Diamox Side Effects - The Guide to Altitude Sickness Prevention

If you’re looking to prevent altitude sickness, watch this!! Should you take altitude sickness medication like Diamox or Acetazolamide? In this video I cover the pros and cons, including the side effects of diamox, the recommended dosage and the reasons why many experienced climbers and trekkers refuse to take it.
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[@marilson84]

I took Diamox on the Andes to prevent altitude sickness. I started the day before climbing from 600 to 2400 mt a.s.l., 125 mg twice a day. Stopped on day 3 after I reached 5000 mt a.s.l. Only inconvenience was peeing more frequently (and I mean MORE frequently) but I was also drinking lot more than usual (you get dehydrated quickly at altitude). One day I experienced numbness on my fingertips for 30 min. That was about it. No headaches, no vomiting, nothing else. No altitude sickness! I have met people being sick and was not nice. Glad I took it, I would recommend it

[@ahmadvahab968]

Good information. Do you take it only for 3 days and that's enough?

[@marilson84]

@@ahmadvahab968 yes, you should stop ideally 24 hours after you have reached the max altitude in your trip. So you start a day before, you take it on the day you reach max altitude and they after as well, then you just stop as it won't be required anymore. You would do half a dose (125 mg 2x day). If you fall sick afterwards you then take a full dose (250mg 2x day) and also make plans to move to a place at a lower altitude. Also, no alcohol and red meat throughout.. stay light, stay sober..

[@1121gsm]

I took Diamox on Kilimanjaro and had no problems with altitude or side effects. I tried to NOT take it on Everest Base Camp Trek. I was fine hiking but somewhere near the end I couldn't sleep (because my heart rate drops so much). I ended up taking it and slept much better. Again NO side effect. In my mid 60s I pee every two hours at night so Diamox didn't affect me there. Love your videos. Keep it up.

[@explorinwithlaurin]

Thanks for this video! We are doing our first hike at altitude and have been super on the fence about whether or not to take Diamox. Really appreciate your perspective!

[@chrfar]

I got height sickness at 3500m, then took diamox and got back to normal. My own expericence. Went from 3500 to 5500 with no problems.

[@ChaseMountains]

Nice, yeah its certainly effective at helping your body adjust. thanks for your comment.

[@chiaraperry472]

Excellent video, thank you!

[@rdrydnghdwolfe1396]

Perhaps you already know this, but some people take Diamox to save their eyesight from spinal fluid pressure (and blindness) , even following neurosurgery, for a condition known as Intracranial hypertension, We how less of a choice, though it is always good to know more about sise effects.

[@LunaAnna7]

Have you taken diamox? Do you have iih? My boyfriend had a spinal tap yesterday dr prescribed diamox 250 twice daily. If you’ve been taking it have you noticed any side effects? How long have you been taking it? Also out of curiosity do you have sleep apnea? Or high hemoglobin/ hematocrit levels? Just trying to connect the links. Thanks:)

[@rdrydnghdwolfe1396]

I take 3 Acetazolamide (generic diamox) 250 mg daily for IIH. It is helping to protect my vision from optic nerve swelling. I don’t have sleep apnea. The drug is a diuretic, though, so I try to take the last one by 3 or 4 P.M. This gives me a much better chance of sleeping through the night without needing to use the bathroom. I have been at this level since at least last May, possibly longer. I have gone through many treatments for IIH, including 4 surgeries or so-called “procedures.” My neuro ophthalmologist thinks this drug is sufficient treatment for now.

[@hey_its_heather]

I’ve been taking diamox for about 3.5 years for a condition called idiopathic intracranial hypertension and I currently take 1000mg 2x a day. it took me a while to adjust but I’m just used to it now. I have to drink a TON of water every day since I’m on quite a high dosage and I pee a lot which in turn interrupts my sleep a lot. I also get the tingly pins and needles in my hands but it doesn’t bother me all that much cause I also get phantom pains in my left hand which are a kinda similar sensation from when my 4 fingers were amputated in a car accident in 2011. Not that I’m a climber or mountaineering expert but as someone who takes this medication I would suggest talking to a doctor to make that call as it’s a very personal decision that could have life threatening consequences.

[@craig2.071]

I agree with your cautious approach, though i didn't take it myself as seems to be the current on-mountain advice. Last 2 times in Nepal I didn't take it but had it in my pack and once over 6 weeks got a slight headache (Island Peak/crampon point) so took a ibuprofen and was good to go. You will be drinking 4-5 litres so consequently peeing 2.5/3 litres anyways, so adding to that by using a durectic as Diamox will further more interrupt your 12 hour night's sleeping which your body needs to recover from your hard days. I previously used half a tab on Kili for Chain-Stokes breathing issues overnight though. On the peeing I rec you take a 2 litre plastic milk bottle so you can stand by your bed in your jacket and easily use it and get back to bed, and its non-obvious to empty the next morning if you dont have an ensuite.

