Altitude Sickness - Soroche, Cusco

Our sea-level dwelling team had headaches & huffed & puffed, but rested. I felt like I had a brick up under my diaphragm which stayed there. Headed off for the Inca Trail. Day 1 of the trail - cruisy, day 2 - HARD - make no bones about it. Day 3 - easy & here's the key - drink LOTS of water this day. DON'T ease off - DON'T! If you're heading even higher to Titicaca the altitude will suck you dry - DRINK, DRINK- water that is! I eased off a little on Day 3 & started retaining fluid. By Day 2 on Titicaca I began to resemble a balloon & felt half dead. The noise in my lungs overnight meant I requested a Doctor on return to Puno. BP good, pulse good, blood/oxygen 71% - not good. Ventolin & litres of fluids required. Staggered about a few more days then blessedly boarded the pressurised, oxygenated steel tube - yes, the aeroplane and within minutes of take off I began to recover. Marvellous to be alive!

The altitude in Cusco can kick your butt. I struggled the first two days and finally got to a Cusco pharmacy and was prescribed Diamox. It really saved my vacation. I started feeling better within hours and while I wasn't running marathons, staircases and inclines became a minor nuisance rather than a daunting obstacle to be dreaded. If I had to do it over I would have had Diamox prescribed at home prior to leaving for Peru, tried it in a safe environment (i.e. close to my doctor and competent medical staff availability) and had it in my system several days prior to reaching cusco altitudes. I did suffer some of the side effects. Mainly this manifest itself as a tingling or needle like feeling in my feet and hands. This lasted for about ten minutes and then subsided.

This website is a good place to get information about altitude sickness and preventative measures.

If you're a flatlander, as most people in the States are, you're in for quite a surprise at 11,000'. We live at 9000' and are comfortable at Cusco's altitude as our blood is capable of giving us the necessary oxygen. Still, the body dumps a lot more liquid into the air at high altitudes and dehydration is at least as big a danger as oxygen deprivation. Acclimation has nothing to do with increased water loss, so carry clean water with you and drink frequently. If you get thirsty, you've waited too long.

Cusco is above 10k in elevation, so soroche can be a problem. Even the fittest of us do need some time to adjust, so don't be brave and try to exert yourself for the first day in Cusco. Or you'll have severe headache like I did...

It may sound stupid, but be aware that the coca leaves is the raw form that cocaine is made from.

Local people use mate de coca (coca herbal tea), and chew coca leaves to alleviate some of the problems with high altitude sickness. Word of reminder, if you will be subjected to any drug test when you arrive back to your home country, give yourself at least 72hr. after consuming any coca products, because it will show up positive, even though the amount of alkoid in those leaves are very minimal. If you have consumed any coca products for an extended duration, give yourself plenty of time off before subjecting yourself to any random drug screen.

At 11,000 ft in elevation, altitude sickness can be a real problem. Remember not to over exert yourself until you have acclimitzed. I had no problem but did notice that I was huffing and puffing for breath up even the slighest incline.

I've read alot of anecdotes about altitude sickness. Many times people mistake dehydration with altitude sickness. At altitude it is essential that low-country folk drink about a quart or 2 litres of water a day to prevent dehydration.

However, mountain sickness symptoms include headache, fatigue, stomach illness, dizziness, and sleep disturbance. Exertion aggravates the symptoms. There is a rare extreme condition called high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerbral edema (HACE) that has been known to occur at altitudes of about 8,000 feet or 2,500 metres. These are usually associated with higher altitudes (and low atmospheric pressure).

Altitude sickness usually occurs following a rapid ascent and can usually be prevented by ascending slowly. In most of these cases, the symptoms are temporary and usually abate as altitude acclimatization occurs.

Now, although it's different with every person, you shouldn't be too scared about soroche AS LONG AS you follow the basic rules!! When you arrive to Cusco, don't do any great efforts on the first day, take it easy, walk slowly, drink your coca tea (mate de coca, which btw I absolutely loved!!), don't eat too much, nor have any heavy meals, and drink plenty of water. Also it's recommended that you take lots of lemon candy with you (sugar helps) and have one every once in a while. If you do all these things you should be fine, but if you're not, and you start feeling sick, contact a doctor so you can get soroche pills.
The most important thing is that you don't have to be scared, you have to be CAUTIOUS!!

I was in Cusco last june and I have "soroche". People told me that Coca tea will be useful but, it was worse, because coca's tea hide the problem but dont help. Finally I fall in the street and ending in a Hospital. Doctor gave me Dexametasona, aspirine and other drugs that I dont remenber., and he told me go to Macchu Pichu inmediatly, because it is lower than Cuzco. When I arrive to Machu Pichu I feel very well and went to the excursion without problem. When I returned Cuzco 4 days later I was fine and could enjoy the wonderful Cuzco without problem. The secret is (Doctor told me) to go firts to Machu Picchu and after that to Cuzco. I'm 55 age, but it is the same..nobody know who could have "soroche", but Cuzco is so beautiful that I'm going to Perú as soon as I can. (I hope you can understand my english) good luck. Diana