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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by PennyPincher View Post
    Well, my food choices are already very regulated to control blood sugar levels by choice. I was drinking all day when driving there and stopping frequently enough to urinate that I highly doubt it was dehydration. And I experienced these headaches on the first night there when I had not exerted myself. I don't take any medications and have no medical issues. So......
    As Big Dog said med conditions possibly not personally known and if I recall the high fat diet you adhere can bring on symptoms of nausea and malaise. All I'm suggesting you consider is that the nausea and headache had other contributing causes. These are very general symptoms capable of having a diverse range of causes beyond AMS.

  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by PennyPincher View Post
    Well, my food choices are already very regulated to control blood sugar levels by choice. I was drinking all day when driving there and stopping frequently enough to urinate that I highly doubt it was dehydration. And I experienced these headaches on the first night there when I had not exerted myself. I don't take any medications and have no medical issues. So......
    So....your ability to acclimate isn't as good as others. Humans aren't machines, we vary. Welcome to the club. Just take it easy and you will adjust.

  3. #23
    Registered User QuietStorm's Avatar
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    I'll be hiking the first 14 segments on the CT this August-September and have been wondering about how best to acclimate. I won't have time to take a few days beforehand since I have to get back to work after two weeks. Thank you for the tips. Any advice on how best to train before heading west? I've been hiking on the AT every other weekend and stepping up my aerobic exercise. Anything else I can do?

  4. #24
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuietStorm View Post
    I'll be hiking the first 14 segments on the CT this August-September and have been wondering about how best to acclimate. I won't have time to take a few days beforehand since I have to get back to work after two weeks. Thank you for the tips. Any advice on how best to train before heading west? I've been hiking on the AT every other weekend and stepping up my aerobic exercise. Anything else I can do?
    As I'm sure you know, the start of the CT going SWBO is relatively low altitude, it takes 3-4 days or so to get to a sustained 10K altitude, and this 4 days of gradual acclimation really helps. Section 1 starts at 5500, gets to 7500, then drops to the low 6000's, a good first night camping altitude. Section 2 gets to about 8000 at its end. Section 3 meanders around 8000 most of the day, nice. Gentle. Section 4 is when you'll get to 10K mid-section or so and hang around there most of the rest of the section. that might be the toughest day for altitude acclimation. Section 5 actually dips back down to 9600 mid-section, it might be nice to camp there if you can, because the rest of the trail stays above 10K most of the time.

    I've known dozens of folks that come to CO from low altitude and have no problems whatsoever hiking in our mountains. I used to give rides to the Waterton TH and kept in touch with a lot of CT hikers, none that I did this for had significant altitude problems.

    A lot of folks mistake the simple lower oxygen content at altitude and the resulting lower body/muscle energy for some sort of perceived altitude sickness.

    If you're not puking and don't have a significant headache, you're probably doing just fine. Yeah, you'll get winded much faster. so what. Expect it. Being in good shape aerobically helps of course, but actually does nothing to stave off actual altitude sickness (so they say).

    One particular WB member is now going to come on here and tell you all his/her altitude woes about his/her CT altitude sickness, but I assure you, he/she is an exception to the norm. I feel for the guy/gal, but we're all a bit different. Some small percentage of folks are very altitude sensitive. Most are not that much.

    SURE, it would be great to hang in Denver and do some foothill hikes (7K or so), but if you don't have the time, well, you don't have that luxury. If you wind up spending at least one day in Denver though, I can suggest numerous hikes depending on where you're staying. Or simply just go climb the stairs at Red Rocks (coolest concert venue I've ever been to) a few times and enjoy the city view. I think you can do that these days even with Covid around.

  5. #25

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    I never got altitude sickness, but I wasn't moving very fast at 10K, that's for sure!
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  6. #26

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    Up to half of people who ascend to heights above 2500 m may develop acute mountain sickness, pulmonary oedema, or cerebral oedema, with the risk being greater at higher altitudes, and faster rates of ascent.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907615/

    Fifteen to forty percent of people traveling to Colorado from elevations less than 914 m (3000 ft) will develop AMS when they arrive and stay overnight at 2438 m (8000 ft) or higher
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6474454/


    Altitude sickness usually occurs when people travel from lower altitudes in less than one day to higher altitudes (8000 feet or 2438 m or higher), but depending upon the individual's health, altitude sickness may occur at considerably lower altitudes, even 4800 feet or 1500 m. Altitude sickness has a spectrum of symptoms and is a general term that covers three major syndromes.
    https://www.emedicinehealth.com/moun...article_em.htm

  7. #27
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    Yes, please read that first article; the tag line is misleading.

    Good stuff, bottom line, don't spend your first night above 8500 feet! If you get a headache or nausea, descend. If you're worried about any of this, talk to your doc and bring up the subject of low dose Diamox.

    Hundreds of folks come from out of state and hike the CT every year with none of these bad effects. or very manageable ones (mild headaches). The real stat of importance is the percentage of them that have significant altitude issues. I'll stand by my statement that the percentage is low.

