Parkinsons at altitude?

Does any one here have experience with the effects of Parkinson's at high altitude? I live in Colorado at an altitude of 10,000 feet. When I visit family at 5,000 feet, I don't notice any difference, but sometimes at normal altitudes, I feel like I don't need my medication at all. I remember reading an article interviewing Michael J Fox where he said the best he ever felt was at an extreme altitude with the Dali Lama. Any thoughts? I've lived here for almost forty years and it's still difficult to readjust to this altitude when I come back from a trip.

[park_bear]

No effect either way here between sealevel and 8500 feet elevation.

[JohnPepper]

I lived in Johannesburg, South Africa for the first twenty years of my Pd. That is nearly 6000 feet above sea level. I have liven in Cape Town since 2012, which is at sea level. I can't say that I have noticed any difference.

[bjmettler]

I lived at 9000 feet in Colorado the first 3 years ago f my diagnosis. I’m now full time at 800 feet. I think I’m comfortable at either altitude if I exercise, eat right, take my meds,and rest when I need it.

[movinngroovin]

It's acts like a hypobaric oxygen chamber.

[PDGal4]

Interesting question. I live at a low altitude, but have family in Colorado. Whenever I visit, MJF withstanding, I find the altitude to act like any other stressor on my body such as vigorous exercise, tiredness, worry, etc., and make meds less effective and symptoms of Parkinson's exacerbated. Fortunately, it only lasts the first day or so, and as I adjust to the altitude change, everything else adjusts too. Could also be, now that I'm thinking about it, the time change--3 hours--and med timing adjustment.

My high altitude visits are average 6500 feet, but we do take day trip to 9500 feet or so. I'm wondering how long you stay at low altitudes when you visit and feel like you don't need your meds. How long does it last?

Reply

[park_bear in reply to PDGal4]

At higher elevations your body produces more red blood cells to compensate for the reduced oxygen density.

[Hidden in reply to PDGal4]

My trips put me at Nebraska altitude for about four days, but that feeling that I don't need the meds only lasts half a day or so. It sounds like everything else.....different for everyone.

[aspergerian13]

I did 3 to 6 medical conferences for years. Most were at sea level, evev as I lived and still live above 7500 feet. By 2006, I stopped attending conferences because receovering from them began to take considerab

[aspergerian13 in reply to aspergerian13]

Considerably longer.

[Hidden in reply to aspergerian13]

Re-adjusting is getting harder and harder for me but my family dosen't understand.