Ibuprofen May KO Altitude Sickness
The findings could prove especially useful for vacationers who are planning high-altitude trips. “You don’t want to feel horrible for 15% to 20% of your vacation,” Lipman said. “Ibuprofen could be a way to prevent [mountain sickness] in a significant number of the tens of millions of people who travel to high altitudes each year.”
The researchers cautioned that they could not control for such things as temperature, wind speed, rate of ascent, or the underlying physiologic condition of participants.
As well, they noted, participants were self-selected and might not be similar to other hiking and climbing groups.
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
AMS is very common at high altitude. At over 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) 75% of people will have mild symptoms. The occurrence of AMS is dependent upon the elevation, the rate of ascent, and individual susceptibility. Many people will experience mild AMS during the acclimatisation process. The symptoms usually start 12 to 24 hours after arrival at altitude and begin to decrease in severity around the third day.
The symptoms of Mild AMS include:
Headache
Nausea & Dizziness
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Disturbed sleep
General feeling of malaise
Symptoms tend to be worse at night and when respiratory drive is decreased. Mild AMS does not interfere with normal activity and symptoms generally subside within two to four days as the body acclimatises. As long as symptoms are mild, and only a nuisance, ascent can continue at a moderate rate. When hiking, it is essential that you communicate any symptoms of illness immediately to others on your trip.
While other drugs are available to prevent mountain sickness, such as acetazolamide (Diamox) and dexamethasone, they have drawbacks that ibuprofen doesn’t have, the researchers noted.
“The safety profile of ibuprofen makes it more attractive then dexamethasone, which has been associated with hyperglycemia, adrenal suppression, delirium, depression, insomnia, and mania,” Lipman and colleagues argued. As well, acetazolamide has adverse effects - nausea, dizziness, and fatigue - that are usually well tolerated but “can be as debilitating as acute mountain sickness,” they noted
“Availability alone makes ibuprofen an appealing drug for individuals who travel to high altitudes,” they concluded.
The study was supported by the Stanford University School of Medicine and the American Alpine Club. The journal said the authors had reported no commercial, financial, and other relationships relevant to the article.
Primary source: Annals of Emergency Medicine
Source reference: Lipman GS, et al “Ibuprofen prevents altitude illness: a randomized controlled trial for prevention of altitude illness with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories” Ann Emerg Med 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.01.019.