get a prescription for Diamox (acetazolamide)
I finally got a prescription last year. My MO typically is to drive straight from sea level before dawn, grab permit @ 8am, park car & start hiking - no acclimatization, no nothing. Around 50% of the time I'd be fine, but other times - on exactly the same hikes - I'd feel slow, weak, listless & tired.
I knew it was AMS, but I was getting away with it when I was younger. I'm probably in the 1% condition wise and could just power on through. However, I just didn't want to deal with the chance of struggling and not enjoying myself anymore, so I got a prescription.
As Steve mentioned, 125mg is now the standard dosage (2x day). They used to be 250mg, but Kilimanjaro guides were advising their (British) clients to just eat half. This led to the realization (hmmm, actual field experience?) that 125mg was preferable.
To be honest, it still feels like cheating a bit, but boy does it ever work - at least for me.
