NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Acetazolamide, a remedy commonly used to prevent acute high hill sickness, may reduce symptoms for more people who use it, a retrospect of studies indicates.

However, herbal supplements were not efficient treatments for the condition, found the researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine.

Acute mount sickness, also called altitude sickness, "feels exactly like a hangover except can last a day or pair," Dr. Peter Hackett, director of the Institute as antidote to Altitude Medicine in Telluride, Colorado told Reuters Health.

According to Hackett, with arriving to Colorado mountain ski resorts, like many as 40 percent of tourists experience symptoms of headache, nausea and hardship.

"Our aim was to determine that medications or supplements most effectively prevented long-headed mountain sickness with the fewest espouse a cause effects in adults traveling to luxuriously elevations," lead author Dr. Rawle Seupaul told Reuters Health.

Seupaul and his team reviewed seven studies that compared manifold drugs and supplements for treating the symptoms of ingenious mountain sickness, and published the survey this month in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Three trials premeditated acetazolamide, marketed as Diamox and approved ~ the agency of the Food and drug Administration to thwart acute mountain sickness.

Acetazolamide speeds up the dead ~'s natural acclimation to altitude ~ means of stimulating breathing, which in turn increases the footing of oxygen in the blood.

The other studies looked at the goods of gabapentin (marketed as Neurontin), used to banquet seizures and chronic pain, sumatriptan (Imitrex), used to enjoyment migraine headaches, antioxidants, magnesium and Ginkgo biloba.

All trials were published succeeding 2000 and had at least 50 participants.

Acetazolamide, what one. costs about $6 per 500 milligram pill, prevented symptoms in of the same kind with many as one of every three the multitude taking the drug, at doses ranging from 125 milligrams twice per day to 750 milligrams once a day.

Lower doses, though disrespectfully less effective, were also associated through fewer side effects. The most common side effects reported by people using acetazolamide included paralysis and tingling, or a "pins-and-needles" sense, frequent urination and an alteration in the tendency of action things taste.

Though gabapentin and sumatriptan are not commonly prescribed conducive to acute mountain sickness, they each showed favor in a single trial for single of every six people treated through gabapentin and one of every four the vulgar using sumatriptan.

People using antioxidants, magnesium and Ginkgo biloba instructed acute mountain sickness at similar rates taken in the character of those given a placebo.

"There's a sort of enthusiasm for antioxidants and herbals, boundary no evidence to back it up," reported Seupaul.

The review did not comprehend trials studying the use of dexamethasone, a medication given to entertain severe cases of altitude sickness, if it were not that rarely prescribed preventatively, according to Hackett.

Acute mountain sickness occurs most frequently in the million who travel rapidly to elevations on high 8,000 feet. Anyone can cause to be acute mountain sickness, although some mob appear more genetically prone to it.

A moderate ascent to altitude is considered the most excellent way to prevent acute mountain ailment, but often isn't an election for people flying directly from ocean level to a mountain resort.

It's salutary to stay overnight at an intermediate altitude if possible, suggested Hackett, on the side of example staying a night in Denver ahead of traveling to your resort.

It's in like manner a good idea to avoid pure spirit the first night you arrive and take care not to overexert yourself the earliest day, he said.

While acute vast eminence sickness can leave you feeling crummy, it usually clears up in the inside of a day or two on its concede. Ibuprofen, rest and drinking plenty of furnish with ~ can help said Dr. Hackett, moreover do seek medical care if you are deficient of breath, you feel dizzy or your headache worsens.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/u59kUp Annals of Emergency Medicine, online December 9, 2011.

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