Anyone feel ill traveling to high altitudes?

Hi @peggyn that must have been so disappointing to be unable to fully enjoy your trip because of feeling so bad. It also must be so frightening to have your breathing struggles continue when you get home.

Here is more information on altitude sickness with one of the severe symptoms being shortness of breath at rest: https://www.healthline.com/health/altitude-sickness#symptoms

Fellow Connect members @merpreb and @maryd have mentioned breathing at altitude before and may be able to share their knowledge about breathing problems at altitude and offer you support as you search for answers.

Back to you @peggyn have you experienced breathing problems in other situations?

@ethanmcconkey- Hi Ethan. and @peggyn. I can understand your frustration with this. I see in your past posts that you have a lot of daily nephropathy pain and gerd. Gerd can cause shortness of breath. When my omeprazole doesn't work I take a tums. If that fails I add 2 pills of FDBgard. My GI guy recommended these and they work for me. This is for functional dyspepsia or recurring indigestion and it stops the pain for me. They are expensive and over the counter or on-line.
A few years back I was with my husband and son in Oregon. We drove up to the top of Mt Hood to have lunch. We parked and climbed up the restaurant's stairs outside and inside to our table. I could. barely lift my legs to reach the next rung. I felt sick to my stomach. When I mentioned this my husband mentioned that he had a problem too and that it was altitude sickness. As a lung cancer survivor I was also short of breath. My son was a young man and very active and said that he also could barely lift his legs. It wasn't a great feeling at all, and it was scary.
I'm wondering if it's gerd or something else that caused your SOB (shortness of breath) issues. Have you checked with your doctor?

I hope it is something like that. We were in the mountains for several days and I just kept thinking it would get better. I talked to several locals and they said it would improve.it has some, but I am still not normal. I,m going to the dr. As soon as I get back to at least get my lungs checked out. I just thought it would be a lot better by now. Thank you for replying

@peggyn- Of course. It is best to see your doctor. He can run tests and see what is going on. Try the otc med too- all natural products. I think that we expect things to happen immediately when we return to out natural habitat. Things usually take longer than what we are told. Let me know what your doctor says, if you don't mind. Good luck. I hope that someone else will benefit form this, don't you?

Yes I do,! I have been so bad that I thought I was dying with not being able to catch a breath. I am so thankful it is better now that er are closer to home.i really was hoping someone would say it takes a few days to adjust back. I have heard since all of this that your dr. Can give you a steroid pack that you take a week before. I have never been to Colorado before so I had no idea there would be such a problem.

@peggyn- Google GERD and see about trying to control some of it yourself! There are recommendations that are valuable and might help you. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940

The closer I got to home. the better I could breathe . I went to the Dr. on Wed. as I could breathe a lot better, but honestly was tired and just wanted to make sure my lungs sounded ok. She checked me and said they sounded good. The best thing for high altitude is to go to lower altitude if you are having a breathing problem. She also said there is a med you can take before you go that helps and had I gone to a Dr. there there is a med that can help.
Next time I go anywhere like that I will be prepared. It was a awful feeling that I hope I never have to have again.

@peggyn- what a relief you must feel! Did the doctor mention the name of the medicine that is available for going to a higher altitude? It might help someone else!

no, she really didn't and I didn't think about because I am not going.. I stink it might be a steroid pack.

Have lived at high altitude for 43 years. Started having trouble 7 years ago. Shortness of breath. Headaches. Lethargy. Has now become chronic as in all the time. Foggy brain. Constant fight flight symptoms. Seeking ideas and solutions. Not sure which group would be most informative.