[BodyResults]

I just posted this month's Newsletter on my site www.BodyResults.com. There are three new articles on altitude that some of you may be interested in.

[Backpacker Joe]

When I was in the Army I went to Mather air force base and did a stint in the altitude chamber. Up to 35,000 ft and take off the mask! DA, hello boss, who am I? It was a unique learning experience. Altitude is not something to screw with. TB

[Mentalfloss]

I'd been in the high Sierra several times in the past, and higher than this day's 10,500 feet. It was our first day in. We'd started at 8000 ft. But I had a cold and maybe that was part of the problem. Anyway, I started an annoying unproductive cough first. Then came a dull headache. We set up camp. My tent was a tiny one-person "coffin" like thing, barely more than a bivy sack. No way to sit up in it. Then it started to snow hard. I got into the tent but when I'd lie down I would cough without let up. When I sat up, leaning against a rock, I could breathe but my torso was out in the snow. But I had no choice. The next day was the same for me although the snow stopped. We hung around camp, took a short day hike, and I felt exhausted. Again that night I slept sitting up. The following morning threatened snow again. (This was October) I was begining to feel confused and my chest ached from coughing. So we opted to head down and out. By the time we reached about 9000 feet I felt much better. At the trailhead I felt tired, but fine. My cough had lifted. I decided to go to the ER in Bishop. The doc checked me out and said that I'd had pulmonary edema and that the headache and confusion was probably the first stages of cerebral edema. And now, prior to heading up above 10,000 feet I take a very low dose of acetazolamide (Diamox) prescribed by my doctor at Kaiser. (He's a climber) I found that if I take the prescribed dose I get really weird effects but that the lower dose works fine for altitude problems with very minimal side effects. Acetazolamide works by either increasing your red cell count or making your cells more efficient.