Altitude Sickness?

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MidwestAssault

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Jul 19, 2015
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Was wondering if anyone has had altitude sickness? How to overcome it and is there anyway to train for it or prepare for. Dunno if its really a big concern or what you guys had to say about it. Searched forum and didn't come up with anything. Thanks

Tim
 
25contender

25contender

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Mar 20, 2013
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Unless you are altitude all the time there really isn't much you can do. When I used to fly into Montana and hunt the same day it would take me longer to acclimate to altitude. I didn't get sick but you can sure feel the difference in oxygen levels.I would just take it easy and enjoy myself and drink lots of water. In a few days I was up and running. Now driving I seem to acclimate faster. I attribute this to gaining altitude slower and staying over night at altitude in Wyoming heading to Montana. Just remember to take your time enjoy the trip and drink lots of water and you will be fine.
 
Fink

Fink

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Apr 7, 2011
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West Side, MoMo
Drink lots of water. Then drink some more. Try to hydrate several days before you leave for your trip, and stay hydrated the entire time.
If you can, ease into the elevation gain, don't just go from sea level to 11,000'
If you get sick, the only way to fix it is to drop elevation.
 
mntnguide

mntnguide

Very Active Member
Feb 21, 2011
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The mountains of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
Everyone's body deals with altitude differently. .I've seen people in phenomenal shape get it along with people in not great shape. .the biggest thing to help prevent it, is mentioned above. ..hydrate, hydrate, hydrate...and try to ease into the elevation gain. .if you do get it, the only way to stop is effects from worsening is to drop altitude immediately and stay down. It's a dangerous thing, and not something to mess around with if you think your are being affected by it on a trip

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Bonecollector

Bonecollector

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Mar 9, 2014
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I've also heard of taking a baby aspirin daily for a week prior, thus helping to thin the blood and help with oxygen movement.
Obviously, the better shape you are in, the easier it may be, but not in every case.
 
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11C50

Member
Oct 13, 2011
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Edgar WI
There was an excellent article on this very subject in a recent Wyoming Wildlife magazine. I gave that issue to someone else, but I believe it was either the May of June 2015 issue. Bottom line is acute altitude sickness is no joke. As mentioned above HYDRATE and then HYDRATE some more. Also curb your enthusiasm for the first few days and pace yourself, especially if you feel nausea or headaches. In the rare instance where there may be some bloody discharge from your nose (this is rare) get down the mountain ASAP, even 1000 fett will help.
I have seen some oxygen limiting training devices on the internet, they basically look like a CPAP device or a miltary style gas mask and you wear them while working out. I have no idea if they work or not. A far more popular option is small compressed oxygen containers where you can give yourself a shot of oxygen as needed.
Our group has always found that we acclimate pretty well after 3 days and that things get easier form there on. But stay hydrated.
 
genesis27:3

genesis27:3

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Mar 12, 2015
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North Carolina
This doesn't help answer your question, but I will say that I had a hard time with altitude change while in Montana. The biggest problem was being tired, couldn't breath, and chapped lips from sucking air. This lasted a few days. The worst I had felt was when the first replier above (initials are 25C ;))shot an elk at the highest point of the trip, which was probably less than 10,000', and while skinning, I had an absolutely horrible headache and started getting sick. It probably didn't take 500-1000' drop in elevation and it immediately went away. Which goes along with the advice of dropping altitude if you do get sick.
The next day, I had finally acclimated and was perfectly fine.

Drink as much water as you can, and as little coffee for a few days before. And I haven't heard anyone mention this, but take some unscented chap stick! You'll thank me later!
 
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CrossCreeks

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Mar 6, 2014
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Dover, Tennessee
I have only experienced it once in 25 yrs. of hunting, I was high up in Colorado near Telluride and got sick , headache, dizziness and nausea . What has been already said is great advice, drink lots of water days before heading out and ascending slow.
 
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shootbrownelk

Veteran member
Apr 11, 2011
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Wyoming
My son-in-law got it one year on an early Elk hunt in the Wind river Mountains. Had to get him down to 5,000ft. for recovery. He was really sick. I once had a group of firefighters from Louisiana come out for a mule deer hunt. They complained that I was walking the legs off of them. I was 275 lbs. at the time, and had never had anyone tell me that before. These guys were hard and in great shape, and while they didn't get sick..the altitude got them. They're from Below sea level! From what I've seen myself, the only cure is time and lots of water.
 
coastalarms

coastalarms

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Nov 10, 2014
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Harrisburg, OR
www.coastal-arms.com
When I was much younger I got it on Mt Shasta, just went to high to fast. I was living in San Jose, elevation about 10". Next day I was at 10k'.
Hydrating is important, as is eating in small quantities. Don't eat a bunch as once, don't eat a full meal all at once. Eat foods that are easily digestible and that your body knows. Spend a night at a mid altitude. I've been scouting the Steens at 9k', I live at about 200'. What has worked well for me is to drive over after work one day and camp at the truck at around 5k-6k'. Just that one night helps a lot. Then in the morning we make the hike. It does help.
 
Team Kabob

Team Kabob

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May 9, 2014
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Bonecollector said:
I've also heard of taking a baby aspirin daily for a week prior, thus helping to thin the blood and help with oxygen movement.
Obviously, the better shape you are in, the easier it may be, but not in every case.
Click to expand...
Be careful if you get cut in the back woods doing this. Also a hard time to stop bleeding if your on Aspirin. I would talk to your regular doctor and hydrate like fink mentioned above.

Alot of these effects are coming from the drop in oxygen saturation in your blood to the tissues. By staying hydrated you have more volume to transport oxygen which helps fuel the tank of life! I remember doing altitude studies in Phoenix for babies heading to Flagstaff area it was fun!

Thanks
TK

¥
 
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Work2hunt

Veteran member
Mar 2, 2013
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St. Louis, MO
I start getting a slight altitude sickness around 9500ft. Usually it is due to my eagerness to get out and hunt/explore and not allowing myself time to acclimate or hydrate enough. What has been mentioned above helps me.

Drink lots of water.
If you are prone to sickness or are worried about it allow yourself to acclimate. Once above 10000 ft my Dr recommends to not exceed 1000 ft gain per day until you acclimate.
Drink lots of water.
Go easy. Enthusiasm can bite you in the a$$.
Oh and drink lots of water.
 
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sheephunter

Active Member
Jan 29, 2012
245
10
Colorado
It hasn't been said yet, but avoid alcohol. I work in the cardiology arena and it's just jaw dropping the people that end up in the hospital out here in western CO because they just are not in the shape to be up high and/or don't follow the common sense recommendations noted in the above posts.
Nobody is immune to it either; I've had it happen to me.
 
ore hunter

ore hunter

Very Active Member
Jul 25, 2014
699
114
ive looked into this and have found that supposedly if you take ginko-balopa ithink its pronounced a couple weeks prier and during that it will help aleaviate the altitude sickness and acclimation.Im gonna give it a try as im hittin Colorado for elk this year at 11000 feet.hope it works out?
 
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LaHunter

Active Member
Aug 24, 2012
322
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N.E. LA
What works for me is: 1) I make sure I am well hydrated well before I leave for my hunt. I drink lots of water along with WA Hydrate & Recover. I continue to drink plenty of water and Hydrate & Recover throughout my hunt. 2) I also use the Altitude Advantage from WA. This seems to help. 3) Ibuprofen (2 when I get up and 2 when I go to bed). 4) Try to get plenty of sleep.
Also, I make sure I am in the best physical condition that I can possibly be in. I stay in good shape all year, so I just have to step up my program during the summer a bit to prepare for the mountains.

Good Luck
 
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