[@ChaseMountains]

All good tips man thankyou :)

[@goodridevibes]

Very helpful man - I think I’ll just force myself to breath when stopped as you mentioned 👍

[@jeffwieczorek9291]

I just started taking Diamox before my Everest BC trek. I am trying to be cautious with the altitude but I am experiencing some of the symptoms others have mentioned. My dr recommended it as well as many others, however I do wish I felt a little more like myself on it. In Kathmandu currently and just not feeling great overall.

[@chloeholmqvist4798]

Thank you for the good information! I once got quite bad AMS with puking etc. on 5000m. I hadn't been taking Diamox. On another climb later on I took half a pill of Diamox every morning I was feeling great at 6000m. It's hard to know if the Diamox actually helped or if the second climb had a better schedule for the acclimatization. I'll be going on my next expedition to 6700m soon and I think I'll take the same dose as last time.

[@ririemarilyn]

any update on that third expedition?

[@terranhealer]

Excellent advice 😊

[@shaungarlick7074]

Researched a fair but. 1st trip to EBC took 125mg by twice day. Read that studies may suggest 62.5 gm twice a day has same effect ( but less side effects) - did that last year to ebc. no side effects on both occasions and no AMS... but who knows - maybe I would not need it in any event ( a good acclimatisation schedule).

[@eazye519]

So I'm going to Colorado for the first time in three weeks. The first day we are staying in Denver which is 5400 ft just to get acclimated. Then after that we will be in Breckenridge for 6 days which is 9,600 ft. I've never been to the mountains before as I live by Chicago. I was planning on starting it 2 days before since we are driving there and it's 15 hours and don't want to have to pee in the car a lot. I'm not planning on doing any climbing or hiking really more to just get away and go out west. Do you think i should take it? I should add I've always been prone to headaches.

[@ChaseMountains]

Nah i wouln't be to concerned if 9600 is as high as you go. This video clears it up :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXbRmGeVdt6gfdU

[@eazye519]

@@ChaseMountains what if i go to Denver for the first night and feel fine and then I get to Breckenridge and i start to feel crappy. Can i start to take the Diamox then or is it too late? I'm just trying to not have a splitting headache on vacation is all.

[@ChaseMountains]

@@eazye519 yeah you can take it at altitude once you are there thats fine. I'd be interested to see if you get a headache but honestly paracetamol will do a fine job of treating the headache too!

[@maddyt3328]

Hope this is useful for someone considering diamox: I've been taking diamox for years and my first few months taking the drug were rough. It took a long time to adjust to the side effects and how your body now functions with diamox. From my experience, the toughest adjustments were: The fluid intake and excretion: you have to drink a lot more to prevent dehydration, and constantly need to pee. The altered taste sensations: which impacted appetite and often accompanied by nausea. Pins and needles/numbness: Constant and responsive to temp change. pins and needles sensation is unrelieved by anything, and painful. Everyone responds to diamox differently, but I caution the stress diamox puts your body under. Particularly if you are considering using diamox as a preventative for altitude sickness as opposed to treatment.

[@rauliuxaa]

I'm going to climb a peak that's over 7000meters, and i have a question i'd like to ask. What are your thoughts on using Diamox as aclimatisation tool ? For example, I go to lets say 5100 camp, i use diamox 24hrs prior , go to 5100, take diamox again, climb to 6100 next day, sleep there, go back down to base camp in 4400meters, take rest for 2days, and then go back to same altitudes without Diamox? Would this be a decent plan, or do you reckon it's better to take Diamox even on the next ascends i'll be going?

[@ahmadvahab968]

To test to see what reaction you may have and get used to it, would you take it for a few days a few months before your trip?

[@karmanepali]

thanks for showing pics from nepal.

[@jasonclift7253]

I will be hiking Pike's Peak in July. We will be staying in Manitou Springs for a couple of days to have a better feel for the elevation. We will be only going to Barr Camp the first day instead of the whole way, getting up early and trying to summit the following day. If I am going to take this, should I start them when I get to Manitou Springs, or is it best to wait until the day we start up Barr Trail. Thank you for this information - great job :)

[@knockstarstv5711]

I summited pikes peak in 7 hours with 1 gallon water 2 cliff bars lol! Easy trail watch out for bears

[@deadlybladesmith3093]

Headed to Copper Moutnain for the first time in 5 years. We are leaving tomorrow morning and will arrive the afternoon of the 27th. We were originally planning to stay in Denver to help acclimate, but we cannot make it all the way there in one day. We live in Arkansas at about 250-300ft above sea level. Every time we have been skiing, I have experienced sickness very badly from altitude. There was one year where I threw up 7 times in 2.5hours, and I was sleeping most of that. I took my first Acetazolamide pill this morning. Haven't experienced any effects yet, other than my nose being a little more stopped up than usual. Really hoping it works, as I love skiing and I've never used this before. I will report back (if I remember) in a few days once I've been out there for a day or two. Till then, ✌

[@cam0manx]

How did it go?

