Ulcerative Colitis flare linked to higher altitudes

Hi everyone,

I realize this subject has been posted before but I could not find any posts newer than 4 years.

In 2014, a research study linked traveling to high altitudes to UC flares. This study found a correlation only with people who are traveling from low to high altitudes. You people accustomed to being high up....you're safe.

I live in Boston (less than 100 ft) and I am traveling to Lima (5080 ft) and Cusco (10,800 ft). I leave tomorrow. I took every precaution possible to avoid altitude sickness - a prescription of diamox (horrible side effects....hope not to take), chlorophyll drops, an oximeter to track it, where to buy portable oxygen tanks etc.

In all this prep to avoid alt sickness, I never once even thought about my UC and how it would be affected by higher altitudes until this morning. I have been in remission for over a year now and I really try not to ever think about ever ever seeing blood again. Now I am freaking out!

Has anyone traveled from a low to significantly higher altitude and experienced a flare? Any advice on alt sickness in general? What to look for?

Altitude does not treat me well with UC I don't think it actually worsens my inflammation, but it worsens associated symptoms:

1. Gas. When I am severely inflamed, gas and bloating are painful. Going up in altitude expands the gas (like a potato chip bag on an airplane), and I really feel it. Same problem on airplanes.
2. Anemia. UC has made me slightly anemic all the time, and that makes altitude more dizzying.
3. Weight. I always lost a little weight after extended time at altitude, and UC makes that weight loss faster.

Having said that, I once had altitude sickness (dizziness, nausea, weakness) after strenuous exertion at 10,000 feet (carrying a 45 pound pack for days), long before I had UC. When I got back down to 6,000 feet, symptoms disappeared. I have never had real altitude sickness with UC, although I have been above 9,000 feet dozens of times. I just feel worse because normal UC flare symptoms are less tolerable.

I would not worry too much about 10,000 feet if I was in full remission, and my red blood cell count was normal. But going to that altitude with a flare could make it feel a lot worse.

On the other hand, I have a friend with Chrohn's who swears that when he goes from sea level to 9,000 feet his Chrohn's symptoms get a lot BETTER. Who knows why.

If you are at altitude and experience nausea and weakness, you need to get down in altitude quickly. Once someone gets altitude sickness, they usually do not adjust or recover until they are thousands of feet lower.

Spending a few days in Lima at 5,000 feet will definitely help when you get to Cusco at 10,000. I've heard the rule of thumb for altitude adjustment is one day per thousand feet. E.g., if you're in Lima for 5 days, you're likely fully adjusted to that altitude, and Cusco will just feel like another 5,000 foot increase.

Don't drink too much pisco. Many hotels will offer coca leaf tea to help with the altitude. No idea how that affects UC though.

I live in a low altitude area and I do get trigger by long flights. I went to Europe twice to low altitude destination (Strasbourg and Barcelone) while in remission and when I got there, blood and mucus came back from nowhere, very frustrating. I thought for awhile that it was caused by jetlag and food from another country.

Few years ago, I read something online about IBD and altitude and I finally understood that a long plane trip was enough to trigger me. (I feel super bloated and sick on the plane)

On the other side, I lived for 6 months while in remission in a area of 3300 ft altitude and I was just fine. But a plane is much higher : about 35 000 ft. So I don't know how I would feel in between, at 10000 ft for example!

I would recommend a few days to rest when you get there, be gentle with food and I truly hope everything will be fine for you.