UKH

Has anyone on here got experience of going above 5000m with asthma? 

If so, do you have any advice or tips? I'm assuming sensible acclimatisation and a gentle pace as a given.  

Trekking and simple climbing only - not a technical peak.

Thanks in advance.

In reply to Babika:

I have pretty severe EIB and have been above 7000m on extended trips. My usual precautions have always worked absolutely fine - blue inhaler whenever the going got tough (i.e always when at altitude!). 

My completely unscientific hunch, based on 7 trips above 5000m, is that my condition is actually less of a problem at altitude. It's never flared up, even on the toughest of days. Something that's always been a pleasant surprise and one less thing to worry about.

In reply to Axel Smeets:

Bar getting the train up the Jungfrau I have never been at proper altitude, but isn't air dryer the higher you go?  Personally I find damp air to be a massive trigger.

In reply to Babika:

I think 5800(ish) is the highest I've climbed. No problems there, I'm much worse when I'm at home living by a motorway. I think knowing your triggers is important, if you get irritated by cold, dry air it could be difficult for you. If you're triggered by pollen or pollution you'll love it.

In reply to Axel Smeets:

That is very encouraging- many thanks! 

I've been above 5000m several times over the years without any problem but 3 years ago got pneumonia and now asthma and now I notice a struggle breathing above 2500m so was a bit nervous thinking of anything bigger. 

In reply to SilentDai:

Good point about triggers. And another encouraging viewpoint. Thanks!

In reply to Babika: Would make sure your asthma is under control before going, carry your blue and steroid inhaler, a full course of steroid tablets and antibiotics and let your dr explain when to use them, if you aren’t already, and as said, be aware of triggers. Use a mask to protect from cold air and practice good breathing techniques. I grew up with asthma and regularly above 5000m and never had any problem. Enjoy it. 

In reply to Babika:

Hi - lifetime asthmatic here. Highest I've been is about 4500m but like others I've never had any problems. Pro tip: shoot your inhaler into the air the first time you use it at an altitude significantly higher than the last time.

Quite a few years ago I heard about an altitude medicine research group at some UK university - can't recall which - who were investigating asthma and acclimatisation. There was a suggestion that asthmatics could be mildly hypoxic all the time and so might adapt more easily to lower O2 levels at altitude. Don't know if anything ever came of it though.

In reply to Rip van Winkle:

Thanks - that's interesting. I'm always watching the oximeter as well and it's regularly low to mid 90's so the research may be right. 

In reply to Rip van Winkle:

I’m sure I heard something about the Himalayan pioneers using a similar theory to excuse their smoking. 

No experience at 5000m to add. To state the obvious, if not done recently, might be worth getting in your regular asthma review - a chance review before my trip to 3000m-4000m, when I was struggling with a lingering bad chest (as I often get following colds in winter) made me realise I should have been on stronger inhalers for a good time. I was struggling at 3000m, but with a  bad chest and suboptimal fitness, who knows it that means anything. (Also I had to try a couple of different inhalers as the first gave me unhelpful side effects on my trip, so get a review in with some notice). Good luck. 

In reply to Rip van Winkle:

I've also heard this, plus the use of dexamethasone as a Covid therapeutic - and vague talk about how asthmatics handle Covid - make me curious about the interplay between the three. Absolutely no solid Intel whatsoever, mind. (I assume the crux is whether your asthma is well controlled - I thought mine was, but turns out 'well controlled' is supposed to look a bit better than this...)

In reply to Queen of the Traverse:

It's surprising how little research there is into altitude and anything. I once asked about the efficacy of the contraceptive pill at altitude as I'd read there were issues and/or interaction with diamox. Unsurprisingly the GP had absolutely no idea. 

Seems there's a ready experimental group here on UKC if anyone ever wanted to try something meaningful. 

In reply to Queen of the Traverse:

If your asthma is badly controlled, or you have another factor limiting oxygen intake (e.g. pulmonary embolism), your body effectively altitude trains.  This gives you a heck of an aerobic boost (for a short while) once resolved.

(Interesting chat with the doctor about that when I came up with a very high red blood cell count just after PE treatment).

In reply to Babika:

Jeremy Windsor hosts a mountain medicine blog so he might be worth consulting.

https://mountainmedicineblog.7thwave.io/?utm_content=link7&utm_campaign...

In reply to Babika:

Interesting; actually very similar - I had to repeatedly get the GP to engage in whether norethisterone was an issue at altitude given vague references to the risk of clotting and they just said they didn't know of any issues. I'm not sure if that meant they didn't ask, though... trying to navigate managing menstruation and other female-prevalent issues and altitude is a whole minefield in itself. My strong suspicion is that there is very close to f all research into women's health in mountaineering.

Actually, nicely, it was the asthma nurse who was most helpful and pragmatic in warning me about starting Fostair (which for me, caused an odd sort of restlessness and stopped me sleeping) when in the Alps - even though I was clearly overdue for having had better asthma support before then. 

In reply to Babika:

Dr David Hillebrandt occasionally posts on UKC. He's at the UIAA Med conference in Turkey at the moment but I'll point him at this thread.