[@himalayanguide3322]

Mercibeacoup pour enseigner monsieur

[@evieantonetti7942]

Just curious...do you know if trekkers take Diamox at the same time as ibuprofen?

[@ChaseMountains]

Evie Antonetti yeah I’ve certainly taken both at the same time! No problems as far as I’m aware!

[@mredwrdo3]

Yes, my daughter has a rare condition called Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension that is basically the same symptoms of altitude sickness and she is prescribed diamox and a high dose of ibuprofen when needed together.

[@pibergero]

Hi! Me and my wife are going to Colorado in December (Denver, Breckenridge, Denver, Estes Park/RMNP, in that order, spending 2 or 3 days on each city) and we are a bit concerned about AMS… we’re from Brazil and live at sea level. From the video I was thinking about not taking Diamox, but at the end you recommended it for 1st timers (our case). From your experience, what do you think? 😅 we will not do huge climbs, just snowshoeing

[@traceygrady5419]

Wondering if anyone has thoughts/recommendations about extended release vs. regular release options? Hard to find info on this :(

[@stevenlupanko2983]

If you have to take diamox to climb then don't climb. I use it for stopping myself going blind from glaucoma its fucking horrendous and the side affects for me a suicidal tendencies and very dark thoughts. These side affects are far more prevalent then the hospital and pharmacists would ever tell you. my eye surgeon who was practising for 40 years was the only person that understood and fully accepted these side affects happen and told me they are a reasonably common occurrence. Just be careful this medication can be a death sentence on prolonged use but you will probably only get the basic side affects on the first few weeks. certainly don't take these if you suffer from anxiety disorder as you may have the mother of all panic attacks and with only thin air to breathe id imagine that wouldn't be a ideal scenario. I always feel lethargy on both eye drop and slow release capsule eat many bananas as this can and does from my experience deplete potassium levels rather quickly. I smoke cigarettes so if your super healthy I don't think the lethargy will affect you greatly.

[@asmrwaterskin2478]

I think some of the side effects that you are describing are not related to this med.

[@CharlieHarper-d4x]

I think you have two illnesses.

[@dustygatrell-ru7tg]

You can go thrrw horrible withdrawal from it. I forgot to take it all day yesterday an all of a sudden starts feeling like I was dying.

[@harlemsfinest]

I have no experience of summiting large mountains, but I will attempt to summit Mt. Whitney in early November. I'm going with a friend who has summited a lot of large mountains including Whitney. He recommended me Diamox but I am nervous with drugs. Maybe beforehand it would be useful to take a Diamox pill where I live at sea level to see what symptoms I get from it?

[@terranhealer]

Definitely a good idea to test out a medication beforehand. Like 10mg then work upwards from there

[@MohamedWaheedAtef]

Breathing out through the mouth!!?? Isn't that a bad thing to do? and the worst thing to do on a mountain?

[@ChaseMountains]

Well theres definitely worst things to do on a mountain haha. But yeah you should breathe out through your nose but most people can't do that even an moderate intensity at sea level.

[@MohamedWaheedAtef]

@@ChaseMountains thanks for your reply 🙏🏻😊, yeah true, that's why I think that long-term breathing exercises is a must for the mountains (for everyone really), even more than muscular fitness

[@ChaseMountains]

@@MohamedWaheedAtef breathe in that good ass prana 👌

[@markhatfield5621]

It made me unable to urinate until it wore off.

[@yongjianyi3556]

Couldn't get above 4,000m without it :(

[@chombersSOpA]

Surly better to avoid if you can't tell the difference between AMS and its side effects. Very interesting to hear about this though.

[@Leo_-ic2pm]

Can i use it for running at high altitude plz reply

[@ChaseMountains]

Go for it

[@Leo_-ic2pm]

What time it takes to a single 250mg tablet to work on our body

[@sandysandy967]

Its better you people learn breathing exercices where you can learn the continuos and depth of the breathing.

[@Diamux70]

Yep dont eat me

[@moetafabelo6]

Anyone use while pregnant?

[@scarletharris7705]

I’ve read some info on web md sites and they talk about analgesics ! I assume it’s taking ibuprofen type meds ? I can’t imagine taking a pain killer ( ie Vicodin ) ! Pain meds w/narcotics can cause respiratory depression ! Anyway , this video was helpful! Thanks Much

[@lizaltman1200]

you dont know to tell us you're not a physician. Literally, no one would ever think that about you. ;)

[@ChaseMountains]

I never underestimate people's stupidity.

[@pibergero]

Hi! Me and my wife are going to Colorado in December (Denver, Breckenridge, Denver, Estes Park/RMNP, in that order, spending 2 or 3 days on each city) and we are a bit concerned about AMS… we’re from Brazil and live at sea level. From the video I was thinking about not taking Diamox, but at the end you recommended it for 1st timers (our case). From your experience, what do you think? 😅 we will not do huge climbs, just snowshoeing