remedy for altitude sickness?

Last time I was in La Paz, I felt awful for days. This time I am landing in La Paz, spending the weekend, and going on to Cochabamba. Any idea of how to ease my entry? The Bolivian teas helped when I was there (and some American pills made me really sick!), but I'm looking for something to do before I leave the USA --natural or herbal would be great. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Suzanne

Nothing to do before hand. Unless you smoke..stop. The pills were probably Diamox. Based on what I've learned about them, you couldn't pay me to take them. The tea was coca tea. Probably the #1 cure. BUT... drinking it as a tea does not give full effect. You have to chew the leaves...and not just the leaves. Sold in the market...cheap. Ask for cal...though in different places it goes by different names. This is a small bundle of either wood ash or some similar product. It reacts with the leaves to release the alkaloids. Start to chew a few leaves. Then take a couple leaves and wrap them around a pinch of cal...don't let it touch the inside of your mouth directly. Add to the leave you are chewing... as the lump drys out add more leaves. You can keep this up for up to 30 minutes when you get practiced. Finally the lump is dried out. Those are those things that look like green cat hairballs you see everywhere. BTW...everyone is different on their reaction to altitude...physical condition isn't always a clue. Following things help... liquids. Your body is spewing liquids...often via the lungs so you don't realize it. Force your self to drink water. If more than a couple liters every few hours add a touch of salt to your diet. Eat sparingly. Avoid fats and heavy carbos...soups are good. SLEEP. The southern end of La Paz...the high rent district.. is lower. If you can find and afford a hotel there it would help. Take asprin for headache. Since La Paz is at the cut off point for the majority in terms of soroche...the sleeping in the low part might be all that is needed.

First I might suggest you get a connecting flight on to Cochabamba and after your time there at a moderate elevation you see La Paz before you leave. This would ease the process. Not very many people can adjust immediately to that high an altitude and it will take a couple days no matter what you do. Also each trip you take can be different dependant on your body and what you've done to prepare. I don't believe the altitude meds made you sick. If it was diamox, this is considered a sulfa drug, but tingling limbs and having to pee all the time are the most common side effects. High altitude mountain sickness causes nausea and this is a sign of this problem. If you took diamox, did you start this before going to altitude. My doctor used to tell me two days before and continue for two more at altitude. This med does have medical backing and is the ONLY remedy that does to my knowledge though I believe Ginkgo biloba is gaining acceptance as another possible help with this if interested in herbal remedies.

As Bob says lots of water, higher elevation means your living in less humidity and just your breathing dehydrates you. Many don't see this connection and suffer more the effects. Coca tea is good. It also does not have any medical backing for altitude adjustment other than being a liquid. It does have a pain killer and is the reason this is illegal in many places. You could just drink lots of water and take the aspirin and have the same effect, more or less. The diet should be low fats and HIGH carbs. Your body makes a natural adjustment away from fats towards more carbs uptake when going higher in elevation as it is adjusting for endurance. This is a medical fact that high elevation athletes know and use. You should eat carbs before and at altitude, but only Lite meals, no alcohol and avoid coffee as well if possible. More water especially if using the Diamox as it is a diuretic as is alcohol and caffeine.

you shouldn´t take diamox--that´s for HAPE not for what you got. You want to tak acetazolamide, 4 pills a day for 2 days prior to arriving. get it from your doc. warning-- it makes booze taste like shit.

??? Isn't Diamox just a brand name of acetazolamide???

right, sorry, I stand corrected.

I did some reading and basically, Diamox will cut down a bit on H.A.P.E. once you get it (it is used by mountain guides and climbers to use on people who get HAPE so that they can be moved downhill). However for it to work to prevent altitude effects, you need to start 2 days before reaching altitude. This is not a drug you want to take for any amount of time, but if you are going to La Paz, take it for 2 days, follwo Steve´s advice re diet and hydration, and also rest lots, and you will be OK. If you don´t take it, drink loads of water and take ibuprofen and be prepare dto veg miserably for a few days.

Went to Huaraz in Perú recently. The bus takes you from Lima, at sea level, to Huaraz over a 4000+ m mountain pass, then you arrive in the city at 3100 m. I was gasping for air and had to sit down immediately after disembarking, sat quiet for 10 minutes before recovering enough to walk very slowly and go look for a hotel.

Later that evening, I went to a restaurant, ate a huge steak and finished a 1 liter pitcher of beer by myself.

Next morning I chanced upon a last-minute daytrip to Pastoruri glacier at 5000 m altitude. What can I say, I made it to the glacier without major incidents.

Re Bob's advice about finding a hotel in the Zona Sur (lower-elevation part of town), Hotel Calacoto is a decent 3-star place. Their publicity claims they are at 500m lower elevation than the city centre, which may be a slight exaggeration (I'd guess nearer to 300m, which still counts for a lot at these heights given drop-off in air pressure is exponential) but you'll notice the altitude change. Nice part of town too with decent restaurants/bars/shopping, and still only 15 minutes from the centre in a taxi. Enjoy La Paz.

My advice which has worked evertime for me when flying into la paz, is drink loads of water and fruit juice on the plane, avoid all tea and coffee and alcohol. 1 hour before landing, mix in a rehydration sachet with minerals etc into some water and drink. In La Paz, eat small meals and dont eat late at night, not after 9pm. Avoid alcohol for the first 2 days. Just take it easy. Staying at lower altitude might help like the zona sur, or at least stay the first night in a good hotel such as Rosario in illampu or if budget allows Radisson or Plaza Hotel.

ok, my guide also says you can use gingko if you want to do the natural thing, or you can try dexamethasome. this however is a steroid so talk to your doc before trying it.

I concur with many of the above comments -- avoid alcohol, drink plenty of fluids. Coca tea may help, chewing the leaves definitely helps (even without the "cal"). I took acetazolamide(which does cause tingling in the extremities and frequent urination), but I felt even better after also chewing coca leaves, espcially on days going over mountain passes at 15,000 feet. Nothing helps with the shortness of breath, however -- just take it slow and easy, try not to walk uphill or over-exert for the first few days.