Hyde Park Pharmacy · Travel
Acetazolamide can help prevent altitude sickness on high-altitude trips — after an online consultation.
Our pharmacist confirms every supply before dispatch.
Acetazolamide 250mg tablets can help prevent and reduce the symptoms of high-altitude sickness. It's taken from the day before you start ascending until a couple of days after you reach your highest altitude. (This is an off-licence use that our pharmacist will explain.)
Tell us about your trip and health online
Our pharmacist reviews your answers
If suitable, we supply your tablets before you travel
No — the best prevention is a slow, gradual ascent. Acetazolamide reduces the risk and severity, and works best alongside sensible acclimatisation.
Usually the day before you start climbing. Our pharmacist will give you exact timing for your itinerary.
No — acetazolamide is not licensed to prevent or treat altitude sickness, so it is used "off-label", outside the terms of the product licence but in line with national guidelines. Our pharmacist will explain this before any supply. It is supplied for short-term use only, covering your time at altitude; long-term use is not included in this service.
Common side effects include passing more urine, pins and needles, nausea, vomiting, headache and taste disturbance. Acetazolamide can also cause drowsiness, alter blood glucose levels and upset the balance of salts in your blood. Seek emergency help if you develop breathing difficulty, a sudden drop in your vision or eye pain. Our pharmacist will explain what to expect and when to seek medical advice.
Not always. Acetazolamide must not be taken with several medicines, including aspirin, phenytoin, lithium, ciclosporin, methenamine, some diabetes medicines and oral anticoagulants, and taking it alongside anticonvulsants is not advisable. Doses of some heart and blood pressure medicines may also need adjusting. Tell our pharmacist about everything you take so your medicines can be checked before any supply.
It only takes a few minutes, and our pharmacist reviews every answer.
