Topic
Best pain reliever for slight altitude headache?
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › Best pain reliever for slight altitude headache?
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Aug 15, 2013 at 5:53 pm #1306581
What is the best pain reliever for slight altitude headache?
Excedrin works best at home, but how will Excedrin work at altitude?
Excedrin is a combination of:
250mg of Acetaminophen
250mg of Aspirin
65mg of CaffeineAug 15, 2013 at 6:00 pm #2015644I'm partial to Aleve myself and my dad likes good ole' Asprin.
If you can get it where you're at try Coca tea. It works very well for mild to moderate symptoms. Coca is the traditional Andean remedy for altitude sickness.
Aug 15, 2013 at 6:16 pm #2015650I find taking Dimaox before and during the trip helps a lot.
Aug 15, 2013 at 6:39 pm #2015658I've always been under the impression aspirin was best for headaches..
steven, doesn't diamox make you dehydrated though?
Aug 15, 2013 at 6:42 pm #2015659You know, I have been watching various people get headaches from altitude for over 35 years now, and I came to the conclusion that the biggest factor in starting the headache is from simple dehydration. At altitude, the air tends to be cool and dry, so with each breath you are taking in cool and dry air, and you are exhaling warm and moist air. That yields a net loss of energy and moisture for your body.
So, for a dehydration condition, what should you take?
I would suggest fluid, like a pint of water, or else some rehydration solution. Then as you consume that, down your favorite OTC headache remedy, such as aspirin or something similar. One of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) plus one of aspirin would not be a bad idea, either. Let that soak in for 15 minutes and see what happens.
Caffeine may or may not be a good thing. It kind of depends on what your body is used to.
–B.G.–
Aug 15, 2013 at 8:13 pm #2015696Ah yes, dehydration at altitude. Duh!
Probably one reason Coca tea works. :)
Aug 15, 2013 at 8:25 pm #2015697In the early days of mountaineering, the Brits were known to have quite a bit of success. Each day when they made it to camp, they would brew up some tea.
If they were suffering from too much water in their systems, the caffeine might help them relieve themselves. If they were suffering from too little water in their systems, the extra hot water might help them catch up. Whichever, it worked.
–B.G.–
Aug 15, 2013 at 10:13 pm #2015718Different people take to different drugs differently.
One trick I learned on this site that has worked really well for me (I tried it after checking with my pharmacist) — mixing Acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (e.g. Advil). In other words, if you normally take two of either — try taking one of each. With my pharmacist's complete blessing — I tried it and for whatever reason, the combo method works significantly faster. YMMV — but safe to try, and well worth it IMO.
Aug 16, 2013 at 1:37 pm #2015869I usually carry Diamox and Advil (hardly take the advil). But like Bob said, it always seems to be dehydration for me.
Aug 17, 2013 at 2:22 am #2016037Hydration is key.
Ibuprofen has been shown to have some benefit in helping prevent symptoms of acute mountain sickness.
Diamox works, but will require a prescription. You can premedicate with ibuprofen, 800 mg (if you're an adult).
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.