Keep getting bad headaches after coming down.

[Wish I lived in CO]

Magic bullet that no has mentioned yet: Acetazolamide a.k.a. Diamox. You would need a prescription from a doctor.

Many or most people on this forum poo-poo it or say it is cheating, but it really did work for me. I lived near sea level and would come to hike 14ers with less than 24 hrs acclimation. The difference with and without were dramatic for me. Without I would usually have the terrible headache on the way down, and the typical symptoms on the way up. With diamox all the AMS symptoms were gone ... but you do get some drug side effects (tingling in fingers, altered taste). I now live at 5,000 feet and I don't need to take it.

Taking Diamox dramatically speeds up the acclimation so that you really are indeed acclimated earlier, it does not "mask" any symptoms. It's the real deal, not some sort of gimmick. (BTW, ginkgo biloba is a gimick and has limited, if any benefits).

To follow all of the others, hydrating, good sleep, and caffiene control are all good advice.

[RJ_Greenhorn24]

I always bring antacids with me on the hike and they seem to deter any headaches. I don't recall the exact explanation but a friend who climbs quite often told me that it has something to do with the amount of acid that your body builds up in higher altitudes. Take 2 as soon as you start to feel that pressure in the back of your head and double up on the water. Works for me every time!

[justiner]

In my experience, all these suggestions are pretty great. A perfect recipe for me for getting a headache up high is:

* lack of acclimatization (just being up high)
* lack of sleep the night before
* lack of water all day
* NO lack of bright sunshine, and bad sunglasses (squinting causes tension in those head muscles + you're forced to look in strange directions, affecting your sense of balance)
* overexertion
* barometric pressure fluctuations

Many of these are obvious to self-correct. But, if I get a headache, I usually turn to an Aleve or two, which is close to magic.

[planet54]

Watch out for sunburn, too - a nasty way to get a headache without even knowing it!

* NO lack of bright sunshine, and bad sunglasses (squinting causes tension in those head muscles + you're forced to look in strange directions, affecting your sense of balance)

There is a lot of good advice about what to eat and drink but I agree with James D and justiner that protection from the sun is mandatory .

[justiner]

I have very fair skin, so it's possible for me to get sunburned in the mountains before noon. I wear pretty high SPF sunscreen (nothing under 50 SPF, and yes, I know about how the scale works - I still need it to be as high as possible!)

I've had great experiences with roll-on sunscreen recently, which comes in an applicator like deodorant: packs well, doesn't get everywhere if the top top comes undone/the spray nozzle gets hit, seems to be an easy way to waste less sunscreen as you apply it right onto the part you want it to... be applied on (instead of on your hands first), easy to use on the go. Some detriments: hard to get apply to funky areas like your ears, pricey for at least how large the container LOOKS. The way-high SPF versions are not as easy to apply than say, SPF 50.

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I also don't go out without a wide brimmed hat, a very thin (almost sheer) long sleeved shirt, and a Buff. I'm so getting old, but when the sun is unrelenting, it's nice to get a little more protection above treeline.

[719BR]

Magic bullet that no has mentioned yet: Acetazolamide a.k.a. Diamox. You would need a prescription from a doctor.

Many or most people on this forum poo-poo it or say it is cheating, but it really did work for me. I lived near sea level and would come to hike 14ers with less than 24 hrs acclimation. The difference with and without were dramatic for me. Without I would usually have the terrible headache on the way down, and the typical symptoms on the way up. With diamox all the AMS symptoms were gone ... but you do get some drug side effects (tingling in fingers, altered taste). I now live at 5,000 feet and I don't need to take it.

Taking Diamox dramatically speeds up the acclimation so that you really are indeed acclimated earlier, it does not "mask" any symptoms. It's the real deal, not some sort of gimmick. (BTW, ginkgo biloba is a gimick and has limited, if any benefits).

To follow all of the others, hydrating, good sleep, and caffiene control are all good advice.

most of the information in this post is not accurate and should not be followed. for a host of reasons that i will not pollute the board with, diamox is not appropriate for hiking.

ibuprofen (not aspirin) is helpful for high altitude headache. aspirin is terrible because it prevents and actually defeats the physiological changes that take place allowing the body to acclimate, specifically it kills red blood cells which are the oxygen carriers which is part of why you experience AMS. ibuprofen on the other hand helps relieve the pressure on the brain that occurs as fluid moves between the brain/blood barrier.

having said that, i would first look at the hydration issue (and no, peeing a lot does not mean you are dehydrated as was stated elsewhere in the thread) as many others have mentioned.

