchodilator and altitude

Has anyone heard of non-asthma sufferers using Bronchodilators to increase airflow into the lungs to assist in the shortness of breath that happens at altitude. I'm not talking about as a cure for AMS, but as a method to get more air into the lungs to cut down on the heavy puffing?

Haven't heard of it, but I'm sure some have tried it.

It won't work.

What the medication does, is essentially relieve the "cramping" of the muscles of the lung airway. If there is no "cramping", there is nothing to relieve. It cannot open things wider than they normally are, unless "cramping" is present.

I have had asthma since childhood but have not had an asthma attack up high, ever. I wonder if higher humidity/pressure will cause an asthma attack, or if just being up in the mountains makes such problems go away.

HOYL, I'm not sure what you mean when you talk about "higher humidity/pressure"?

Up high, one virtually always encounters lower humidity, and always encounters lower pressure", the opposite of what you state.

Ken, that's what HOYL said. Just insert "at sea level" after "higher humidity/pressure" and his meaning is clearer.

I guess I should clarify. I had asthma attacks all the time at lower altitude. Since moving to the mountains (first to 3800 ft in San Diego and now at 4500 ft in Sparks) I don't have any. I suspect two things, I'm older now...and in a better state of mind. If I get angry or depressed all I have to do is look out the window at Mount Rose.

From answers.com.
People with asthma have trouble breathing, because their airways are inflamed and become narrowed. Normally, air moves smoothly from the mouth and nose through the airways and into the tiny air sacs of the lungs as a person breathes in. Breathing out (exhaling) happens automatically when the person stops breathing in. In a person with asthma, breathing in (inhaling) is not a problem. Incoming air can slide around the blockage, because the act of breathing in makes the airways expand. The problem comes when the person with asthma tries to breathe out. The air can no longer get past the blockage, and it remains trapped in the lungs. The person can then only take shallow breaths. Bronchodilators work by relaxing the smooth muscles that line the airways. This makes the airways open wider and allows air to leave the lungs. These drugs also are used to relieve breathing problems associated with emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other lung diseases.

bronchial tubes (brong-kee-uhl)

The system of tubelike structures that connects the trachea to the lungs. (See respiratory system.)

Since most hikers have healthy bronchial tubes, it does not seem likely that a dilator will improve performance.


However, as I stated on another discussion, Viagra can help at higher altitudes.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060624120556.htm

Last year a friend was on the Everest trek and a doctor recommended it.

Patrick,
If you are interested in increasing your lung volume you can purchase restrictive breathing units on ebay. I think they are called power lung or something. If you you don't want to shell out the money you can do restrictive breathing techniques on your own by simpling inhaling and exhaling air through pursed lips. The smaller the opening in your lips the harder it is to inhale and the more your lungs get a work out. There is a body of work out there basically saying that doing these breathing techniques on your own are as effective as the devices. Start out by doing 2 sets of 10 breathes a couple times a day and work your way up in duration and intensity.

Professional athletes have used medications like Ephedrine which is a form of Brochodilator to increse airflow into the lungs. It also has a caffeine like stimulation.

Salmeterol is another form of Brochodilator which has been tested for use with cases of HAPE.

Would a dilator further open up an airway on a non-asmtha sufferer? Surely there is room for an healthily open airway to relax even further and enable extra oxygen into the system?

I have had asthma since I was a few years old and have been using Albuterol inhalers among many others all my life. I don't know exactly what you were thinking of using, but I would certainly be careful. I know one of the major side effects of at least some of these medications is increased heart rate, which may outweigh the advantages of opening your airway. When I have problems and use the inhaler while climbing, I often have to take a minute (even if I'm just using it as a preventative measure) to relax and let my pulse slow.

In response to the other discussion about having less symptoms at altitude; a lot of asthma is brought on by allergies, and getting into the mountains can get you out of smog or car exhaust that can cause attacks. Also, most asthmatics (but definitely not all) find that it gets better as they get older. Maybe that explains it for HOYL.

"Would a dilator further open up an airway on a non-asmtha sufferer? Surely there is room for an healthily open airway to relax even further and enable extra oxygen into the system?"

Uhhhh...no.

This is exactly the way that asthma is tested. A person complains of shortness of breath. Do they have asthma? They are lung tested. They are given a dilator. They are re-tested.

If they improve in objective measures(FEV1), this is actually the definition of asthma.

I'm simplifying, somewhat, but this is basically it.

Ok, I've been digging a bit. My initial thought was that Athlete's and people with HAPE have been using or testing Bronchodilators. I thought perhaps there would be advantages with a bronchodilator in high altitude conditions. This is what I've found.

Ephedrine is used by athletes and bodybuilders for it's caffiene like side effect, and appetite loosing effects. The athletes where not taking the drug for the bronchodilation that would occur. As per comments on the forum, if a person if fully dilated and not having asthma, the drug would have no effect on airways.

Salmeterol has been tested on people with HAPE symptoms at high altitude, however unless you had water filling your lungs Salmeterol would probably do nothing to improve airflow.

if the concept worked for non-asthmatics, then we would be hearing about its' use on mountains much higher than Whitney, ie, Everest.

there are some folks who do get cold-induced asthma and the thin, dry air of big climbs aggravates this. My climbing partner found this out and we had to load him up with inhaled steroids before going, and the same plus bronchodilators once high.

With or without the cold-induced asthma, the hacking and coughing effect of altitude is apparent above 17,000 feet. These sounds come from nearly every tent. In the Everest region, it is called Khumbu cough, but it occurs anywhere high. By 20,000 it is really annoying, to the point of needing earplugs to drown out the noise of others.

Harvey