Recently I crossed something big off my must-see-before-I-die list: Machu Picchu. I took a day-trip to the stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site during my volunteer vacation to Cuzco, Peru. Machu Picchu is situated 8,000 feet above sea level and Cuzco, where I spent the majority of my time, was at 10,800 feet.
Leading up to the trip, every single pamphlet, website, and guidebook I read discussed how to avoid altitude sickness and I must confess, I skimmed it. It didn't feel like there were any good options. For instance, the side effects of the prescription medicine for altitude sickness are often worse than the actual symptoms of it. One woman on my trip who was taking it kept saying, "My nose is tingling! I can't feel my fingertips!" Uh...no thanks.
Plus, I was probably a little overconfident on this front. You see, I'm an avid downhill skier and thus no stranger to exerting myself at high altitudes. But the highest peaks I have skiied were at 8,000 feet and even then, I slept down the mountain at a much more reasonable 6,000 feet.
How big of a difference could 2,000 feet make? A lot.
On the first day of our volunteer vacation, we were supposed to rest to guard against altitude sickness. But the center needed some heavy granite stones moved. They said no one had to participate in the project, but we all blew off their warnings. "We're here to work," we told each other.
By day two, headaches had set in and people on our trip were dropping like flies. Though I didn't feel 100% great, I never got full-blown altitude sickness. But my sister and my husband were another story. They began to vomit and were soon too weak to walk. I assigned myself the task of nursing them back to health--but how?
We had been drinking a lot of water and it hadn't helped much, and it was too late to get my hands on the prescription medicine. The locals prescribed coca tea, but we found that it wasn't helping very much. (Well, my sister never even tried it. She hates tea.) The director of the program offered to try another local cure for upset stomachs, which she simply called "ruta." Ruta, or rue in English, is a fragrant herb that is burned (kind of like incense) to calm nausea.
While my patients thought the ruta smelled very nice ("It's like a spa in here!"), I'm afraid it didn't do much to stop the nausea long term. At this point, they had both been vomiting non-stop for two days and I was worried about dehydration so, in desperation, I went to the local corner store and stocked up on Powerade.
Lo and behold, Powerade is the miracle cure for altitude sickness. After just one bottle of the stuff, my little patients began to perk up. I was feeling a little woozy myself so I decided to try a bottle too. Almost instantly I felt better. It took less than a day for this tip to spread to our whole group and soon we were all drinking Powerade like it was nobody's business. (Thank god a recycling program was in place.)
I think part of the reason it worked is that we needed to force liquids at that altitude and like many people, we could stand to drink only so much water in a day. Plus, it contained carbs, which are supposed to help you acclimatize. All I know is that it was a magical elixir and the only thing that worked. Before long, our whole group was as good as new. The headaches were gone. No one was vomiting and everyone felt strong enough to get back to volunteering.
Strange problem, strange cure! I hope this information helps you down the road someday. Or should I say up the road....
Comments
Aug 28, 2009
I suffered through some altitude sickness during a trip to La Paz, but I actually had great luck with water and coca tea. But they say the only "real" cure is moving to a lower altitude. Next time I'll have to try your Powerade remedy though. :-)
Sep 02, 2009
If you have time to see your doctor before traveling, there is a prescription medication that is available to prevent altitude sickness.Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. A high carbohydrate diet is also supposed to be helpful, but the best thing to do is increase altitude slowly.
Sep 10, 2009
10,800 feet! I never went so high.I don't thing I'm prepared for that height.How does it feel there? Is it scary?
Sep 22, 2009
It's funny that I found this. I just returned from Machu Picchu and other high altitudes in South America and one of the girls I was traveling with that was sick most of the 5 week vacation said the same thing - she would tell anyone that would listen to drink Gatorade.
Dec 09, 2009
Everytime I go to Colorado and I head up to the mountains to ski I get altitude sickness. I have tried everything. Drinking lots of liquids, pain killers, and resting. In my experience there is no really way to avoid it if you are susceptible to it. All it takes is time. I am usually better the second day after being up in the mountains. I am heading to Colorado in February again. I will have to try the Powerade trick to see if it helps.
Dec 14, 2009
A great post! This post with the pics explains the thoughts clearly. It must have been very scary at 10,800 feet..Wow! I have myself never been on such a height and it just gives me the chills on thinking of the position you were into.
Dec 18, 2009
I went to Cuzco a couple months ago and never actually got altitude sickness! But I loved everything about the journey! I had a blast in the train from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. The lady from Peru Rail was nothing but sweet and helpful. We bought the Andean Explorer tickets and they were totally worth it. The scenery it's just amazing and you feel so comfortable admiring it from the train which it was so nice and modern, It really went beyond my expectations! I highly recommend it ! I wish PeruRail would have service to more places in Peru as it is a well run railroad. I cannot recommend the Andean Explorer enough! I hope you have a nice trip!