However, Diamox does work if you wait until symptoms develop. I had mild Cheyne-Stokes breathing high on Denali, and Diamox fixed it in a few minutes on both trips.
This was my experience the one time I got Cheyne-Stokes (last year while trying to sleep at the White Mountain trailhead). Less than an hour after taking a Diamox, the problem went away and I fell fast asleep with no further problems. Since then, I've started taking 62.5mg before going to bed at altitudes at 11,000 or more, and have had no recurrence. It seems so fast-acting, I have wondered why folks are recommended to start taking it a day or so earlier (something I no longer do).
