Breathing is overrated anyway.

I went to get my shots for Nepal. As it turns out, I only needed one: a third and final dose of Hepatitis A/B.  Oh, and these lovely Typhoid pills I get to store in my fridge. Yum!! 

In addition to the shots, I was able to secure a script for Diamox, a medication prescribed for altitude sickness. It’s one I’m still having an internal debate about.

You see, altitude sickness is, one of the most common ailments a hiker will encounter along the trek to Everest Base Camp. It’s actually the question I get most from people who find out I’m doing the Everest Marathon. “Can you even breathe at that elevation, let alone run?”

Typically occurring at elevations above 8,000 ft (2,500 meters), altitude sickness brings with it headaches, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. A high level of activity, only increases the risk. I wonder if 5-7 hour of hiking a day followed by a marathon at 17,600 ft (5,360 meters), constitutes a high level of activity? 🙈

Which brings me back to the Diamox. Usually I’m all for anything that will make me feel better, but unfortunately, its side effects, can be nearly as bad as the symptoms it’s supposed to treat.  And apparently, the guides aren’t big fans of trekkers taking it either. Ok, so then what?

While not everyone gets altitude sickness, and physical fitness has NOTHING to do with whether you will or won’t, there are some things you can do to prevent, it or at least alleviate the symptoms.

For one: drink. No, not wine. Water. Lots and lots of water. Most of the time altitude sickness is brought on by dehydration, poor nutrition and lack of sleep. It doesn’t help that being at high elevations dehydrates you, kills your appetite and makes it hard for you to sleep.  Awesome, right?

I’ve also been doing several things pre-emptively, which range from the stuff that proven, to well, let’s call it, the “theoretical.” 

For one, I’m taking iron and B12 supplements. I have chronic deficiencies in both, which is a problem, since these highly impact the number of red blood cells you have. People who live at high altitudes have a higher concentration of red blood cells than those of us who live at sea level. Hence, why a Sherpa can run the Everest Marathon in under 4 hours, while us mortals will be finishing between 7 and 10 hours.

Another thing I’ve been taking are chlorophyll drops . Absolutely no idea if they will work or not, but again, it’s supposed to help with the red blood cell thing. 

Finally, and this one will sound downright weird. I’ve been using the sauna regularly for 20-30 minute sessions. Say what? Well, apparently, sauna bathing after high intensity exercise is a good tool to help acclimate for both heat and altitude. Why? Again, the red blood cell thing. 

So there you are, a flatlander’s guide to ‘preventing,’ or at least ameliorating, altitude sickness. Will all this work? I guess I’ll find out soon enough.