quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Husband and I did the drive from Dushanbe to the Hot Springs camp in 2008 and did NOT use Diamox. Had no problems, although the drive was extremely long it did give some time to acclimate.

Three other hunters in our party used Diamox and we had to stop often for them because of frequent urination.

Yes Kathi, that is because the drive is very looong. Meaning that the adjusting to height is going slowly and let the body adjust. Using Diamox in such cases are almost worthless and just make you pee all the time. Have to drink a lot to compensate.

Last time I was in Tajikistan ( 2012 - near Lake Karakol ) we drove from Osh to camp. Taking approx 8-9 hours and we did not use any medication. A day or two in camp and you just have a small headache...


Morten

Our plans have changed given the legal issues the original outfitters has had. We are going to a totally different place. It is near a place named Alichur where it is a balmy 29 degrees right now.

The drive in will take 2 days. It could be done in less time. However, we are going to stop in a small town along the way and spend the night. We will stop along the way and get out to walk a little bit to break up the trip and get a little exercise .

Interestingly, we will, in part, be following the silk road.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Our plans have changed given the legal issues the original outfitters has had. We are going to a totally different place. It is near a place named Alichur where it is a balmy 29 degrees right now.

The drive in will take 2 days. It could be done in less time. However, we are going to stop in a small town along the way and spend the night. We will stop along the way and get out to walk a little bit to break up the trip and get a little exercise .

Interestingly, we will, in part, be following the silk road.

Sounds good Larry.. then you will have the slow and good adopt to the high altitude


Morten

I would like feedback on the experience with the wilderness athlete and mtn ops supplements. They both have a huge variety of products wondering if there just hype.

A lot of good suggestions on here.

One of the best comments: "some people just can't take high altitude. It has nothing to do with physical fitness (although lacking fitness is a sure way to have problems); it is a physiological thing."

I have prescribed acetazolamide (Diamox) to hunters who would not have much time to acclimate at altitude or near altitude, especially with those living near sea level (or below in my case. Ha!). Like has been suggested (by most anyway), I would NOT recommend a "sleeping pill" or any other sedative. They decrease the respiratory drive, which is the last thing you want to do.

Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, ect. work by utilizing NO (nitric oxide) and one of those is used in a rebranded name to treat pulmonary hypertension. I'm not sure what Mountain Ops Endure is packaging in their punch, but unless they pulled a fast one on the FDA, I wouldn't count on it doing much for you.

Acclimatization is your best friend.

[NERD ALERT WARNING] You are allowing time for your body to create more 2,3-Bisphosphoglyceric acid (2,3-BPH). Taking the acetazolamide, in theory, slightly acidifies the blood by pissing out sodium bicarbonate (yes, baking soda). Your body will then create more 2,3-BPH in response to the more acidic environment (lower pH) of the blood stream.

Wikipedia can explain it here better than what I remember from school: "The accumulation of 2,3-BPG decreases the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen. Ultimately, this mechanism increases oxygen release from red blood cells under circumstances where it is needed most. This release is potentiated by the Bohr effect, in which hemoglobin's binding affinity for oxygen is also reduced by a lower pH and high concentration of carbon dioxide. In tissues with high energetic demands, oxygen is rapidly consumed, which increases the concentration of H+ and carbon dioxide. Through the Bohr effect, hemoglobin is induced to release more oxygen to supply cells that need it."

In other words, the 2,3-BPG helps the red blood cells more easily releases oxygen to the tissues that need it most. Physiologically, this is similar to the way a pregnant mother releases oxygen from her own red blood cells to the baby through the placenta. This fetus staving for oxygen is analogous to the un-acclimated person at high altitude.

I digress...

This is good reading too and he uses a nice summary table of dos-and-don'ts. Pay attention to the signs & symptoms to be mindful of and make sure those in your party are aware as well:

http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/altitude.htm


Good luck, Larry!

Thank you sir.

I can say that I like the Wilderness Athlete drink. It seems to do the job with hydration, tastes good and has a small fraction of the sugar that low calorie Gatorade has.

I plan on trying the wilderness athlete stuff myself. No doubt it can do everything your average sports drink can, but without all the sugar like you said. Fortunately, the FDA hasn’t started regulating salt, which is the most important thing in there, besides the water.

But the real question is, does it mix well with gin or vodka? Just kiddin’! (sorta)