Acetazolamide for Mountain Sickness / Altitude Sickness User Reviews

• Mog...
• January 17, 2013

Acetazolamide "I don't always use medication when I go skiing in higher altitudes, but when I do, I prefer Diamox. This is a godsend when I am sleeping at 10,000 ft and skiing at 12,000-14,000 ft. I tend to get a little clumsy and do not have the focus and sharp alertness while taking the medicine. I just need to take the medication starting a couple of days before the trip for about 4-5 days. The whole process is all about getting your body acclimated to the change in altitude from sea level to 10,000 ft in a few hours. Other preparations are still needed such as avoiding alcohol, caffeine, NSAIDs, aspirin, and sleeping agents. Start drinking a gallon of water each day while on this medicine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2014

Acetazolamide "Works very well to prevent symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness with no perceived side effects. I take 125 mg twice per day as recommended by the altitudemedicine.org website for high altitude hiking. This actually speeds up the body's acclimatization process and doesn't just treat the symptoms. Highly recommend it for staying well on high altitude pursuits."

• And...
• June 11, 2020

Acetazolamide "At age 37, I decided to take my 1st ever mountain camping trip. We found a beautiful spot at 12,497 ft. I had been to Denver as a teenager with no reaction to altitude, so I wasn’t expecting to get sick. I hydrated, but evidently not enough. Within 4 hours of making camp, I began feeling nauseous. After 6 hours, diarrhea. By 10 hours, around midnight, I was going in and out of consciousness. We thought I had severe food poisoning. Due to the dangerous location, we could not get down from the mountain. Long story short, when I returned home to Dallas, Texas, I had had a mild edema. My doctor prescribed Diamox and portable oxygen for my next mountain trip. It really gets the job done. I have played around with the dosing, starting at half doses & add more up to the full dose as needed. I begin Diamox 48 hours before ascending over 9.5k. I find smaller dosing decreases the drowsiness. I hope this information helps others. Be safe and well."

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2017

Acetazolamide "Anyone planning to take this medication for altitude sickness prophylaxis, I recommend you do a trial run at home first. I took this medication to hike the Inca Trail and started it the day before flying to Cusco. I developed a rare side effect of blurred vision/myopia, which came on about an hour after the second dose of Diamox. The myopia lasted for 72 hours after ceasing the medication. It almost ruined my trip, but fortunately, vision returned just in time to start the hike. I went on dexamethasone after that for prophylaxis. No side effects, but unfortunately, the Dex didn't work as I got altitude sickness... but that's another story!"

• Not...
• October 19, 2018

Acetazolamide "Do not if you have panic disorder. Had the worst panic attack of my life hours after taking it and thought I was gonna pass out and/or die. Guess I’ll just have to face the altitude sickness because you couldn’t pay me ten trillion dollars to take this again. FYI, I think most people do not have this experience, just warning those who have bad anxiety!"

• mik...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 30, 2020

Acetazolamide "Diamox is freaking MAGIC. I used to get horrible, debilitating headaches at altitude in Breckenridge and Crested Butte. And if I had a beer, well, it was so much worse. I told my doctor, an avid skier, about it, and he prescribed Diamox/acetazolamide. Game changer. Not that I condone this, but I could hang with the 20-somethings in the bar 'til closing and wake in the AM feeling great and ready to go. Since then, I don't go about 8000 feet without following the protocol."

• bir...
• February 15, 2017

Acetazolamide "After several bird tours flirting with 10,000 - 11,000 ft elevation, I became suspicious that I was susceptible to altitude sickness. A redirected flight to La Paz, Bolivia (and some unscheduled ascents near Cochabamba) convinced me I was. Typically, I serve as a human altimeter, within minutes of reaching 11,000 ft, I'm puking my guts out. Diamox has been a wonder drug in preventing altitude sickness on tours I've been on since Bolivia. I've traveled from 8,000 ft straight to 14,000 ft several times with no altitude sickness symptoms at all. 125 mg before bed is all I need. Tingling and bad-tasting soda symptoms are greatly reduced at that dosage compared to the 250 mg I initially used."

• Anonymous
• July 17, 2009

"We used the generic form of this medicine for a quick 3-day visit to the Rocky Mountains to prevent altitude sickness since we were time-crunched and unable to acclimate slowly. It helped us both sleep, avoided getting ill, and suppressed our appetites. We did feel some very slight dizziness/lightheadedness when we first started it, but were able to pretty much ignore it. I highly recommend it if you will be unable to acclimate - your trip will not be spoiled by getting sick."

• Cin...
• December 7, 2015

"I have used Diamox (generic form) at least six times and swear by the medication. Prior to using, I would get headaches and nausea so bad it would ruin the weekend trip. This drug is truly a miracle for people who suffer from the effects of altitude problems. Very few side effects that I experience. Tingling in my fingers and toes on occasion, a little tired, but not extreme. Carbonated drinks are strangely tasting as well."

• Taj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2019

Acetazolamide "Upon arrival in Lhasa, Tibet, at approx 3000 MAS (meters above sea level), I started getting a very bad headache. Approx 8 hrs later, the headache had progressed to extreme throbbing. I drank plenty of water and took Diamox as prescribed by my G.P. for altitude sickness. The next day, I signed myself up on a tour to travel to Nam Tso at approx 5000 MAS."

• Ela...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 5, 2019

"Ok, so I got these pills for altitude sickness in Peru, and I got told to take one half in the morning and one half at night, two days before high altitude. So I took a half when I arrived in Arequipa, around 2300 m above sea level. With only one small half, my hands started tingling, my whole face, and my knees, and even the upper part of my back. I couldn’t even walk correctly. Now it’s been around 27 hours, I only took the half mentioned, and my hands are still tingling. It is very annoying and ruined my first day in Arequipa. I won’t be taking them anymore, I prefer dealing with altitude sickness with coca gum and leaves rather than not being able to use my body correctly. Also, it’s true, you go to the bathroom all the time, so it’s no good if you are trekking and don’t have easy access to a toilet."

• Sea...
• December 28, 2020

Acetazolamide "Absolute game changer for skiing at high altitude. I thought I would inevitably spend the first few days sick and anxious from being out of breath. I did have some dizziness and pins and needles 'electric feeling,' but this side effect was worth feeling so much better and enjoying my holiday."

• One...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2019

"I took this medication because I live at sea level and was going to the Rocky Mountains for only three days. I knew I wouldn't have time to adjust to the altitude during such a short visit, and it included a photo excursion at 10,000 feet. Took as directed before ascent and was surprised to find that it helped me sleep and curbed my appetite. No side effects, and I was able to enjoy the mountains. About 6 months later, took it again for another mountain visit. Planning on taking it again in a couple of weeks for the next mountain trip."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2019

Acetazolamide "I took one of these pills (125 mg) to try it before my vacation, and I haven't felt so sick in a long time. OMG, it was horrible!! It started with mild dizziness and tiredness. Not so bad, but by the 12th hour, I just wanted to check out. A lot of dizziness, very tired but couldn't sleep, nausea, and headache. Generally, I felt awful but couldn't put my finger on how else it made me feel this awfulness. I took a meclizine and some Advil and felt a bit better. The next day, I still felt a bit weird but not so awful. That stuff lasts a long time, and if you take it on vacation and have my reaction, you'll waste a lot of hours being miserable."

• jan...
• May 1, 2009

Acetazolamide "I am a trek leader. I am 100% confident to use Diamox to prevent altitude illness. This drug makes my job easier. Thank you."

• Jen...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 27, 2015

"It works well as a diuretic. I take it for Meniere's disease."