Sue

I'm going on a Globus Alpine Country Tour for 18 days in October with my Mom and she gets altitude sickness. When she visits me in Steamboat Springs, CO at 6,700 ft. she is sick for 2-3 days. Our tour is gradual as far as elevation goes but it does end up in the Alps. We start in Frankfort and go through Austria>>to the Italien Dolomites>>tour lots of Switzerland as well as Zermatt which is probably at the highest elevation. Do you have any suggestions? She is allergic to the drug Diamox which helps people with altitude sickness. Will she possibly okay since we gradually go up in elevation?

Dayle

Sue, if you live in Steamboat, you must know some of the usual cures for altitude sickness. 6,700 ft. isn't all that high. Does your Mom have some medical problems that might make her more sensitive to altitude? My best advise is to drink more water than you think you ever could and start doing it before you start gaining altitude. Keep it up the whole time. When backpacking at high altitude, I find frequent snacks of fruit help keep my energy up. A replentishing drink such as Gatoraid, or others, helps too. Alcohol eliminated or at least kept to a minimum is also a very good idea. These suggestions are nothing new, but hope they help and your Mom has a fun trip. <BR>

Donna

You didn't mention your Mom's age, but you are smart to be concerned. If your Mom knows at what elevation she becomes ill, it's probably best to avoid going any higher than that. It's true that drinking lots of water and avoiding salt and alcohol (and especially smoking)may make any symptoms less intense, but the only real "cure" is to descend one or two thousand feet. The symptoms are the same for high altitude pulmonary edema and cerebral edema (which can be fatal) as for a mild case of altitude sickness. But, do check with Globus for details of the itinerary. They have years of experience with touring and a large proportion of their travelers are retired folks. You probably won't be venturing into elevations which would create problems for the average folks, or will be given proper precautions and the opportunity to participate or not on excursions to higher elevations.

Arline

I have also been very sensitive to altitude and suffered greatly at the 9,000 foot level years back. Therefore, I was extremely concerned about our recent trip (just returned 5 days ago)which included two days in Zermatt. I had absolutely no symptoms! I was thrilled. But, as I recall, it is about 6,000 feet high. You can probably look up on most maps at the various locations to see the altitudes of where you're going. Or, check on the various web sites for the destinations. I know Zermatt has a couple of prominent sites. Mail me if you need the addresses. After leaving Zermatt, we drove straight north thru Switz. to Germany with no problems at all on my part.

HankH

Sue: <BR>Your mom may not have altitude sickness. The air has less oxygen at altitude. She could have a borderline heart or lung condition which does not affect her at lower levels but would cause problems at hegher elevations. She should be checked by her Dr. before going. <BR> <BR>Good luck

Adrienne

<BR>Sue, <BR> <BR>I can sympathize with your mother's altitude sickness. I too am overcome when I go to Denver which I believe is 5,000 feet. In addition to the excellent advise above, i.e., drink as much water as you can and avoid alcohol I would also recommend avoiding anything with caffein (tea, coffee, chocolate) as this is dehydrating and get plenty of rest. Napping often helps me cope with altitude sickness. I also use pure saline in my eyes and nose for the dryness. I feel more tired when my eyes burn and the saline helps also with nose bleeds. Moderate exercise also helps combate altitude sickness. I haven't found anything that helps my head (the feeling that a giant spike is sticking into my brain) but if I can particially conquer dehydration and fatigue I can bear the headache. <BR> <BR>The gradual change in altitude will make the symptoms less severe since I didn't get sick in the Alps but do if I get off a plane in Denver after living at sea level. I found one of the few times I didn't get sick in Denver was when it rained. This makes me believe continual hydration is a key factor. <BR> <BR>Good Luck