High altitude sickness days AFTER being at high elevation?

[smilingcat]

Hi Jiffer,

for what its worth, I have never heard of delayed altitude sickness. And I grew up around 6,000+ feet elevation and regularly went hiking at over 11,000 feet elevation. I loved back packing at that elevation. Also went skiing 20+ days per year. Top of the run was 11,000 feet plus.

Typical problem people have at altitude are: dizziness, dehydration, headache, bloody nose.

Going from "flat land" to 5,000-6,000 feet elevation, your resting heart rate will be quite a bit faster and your exertion level will be significantly higher to attain the same performance level. I think you just over did it at Lake Tahoe. Drink more water than usual. Better yet more juice to replenish loss of electrolyte.

TrekTheKaty,

your friend should have information regarding common altitude related issues and not necessarily call it altitude sickness.

first: Your physical conditioning at sea level have very little or no correlation with your chance of getting altitude sickness.

second: common problems experienced are headache. Drink lots of water and if you are tolerant to aspirin take some aspirin .

Third: your tolerance to alcohol will be significantly reduced so drink far less. Alcohol also will make you more susceptible to altitude related problems.

fourth: It may be advisable for guest to stay in Denver for a day before going to Breckenridge. Even a day at Denver (5280 feet elevation) will make a big difference.

The information should be provided to the guest to avoid the discomfort and make their stay in Breckenridge more enjoyable.

[Aggie_Ama]

I get altitude sickness at low altitude (5,000 feet) and higher altitudes. Had a very mild case in New Mexico this time, we were at 8,700+ and hiked to 11,000. Mainly I just had no energy this time. The last time we went I had a case that was almost so bad I was going to go to the little clinic in the town, I took almost the entire week to acclimate. I have had some form of altitude sickness three times and never brought it home. I get headache, nausea, can hardly eat which only makes it worse, dizziness, obviously short of breath and fatigue. Every show or article I have read on altitude sickness recommends the first course of action is to descend to lower altitudes.

I agree, you probably overworked your system and now it it trying to recover. My heart rate goes through the roof at altitude, I really have to pay attenion to my monitor or else I will be wiped completely out.

[TrekTheKaty]

Thanks smiling cat. It's hard for us flat-landers (500 ft elev, here) to describe. I'll check the book and update. She just had a friend staying at the house with her get sick. We take the 6:00 am flight to Denver and drive straight up to the house. However, I think some of the renters do spend the night in Denver. I've tried those silly altitude vitamin packs and I swear they work!

[roadie gal]

The treatment for altitude sickness is descending, so what you have isn't altitude sickness. I second what some of the others said, you may have overdone it and it's catching up with you now.

[KnottedYet]

Do you have any swelling in either leg? Thickened ankle(s), socks leaving marks and dents? Any pain or aching in either calf or the back side of either knee? Do you feel short of breath at all?

[badger]

I went to Breckenridge a couple of winters ago and had the worst migraine of my life. I get migraines, but never thought the altitude would affect me (smugness on my part!)

Our friends did warn us when we first met up with them to drink loads of water, but it didn't really seem to help me. After 3 days I was okay, thankfully.

Maybe you ended up with some sort of inner ear infection?

[TrekTheKaty]

I drink so much water that I spend the whole trip in the bathroom. We quit skiing at Breck and go to Keystone because the bathrooms were down a flight of stairs--not fun in ski boots