Going to Peru and I'm concerned about altitude sickness. Your experiences with this, if you've visited?

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PeruKnower

What I always recommend everyone visiting Cuzco is to take it very easy the first day. It is best to arrive to Cuzco around 4pm, go to the hotel, have some coca tea (most good hotels will offer it to the guests upon arrival) and then rest for 4 to 5 hours. Then, get up and take an easy stroll around the Plaza de Armas and outside of the Cathedral, and eat something very light. Avoid alcohol and heavy foods, drink plenty of bottled water. Then go to bed until the next morning.

I have seen really fit people get hit with soroche, and I have seen some very overweight and unfit people go about like they would be walking at sea level. At the end there are too many variables involved: blood pressure, sensitivity to altitude, pulmonary capacity, etc., so I recommend not too risk it and take it easy the first day and let your body get use to the altitude.

I have seen major cases of soroche, that would knock out people for 3 days, with fever, dizziness, headaches, stomach aches; not the ideal way to start a holiday in Cuzco.

Melisita_

try taking soroche pill, it is very good fot the altitude sickness. I live in Lima and everytime i go to Cuzco i take it and it is a miracle

dbelle4500

Even if you are fit, it can still affect you.

There are the 3 best things -

Coca tea, made from coca leaves
Lots of water
Light food - like fish

GOD

Improve your fitness before you go !

Once there ;

Rest when you feel tired...don't over-exert yourself.

Drink water regularly...anticipate your thirst.

R.G.P.G

OK coca leaves help a lot, but they taste just horrible. What you need to do is buy a pill against nausea, headaches and alt sickness. You will find that in any drugstore. They will sell you the pill without medical prescription. You can also chew the coca leaves with gum that will take away a little bit of the "delicious flavor".

MariG

Hi!! U dont have to be concerned at all.. when comes to Peru it all depends on which city u will arrive. Our Sierra is very High, that's why u have to be very carefull there. but u know? all is in your mind and be welcome any time and I bet that u wont have any sickness here.

DaveyMcB

As long as you are of average fitness you should be fine, nothing majorly should go wrong apart from minor headaches/ loss of appetite. Just take it slow

Chef Rick

See the Travel Channel: Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show. He goes to Peru and suffers terribly from this. Solution? Go to any market and buy some coca leaves to chew. They don't get you high: they just relieve the sickness whilst giving you good energy.

Pili

Hi, you probably will visit Cusco, one the most exciting cities in the whole world! Here is my advice: take it easy the first day, don't walk too much and avoid eating too much, like other people have said, chew coca and drink mate de coca. Your body will feel much better after 8 hours or so!! have fun and enjoy the culture!! go out to the bars and the archaelogical sites =)

ekeko

- Drink Coca Tea and keep your sugar high by eating lemon candy.
- Rest half a day by maybe napping right after you get to the altitude and you'll be ready for some activity shortly after.

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