Altitude Sickness Relief That Actually Worked For Me

If you’ve traveled to high altitude destinations, like Quito, Ecuador or La Paz, Bolivia, you’ve probably experienced some degree of altitude sickness. I first experienced it in 2011 in Cusco, Peru. We got off the plane and I was hurting immediately with flu-like symptoms. Over the next two weeks in Peru and Bolivia, every member of my family was hit with nausea, headaches, and weakness at different times.

Since then, the rest of the family has pretty much escaped the worst affects of altitude. I have, unfortunately, continued to suffer ill affects. Even after living in Quito for three years, every time I’d go to the Ecuadorian coast or to the US, when I returned to Quito I could bank on two or three days of flu-like symptoms.

That’s not to say we didn’t develop methods over time to lessen the impact. We even have a full article about things one can do to make the transition easier. But for me, nothing (medicine/coca tea/hydration/positive thoughts) seemed to have much of an impact. I was pretty much resigned to just getting thru those couple of bad days every time I traveled to a high altitude location.

Enter Zaca Recovery Chewables

So when Mark Aleks, co-founder of Zaca, a hydration and lifestyle brand from Colorado, contacted us about working with him to promote their recovery chewables, I needed to do some research. What I found was pretty exciting. Mark and his brother James founded the company in 2008 to help people recover from the stresses of working and playing in Denver. After a bunch of research and trying different ingredient combinations (on themselves and their friends), they arrived at a mix of ingredients that worked.

The active ingredients are Japanese Raisin extract (Hovenia Dulcis w/ DHM flavonoid), L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (Sustamine®), Prickly Pear, L-Glutathione (Setria®). What it doesn’t have, according to their website, is preservatives, artificial colors, flavors or synthetic stimulants.

It certainly sounded like a completely different thing from the electrolyte drinks and powders I have tried in the past. And, most important to me, their chewables were supposed to be great at countering the negative affects of altitude. So we decided to give it a try and asked for a supply to use on our next trip to Peru, which Mark kindly provided.

Testing Zaca Recovery Chewables in Peru

Our trip was primarily to experience the attractions around Chachapoyas, in Northern Peru. We planned to spend 10 days in the area with destinations between 5,900 and 10,000 feet above sea level. Not super high in our experience, we’ve had Thanksgiving lunch at 14,000 feet, but certainly high enough to make me worry about how my typical reaction to altitude would impact the trip.

To make a long story short, I had no reaction to the altitude over those 10 days. It really was a game changing experience for me to be able to just wake up and hike 6K to the third-tallest free-leaping waterfall in the world without feeling like I had the flu.

Taking two Zaca chewables every morning was the only change to my typical routine, so I have to conclude they made the difference. They also staved off a cold that hit me the last couple days of that leg of the trip.

If you experience multiple severe symptoms at once — especially confusion or loss of coordination — head to a lower altitude immediately. If symptoms don’t improve after descending, seek medical care. Global Rescue Members can also contact their team for medical guidance as part of their coverage.

Bottomline for Zaca Recovery Chewables: Highly Recommended

Obviously, this isn’t medical advice and these chewables aren’t medicine or FDA approved, but they really worked to counter my altitude sickness and allowed me to start enjoying my trip from arrival versus having to wait a couple of days to acclimate.

So, my advice when going to high altitude: stay hydrated, eat light, and take a couple of Zaca Recovery Chewables to start your day. That’s my plan for now into the foreseeable future.