I think wbtravis mentioned Diamox to underscore the idea that most doctors just do not know about mountaineering issues, because maybe one in hundreds of their patients ever ask for or need treatment.
So everyone, please do NOT get the two drugs mixed up.
And Akichow, I think your chances of experiencing either HAPE (
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) or HACE (
High Altitude Cerebral Edema) are probably less than one in thousands. And if you spend several days at moderate altitude (8-10k) before you climb Whitney, your chances are probably reduced to one in a million.
Looking at
Wikipedia's Dexamethasone page, it included this ironic note about its use:
High altitude illnesses
Dexamethasone is used in the treatment of high altitude cerebral edema as well as pulmonary edema. It is commonly carried on mountain climbing expeditions to help climbers deal with altitude sickness. British mountain climber Peter Kinloch was provided with a shot of dexamethasone shortly before his death, after summiting Mount Everest.
