Apparently once that reaction is triggered it's much more difficult to stop it. It occurred to me that perhaps the body's reaction to the effects of altitude might be similar in that once the various processes are triggered they were difficult to slow down. Any thoughts?
Kev, there was recently posted a case of someone who descended all the way to Lone Pine but continued to deteriorate with HAPE and ended up in hospital, so yes, once things begin to go bad they may deteriorate. While that case was HAPE, the same applies to simple AMS. Some, but not all, cases of AMS do progress/worsen/snowball and complication set in.
It seems that, like with many medical conditions, it is better to prevent than wait and treat. Most advisors will say to have the Diamox onboard early. That is especially good advice with those with previous history of AMS problem who are thus at more risk. Harvey
