Anyone travelling above 2,500 metres is at risk of altitude sickness; we provide same-day assessments and medication in Maidstone.
Your health history and altitude profile checked, and your itinerary discussed.
Choose a weekday. No GP referral or waiting list.
Pharmacist reviews your route, altitude and health.
Dispensed with written dosing instructions.
Trial dose before departure. Start one day before ascending.
As you go higher, the air pressure drops, and each breath has a lot less oxygen. The body takes time to adjust and make more red blood cells and to breathe more quickly. AMS is a result of an oxygen deficit from ascent exceeding adaptation.
Within six to twelve hours of reaching altitude, headache, exhaustion, lightheadedness, and nausea start to manifest. Neurological or worsening symptoms indicate the development of HAPE or HACE, both of which need to be descended from right away.
Deeper breathing increases oxygen, which is the most clinically supported method of preventing AMS. For adults 18 years of age and older, 125 mg twice daily under PGD. Begin one day prior to the ascent and continue for two days following the peak. A trial dose is necessary.
Travellers on fixed commercial itineraries
Tour operators often set ascent schedules driven by commercial timelines, leaving little flexibility to slow down when symptoms appear
Trekkers ascending from sea level rapidly
Flying directly to high-altitude starting points without gradual acclimatisation creates a particularly high-risk starting point
Travellers with previous AMS history
Prior AMS makes AMS much more likely on future ascents at similar or greater altitudes.
Those who ignore early symptoms
Altitude headaches or nausea are often mistaken for fatigue. Ignoring these early AMS signs and continuing ascent is a primary cause of severe altitude illness.
Physically fit travellers
Fitness does not protect against altitude sickness. Fit individuals may ascend faster, increasing risk by outpacing their body’s ability to acclimatise.
Travellers who consume alcohol at altitude
Alcohol suppresses breathing and deepens the oxygen deficit at altitude.
Mandeep Sandhu is superintendent pharmacist and independent prescriber at Maidstone Travel Clinic with specialist travel health training from NaTHNaC. Mandeep Sandhu is a fully accredited Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre vaccinator, qualified to advise, vaccinate and supply travel medications in one appointment.
Each consultation is personally led, not delegated, not rushed. Patients depart with a plan tailored to their individual trip, not a generic printout.
No. It significantly reduces risk and severity but works best alongside a realistic ascent rate, hydration, and active symptom awareness throughout your expedition.
125mg twice daily, achieved by halving a 250mg tablet. Do not take a full 250 mg tablet; always halve it as instructed by your pharmacist.
Start one day before ascending. Continue for at least two days after your highest point. Complete a trial dose several days before departure, not on the day you fly.
No. Acetazolamide is prescription-only. At our Maidstone clinic it is assessed and supplied under a Patient Group Direction at the same appointment.
Acetazolamide is a sulphonamide derivative and cannot be supplied with a confirmed sulfa allergy. Inform the pharmacist of any known allergy before booking.
As early as possible. You need enough time before departure to complete a trial dose and identify any side effects. Booking the day before departure does not allow for this safety step.
Schedule your Maidstone Travel Clinic appointment several days before departure to allow for a trial dose. Same-day and next-day slots are regularly available.
