The other night, a childhood friend called me in the middle of the night in a panic. He had just flown into Lhasa and was hit hard by altitude sickness—dizzy, head pounding, barely able to stand. Knowing I had plenty of high-altitude experience, he called begging for help.
Of course, I had answers. I quickly gave him some pointers, and he pulled through safely.
I’ve been to Tibet several times, and altitude sickness hit me nearly every time. One trip in particular, on the road from Shigatse to Tingri, my head throbbed mercilessly, my whole body ached and went weak—I felt like I was done for. But I still had to take photos. Once I made it to the little town of Tingri, I took some medicine, had a bowl of noodles, and was fine.
In general, altitude sickness, viewed through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is essentially a manifestation of qi deficiency. Based on my personal observations, most cases also involve a direct invasion of cold pathogenic factors. Therefore, the key to preventing and treating altitude sickness should lie in replenishing qi—not, as many assume, in promoting blood circulation.
In recent years, with the Tibet travel boom, Rhodiola (hóngjǐngtiān) has become a blockbuster seller. In practice, however, Rhodiola’s effect on altitude sickness is marginal at best. One might call it a pharmaceutical conspiracy—or a classic cautionary tale of the reductionist “active-ingredient-only” approach to Chinese herbal medicine.
So here are the essential medicines you must prepare for preventing and treating altitude sickness:
Shengmaiyin is a traditional TCM formula for replenishing qi. It supports the functions of the heart, lungs, and spleen, and its relatively high sugar content makes it especially well-suited for altitude sickness prevention. I recommend taking 3–5 vials daily after entering high-altitude areas.
Suxiao Jiuxin Wan is a traditional TCM formula that opens the orifices and restores consciousness. It can rapidly improve the body’s hypoxic state and quickly relieve many of the discomforts associated with altitude sickness. If you experience unbearable symptoms, place 1–2 pills under the tongue immediately for prompt relief.
This is a conventional Western medicine approach. It can significantly reduce tissue edema and improve cardiopulmonary function.
Additionally, upon entering high-altitude regions, you should take care to avoid wind and cold, and remember to keep physical activity minimal. Absolutely no vigorous exercise—even if you feel fine in the first few days, do not suddenly engage in strenuous activity, or you may easily trigger altitude sickness. Altitude sickness complicated by pneumonia (what most people consider a “cold”) is extremely dangerous and can be fatal within a short period of time. In such cases, you need to descend to a lower altitude as quickly as possible.
中文原文 / Chinese Original
前几日发小半夜打来紧急电话，说坐飞机刚到拉萨就发生了严重的高原反应，头晕头痛，站立不稳，非常难受，想到我有丰富的高原经验，赶紧问我有什么好办法。
方法当然是有的，迅速指点了一二，安全脱险。
我几次进藏，基本上都发生了高原反应，特别是有一次从日喀则到定日的路上，头疼非常难受，浑身酸软，感觉就快不行了，不过还是得拍照，等到了定日小镇上吃了点药吃了碗面就好了。总的来说，高原反应按中医的说法应该是气虚，根据我个人观察大部分都有直中寒邪的情况，所以防治高原反应的重点应该在补气，而不是什么活血。这些年随着西藏热，红景天开始大卖，实践证明红景天对高原反应的作用基本了了，可以说是药厂的一个阴谋，也可以说是中药唯成分论的一个经典反面案例。
所以，防治高原反应必须要准备的药物如下：
生脉饮是中医传统的补气药，对心、肺、脾功能具有良好的促进作用，糖分较高，非常适合预防高原反应，建议进入高海拔地区后每天服用3-5支。
速效救心丸是中医传统的开窍药，能够迅速改善机体缺氧状态，迅速缓解诸多高原反应的不适，如果出现了无法忍受的高反情况，立即舌下含服1-2粒，能够立刻缓解症状。
这是西医的常规用法，能够显著缓解组织水肿情况，提高心肺功能。
另外，进入高原后，应当注意躲避风寒，切记运动，绝对不能激烈运动，就算是前几天没有感觉，也不能突然剧烈活动，否则很容易引发高反。高原反应并发肺炎（大众认识的感冒）是十分危险的，很有可能在短时间内丧命，需要尽快转移至低海拔地区。
炎热的夏天，看到这样的博客瞬间清凉了许多！