  8. #28
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    I often get headaches and other moderate issues at altitude when I camp above 9000 feet on my first night. This is sometimes unavoidable in the high Sierra but when I thru hiked the Colorado trail I had no issues at all due to the relatively low elevation of the first several sections. The absence of headaches the first few days allowed for a faster hike and by the time I got to high elevations I was fully acclimated. I am going to try diamox for my Sierra Nevada trip this summer.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by colorado_rob View Post
    Yes, please read that first article; the tag line is misleading.

    Good stuff, bottom line, don't spend your first night above 8500 feet! If you get a headache or nausea, descend. If you're worried about any of this, talk to your doc and bring up the subject of low dose Diamox.

    Hundreds of folks come from out of state and hike the CT every year with none of these bad effects. or very manageable ones (mild headaches). The real stat of importance is the percentage of them that have significant altitude issues. I'll stand by my statement that the percentage is low.
    The "Science" says otherwise as does my experience. OP is clearly an outlier but so is your position

  10. #30
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Big_Old_Dog View Post
    The "Science" says otherwise as does my experience. OP is clearly an outlier but so is your position
    I think my posts on here are all about science, and offer valuable suggestions on how to cope with AMS. My post#24 was responding to Quietstorm, not the OP, and based on 42 years of hiking at altitude, but more importantly, having dozens of low-altitude visitors come out PLUS myself venturing into altitudes 9000' above the highest altitudes in CO, which might very well simulate low-landers coming to CO.

    The negative-nellies on here basically say no one should come to CO to hike the CT without significant amounts of acclimation time, and I know for a fact, being heavily involved with the CT, that most do NOT go through any special acclimation other than starting in Denver, and most do just fine.

    My earlier posts acknowledge the outliers who do have issues at much lower altitudes, such as the OP. I wish her the best of luck and have high expectations that her visits to CO will eventually be a blast and mostly free from AMS worries.

    No idea why you put "science" in quotes, but there ya go.

  11. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by colorado_rob View Post
    I think my posts on here are all about science, and offer valuable suggestions on how to cope with AMS. My post#24 was responding to Quietstorm, not the OP, and based on 42 years of hiking at altitude, but more importantly, having dozens of low-altitude visitors come out PLUS myself venturing into altitudes 9000' above the highest altitudes in CO, which might very well simulate low-landers coming to CO.

    The negative-nellies on here basically say no one should come to CO to hike the CT without significant amounts of acclimation time, and I know for a fact, being heavily involved with the CT, that most do NOT go through any special acclimation other than starting in Denver, and most do just fine.

    My earlier posts acknowledge the outliers who do have issues at much lower altitudes, such as the OP. I wish her the best of luck and have high expectations that her visits to CO will eventually be a blast and mostly free from AMS worries.

    No idea why you put "science" in quotes, but there ya go.
    Amen. No getting around that altitude related issues do occur, but the phrase 'up to half' is remarkably misleading.

  12. #32
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    In this article:

    • Moderate to high-altitude is considered 4800 feet to about 6400 feet (1500-2000 m) above sea level
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

  13. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by PennyPincher View Post
    In this article:

    • Moderate to high-altitude is considered 4800 feet to about 6400 feet (1500-2000 m) above sea level
    Here is a study from some medical doctors at 6500 feet. This thread has been instructive for me. I know how or what I need to do to adjust from sea level but never really understood my problem on some long distance flights......I had thought the pilot could adjust the relative altitude inside the cabin but it is simply a design constraint of a given airplane and the altitude flown. GL on your travels, just increase slowly, you should be fine.

    Acute mountain sickness-like symptoms occurred in 25% of subjects at 2000 m compared with 5% of subjects at sea level. The incidence of acute mountain sickness at 2000 m was greatest among subjects who had come from lower altitudes.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2911169/

  14. #34
    Registered User QuietStorm's Avatar
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    Does weed help with altitude sickness? Asking for a friend.

  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuietStorm View Post
    Does weed help with altitude sickness? Asking for a friend.
    It does alleviate symptoms, specifically the headaches. But masking symptoms of AMS is maybe not wise. It goes without saying that I'd ask your doc, of course, but I'd also guess most eastern USA docs are not well versed on this. Oh wait, HIS doc, not yours....

    Basically I'm saying nothing useful in this response, sorry. I should know more, given its legality here (for many years now) and our, ahem, high altitudes.

  16. #36
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuietStorm View Post
    Does weed help with altitude sickness? Asking for a friend.
    Tell your "friend " yes it does help with the headache and nausea.

  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by QuietStorm View Post
    I'll be hiking the first 14 segments on the CT this August-September and have been wondering about how best to acclimate. I won't have time to take a few days beforehand since I have to get back to work after two weeks. Thank you for the tips. Any advice on how best to train before heading west? I've been hiking on the AT every other weekend and stepping up my aerobic exercise. Anything else I can do?
    You can do some oxygen deprivation training, like one of those masks or a straw in your mouth and plug your nose while walking, or treadmill at various grades. Or stair master.

  18. #38
    Registered User JNI64's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JNI64 View Post
    Tell your "friend " yes it does help with the headache and nausea.
    At least that's what a friend told me.

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