[nyker]

Without knowing if you have any specific health or diet concerns/conditions, I'd say it's likely that one or more of the following is probably the culprit:

Dehydration
Lack of proper breathing on the descent
Lack of sleep, especially on alpine starts
If you don't wear dark sunglasses, then sun glare
Hunger if you have not eaten well all day on a long hike

Higher altitudes will exacerbate the negative impact of all of the above effects.

[mtree]

Odd this year-old thread was resurrected after being dormant for nearly 4 months with no additional questions. That said, there could be a lots of reasons the original poster gets headaches AFTER hiking. Sounds to me like minor altitude sickness caused by a rapid ascent and descent of nearly 10,000 feet of elevation (sounds more impressive than 9000 ft!). It happens. Try any or all of the suggested remedies. If you do them all in a month I'll bet your headaches stop. But most likely from being better acclimated.

[Wish I lived in CO]

Magic bullet that no has mentioned yet: Acetazolamide a.k.a. Diamox. You would need a prescription from a doctor.

Many or most people on this forum poo-poo it or say it is cheating, but it really did work for me. I lived near sea level and would come to hike 14ers with less than 24 hrs acclimation. The difference with and without were dramatic for me. Without I would usually have the terrible headache on the way down, and the typical symptoms on the way up. With diamox all the AMS symptoms were gone ... but you do get some drug side effects (tingling in fingers, altered taste). I now live at 5,000 feet and I don't need to take it.

Taking Diamox dramatically speeds up the acclimation so that you really are indeed acclimated earlier, it does not "mask" any symptoms. It's the real deal, not some sort of gimmick. (BTW, ginkgo biloba is a gimick and has limited, if any benefits).

To follow all of the others, hydrating, good sleep, and caffiene control are all good advice.

most of the information in this post is not accurate and should not be followed. for a host of reasons that i will not pollute the board with, diamox is not appropriate for hiking.

ibuprofen (not aspirin) is helpful for high altitude headache. aspirin is terrible because it prevents and actually defeats the physiological changes that take place allowing the body to acclimate, specifically it kills red blood cells which are the oxygen carriers which is part of why you experience AMS. ibuprofen on the other hand helps relieve the pressure on the brain that occurs as fluid moves between the brain/blood barrier.

having said that, i would first look at the hydration issue (and no, peeing a lot does not mean you are dehydrated as was stated elsewhere in the thread) as many others have mentioned.

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A unilateral dismissal by unsaid “host of reasons” won’t exactly make you a lot of friends around here. But it seems with regard to at least this topic that’s your m.o.

See this thread: https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=50019
Particularly the 3rd and 4th pages. Your lack of tactfulness got to a few people in that thread as it did myself a bit now. Here’s one reply from “AprilForever”: “personal attacks are not required to get your point across. Both your posts have been very dismissive, and frankly, demeaning”.

Even so, you still contradict yourself in regards to the topic of acetazolamide (from thread referenced above):

"The data show that a low prophylactic dosage of acetazolamide, but not gingko biloba, mitigates the early increase of PASP in a quick ascent profile."

(Quote from a source you support).

if you are going to suddenly arrive at altitude and kick back for a day or two while your body catches up, diamox is useful.

I would add that starting dosage of acetazolamide a day or two before hiking at altitude accomplishes the above.

So I’m confused, for someone so unilaterally dismissive about acetazolamide now, in 2016 you supported it ?

Like you I’ve read stuff on the internet about acetazolamide (btw in support of it). Big deal. What I can say is that regarding acetazolamide, I took it, I lived it, I know it. I hiked both with and without the drug several times each, it’s not imagined. What’s “untrue” about that? You would call that antecdotal evidence. However for someone so interested in the topic as to consider writing a paper about it, have you yourself actually tried it???? (A fair assessment would include to live near sea level first before trying it).

Bottom line, just lighten up about this. I have my opinion, you can have yours. Be nice.

