Should I take the AMS pill Diamox?

[HEINER]

The travel Dr has given me Diamox to take for Acute Mountain Sickness should I take it or not? We are going from Lima to Cusco we will get there at 7:00 am going to go to bed for a few hours. Maybe walk around the town a little in the afternoon and get dinner then back to bed. The next morning we have a 4 hour tour. Next day off to Sacred Valley for one night. Next day to Machu Picchu for the day then back to Cusco for the night. Leave the next morning for Lima. One of the side effects in nausea. We have been at 9,700 feet before and had no AMS. So for those that have taken it what were some of the side effects and did it help you? And for those that didn't take it were you ok? I know everyone is different.

 

Thanks for any information you can give us we leave Feb 7 2012.

 

Betty

[parischris]

The travel Dr has given me Diamox to take for Acute Mountain Sickness should I take it or not? We are going from Lima to Cusco we will get there at 7:00 am going to go to bed for a few hours. Maybe walk around the town a little in the afternoon and get dinner then back to bed. The next morning we have a 4 hour tour. Next day off to Sacred Valley for one night. Next day to Machu Picchu for the day then back to Cusco for the night. Leave the next morning for Lima. One of the side effects in nausea. We have been at 9,700 feet before and had no AMS. So for those that have taken it what were some of the side effects and did it help you? And for those that didn't take it were you ok? I know everyone is different.

 

Thanks for any information you can give us we leave Feb 7 2012.

 

Betty

 

Only you can decide whether the benefits outweight the side effects. Personally, everytime I'm planning to be at 3000m or above, I take Diamox with me. I have used it a lot, and have experienced the side-effects of tingling and peeing a lot on Kilimanjaro, Bolivia in the Uyuni and in the Atacama in Chile. To me, that is a tiny inconvenience compared to those I have met who have been suffering AMS, including:

 

• one Chilean who should have known better, suffered AMS traveling from 2400m to 4000m on the day he arrived in the Atacama (and was passed out in the back of my car from 4000m to 2400m for 2 hours).
  
• People needing oxygen on the Andean Explorer in Peru
  
• One poor guy who had the works - chronic headache, gastro symptoms etc, in a minibus travelling from Arequipa to Chivay.
  

Some people chose to take it with them and use it only if they experience AMS. My method is to take 1/2 a tablet 8 hours before arriving at 2400m and then 1/2 morning and night until I've acclimatised.

 

Don't underestimate Cusco - it is far higher in altitude than Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu - you descend from Cusco to those destinations.

 

I'm about to head back to the Atacama to be over 2500m and up to 4000m for 5 days. The Diamox is coming with me!