There’s a fantastic article regarding the choice to take the drug Diamox for high altitude adventures over here at the AAI blog. I took the drug on an expedition to Peru and have a bit of personal experience with it as a result.
As the article mentions, Diamox is used to more quickly acclimatize when going to high altitudes. If you’re staying below 14,000 feet I personally wouldn’t bother and would just take my time climbing. While I didn’t experience all the side effects that are common to Diamox, it definitely has its drawbacks. Much more frequent urination can be a problem when you have to lug your water back to your campsite or you want to spend your nights sleeping instead of peeing. I only experienced tingling in my hands once, but it’s a rather unsettling feeling.
It’s not for everyone and there has been some very heated debate over the years, but it is one of many tools available to the climber.
Check out the article here for some more information.