[719BR]

A unilateral dismissal by unsaid “host of reasons” won’t exactly make you a lot of friends around here. But it seems with regard to at least this topic that’s your m.o.

See this thread: https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=50019
Particularly the 3rd and 4th pages. Your lack of tactfulness got to a few people in that thread as it did myself a bit now. Here’s one reply from “AprilForever”: “personal attacks are not required to get your point across. Both your posts have been very dismissive, and frankly, demeaning”.

Even so, you still contradict yourself in regards to the topic of acetazolamide (from thread referenced above):

"The data show that a low prophylactic dosage of acetazolamide, but not gingko biloba, mitigates the early increase of PASP in a quick ascent profile."

(Quote from a source you support).

if you are going to suddenly arrive at altitude and kick back for a day or two while your body catches up, diamox is useful.

I would add that starting dosage of acetazolamide a day or two before hiking at altitude accomplishes the above.

So I’m confused, for someone so unilaterally dismissive about acetazolamide now, in 2016 you supported it ?

Like you I’ve read stuff on the internet about acetazolamide (btw in support of it). Big deal. What I can say is that regarding acetazolamide, I took it, I lived it, I know it. I hiked both with and without the drug several times each, it’s not imagined. What’s “untrue” about that? You would call that antecdotal evidence. However for someone so interested in the topic as to consider writing a paper about it, have you yourself actually tried it???? (A fair assessment would include to live near sea level first before trying it).

Bottom line, just lighten up about this. I have my opinion, you can have yours. Be nice.

i notice you conveniently left out the part where i gave plenty of simple non-preachy advice at multiple points throughout the thread, and always gave links to the science that supports my position, or invited folks to contact me if they wanted more data/evidence. three people took me up on that. the nurse who made a completely scientifically unsubstantiated (and appallingly bad) claim that taking 1800mg of ibuprofen puts you at risk of bleeding to death was not one of those people.

people who make broadly generalized claims with no science to back up their assertions get on my nerve, what can i say. like saying ibuprofen will make you bleed to death, or that diamox is a "magic bullet". for the record, i don't "call" your claim anecdotal; it "is" anecdotal. in all seriousness, not being sarcastic at all, you may be one of the few people that diamox helps. if so, good for you, and i mean that. but the dosage efficacy for diamox does not support widespread usage, and it is a serious enough medication that if folks want to try it they need to have serious discussions with their doctors and do some research, and not run out and get a scrip because someone told them it's a magic bullet.

diamox has a very narrow and specific clinical indication, and "i will be hiking at altitude" is not it. diamox loses its efficacy at exertion, and even that is for the small amount of people that it truly helps in the first place (some studies place the ratio as low as 1 in 7 people getting a positive result from it). diamox is most beneficial when taken as a prophylactic by people who will be arriving at altitude with no possible chance to acclimatize, for example flying from sea level into a city above 8,000' elevation, and even then it is most useful when they are at rest the first day at altitude, because again, it loses its efficacy once you start working.

again, you may be one of the few people that it actually works for, and if so, in all seriousness, good for you. but frankly it is irresponsible to call diamox a magic bullet because the science in no way supports your claim, in fact the opposite is true.

in closing, if you would like any copies of the papers i referenced, feel free to PM me and i will be happy to send them over. please understand, however, my paper and my life are on hold as i am dealing with a parent who has parkinson's and dementia, so my response may not be as quick as you like.

and, a couple minor points: PASP =/= AMS, and yes, i currently have a prescription for diamox, it is used very rarely in exactly the situation outlined above, and i live at forty-three feet above sea level.

[Wish I lived in CO]

brichardsson, thank you for the reply. It seems that acetazolamide is not a magic bullet for everyone, but yet it can have some benefit apparently including for yourself.

yes, i currently have a prescription for diamox, it is used very rarely in exactly the situation outlined above, and i live at forty-three feet above sea level.

diamox is most beneficial when taken as a prophylactic by people who will be arriving at altitude with no possible chance to acclimatize, for example flying from sea level into a city above 8,000' elevation

Precisely what I used it for. I would start dosage about two days prior to hiking at altitude.

"Magic bullet" I admit is not the best description, though at least for me it truly was. Good day, happy hiking.