Very useful recommendations from KC and FSJeeper, thanks to both for sharing.

As a devoted mountain hunter who suffered a heart attack motivated by coronary artery disease in 2007, I have studied the issue a lot, and seeked advise from medicine doctors specialised in the issue.

My conclusion is there is no way to predict anybody's reaction to altitude, nor is there any way to prevent it, at least to a certain degree. Men are more prone than women, and youngsters more than older people, to suffer the consequences of high altitude, and a strong cardio vascular condition might help to cope with it.

Best advise is to gain altitude slowly throughout several days of gaining altitude progressively. During these acclimatation days, sleeping at a lower altitude you have experimented during the day helps a lot. (train high sleep low they say)

Drink a lot, even if you are not thirsty. The number of times you pee, and the colour of your secretion will let you know if you are drinking enough. Drink tea better than coffee, eat lightly concentrating your ingesta on carbohydrates with alcohol drinks being absolutely restricted. Sleeping pills that act as depressors of the central nervous system are also forbidden, regardless any insomnia you may feel..

Acetazolamid is a good preventive, multi vitamin and mineral supplemment are advisable as well as some gingko biloba extract. An ibuprofene a day is a good thing too. In my mind it is more advisable than aspirine.

Should a serious problem arrise, like some indication of pulmonar or brain edema, sublingual nifedipine and dexametasone can save your life (follow your doctor's advise) but the most important thing you can do, or others can do for you is DESCEND YOU INMEDIATELY. I always carry a sat phone and a Global Rescue insurance policy for this.

It is a belief among mountain sourdoughs that antiacids help but there is no medical evidence on this. Better to say, there is medical evidence that it has no effect.

To put things in perspective, this picture is crossing a 16,400ft mountain pass while hunting Himalayan Blue Sheep in Nepal. At the back, you can see Putha Hiunchuli (23,775ft) and one of the Daulaghiris (26,795ft).

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]