Question: Why does my face get puffy at altitude?

[contesstant]

Well, I'm already a very cheap date since alcohol and I don't agree much anyhow! ;) Neighbor is not licensed in our state yet--we are all military and he hasn't gotten his license here yet (not required for military) or I'd probably hit him up!

So far, I manage fine. It's just something that's kicked in in the past few years so I hope it doesn't get worse!

 

[Leila Zucker]

250 twice a day is a perfectly reasonable dose, but you are more likely to experience the side effects you mentioned. I recommend the lowest dose that works. I second that local clinics will certainly recognize and treat the symptoms, or your doctor can call a prescription in to a local pharmacy, or your PA friend can prescribe (though prescribing laws are different everywhere, so maybe not).

I worked for a month at the Medical Clinic of Big Sky last year during my final year of residency--best elective EVER. In exchange for working half days every day at the slope-side clinic, Dr. Daniels provides medical students and residents with inexpensive lodging and lift passes. So you work half days and ski half days for a month. Not only do you get great skiing, you also get to see plenty of orthopedics injuries and altitude-related illnesses that you would rarely see elsewhere. If you know any medical students or residents who ski, you gotta tell them about this--but they have to apply two years in advance.

 

[SkiNana]

I wondered if that's what you were doing when you said you were here for a month one winter! Were you by any chance here at the same time as Maren Dunn? (DO) She has just opened a practice in the Meadow. Carla, on the other hand, has moved on, and is in Missoula, at the U of MT.

 

[Leila Zucker]

I was there after Carla left but before Maren Dunn arrived. It was one of the best months of my life (and I've had a pretty fantastic life so far). Dr. Daniels is a terrific doc as well as an all-around nice guy. I'm definitely planning to head back to Big Sky for more skiing and to take him out to dinner.

 

[floridakeysskibum]

hate to say it, but glad to hear I'm not the only one who seems to "fatten" up while skiing...actually this is the only type of vacation where I actually lose weight I know, I know, I'm working too hard... I also had a lot of muscle cramping in tahoe, I'm sure it was due to dehydration...those fat tires are so tempting after a great time on the slopes more water, less sodium, aspirin.

 

[SkiNana]

This is the first year we have both (!) - including Mr. Never Has to Diet! - gained weight during ski season. I guess we have both finally developed quiet upper bodies at last and become efficient skiers. The first year we lived at Big Sky, I couldn't keep weight on! I carried chocolate in my pockets to eat on the lift for energy, took a thermos of hot chocolate, and marshmallows, to the locker for après ski, ate huge breakfasts and lunches and I still lost five or six pounds over the season. Last year I broke even and neither gained nor lost. This year? The best I can say is that those extra pounds really make you go fast!

It isn't high altitude swelling, either! And ASA doesn't help a bit!

 

[ski now work later]

Leila, you should attend the Wildnerness Medicine seminar at Big Sky some time, I've been 3x (hubby is a hospitalist) and it's awesome. He's learned a bunch of stuff to use in the hospital. I've tried acetazolamide a number of times (Diamox right?) and I can't deal with it any more as it gives me an awful rash, I think it's sulfa based and I'm allergic to sulfa. Works well otherwise though! Just have to be near a bathroom for the first 24 hours, lol. And welcome to the forum!

 

[Leila Zucker]

Definitely planning to go to the Wilderness Medicine conference at Big Sky at some point (mostly because I want to go back to Big Sky). Yup, diamox/acetazoamide is sulfa based, so that explains your rash. I'm having fun on this forum!

 

[CindiSue]

Fascinating post. I had my nose reconstructed a little over 2 years ago and it still swells up a lot on and off. Also my upper lip swells, which makes me look weird. I live at 6000 feet. I thought the swelling was finally resolved because it was gone for the past 3 months, but of course I was in Hawaii and now I'm back at elevation and it's back. My body doesn't regulate fluids well but normally I am low and get dehydration headaches, so I'm usually drinking water and eating a lot of salt. I guess the tradeoff is the edema. Better to look weird than get a headache. (Skiing in Aspen last year I even got so dehydrated that I was unable to read or think clearly; I was sounding out words but couldn't remember what any of them meant. But a bunch of water fixed that in about 20 minutes.) I wonder if it will get better over time as the nose continues to heal. They do say swelling can last 1 or 2 years, although I never heard more than that. I hope it's not always going to be like this because of scar tissue.