Private travel service

Altitude sickness,prevented before you climb

Climbing Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp or flying straight into Cusco or La Paz? Acetazolamide helps your body acclimatise and is the recommended prevention for moderate- and high-risk ascents. Supplied privately after a short consultation.

Acetazolamide 125 mg twice daily
For moderate or high-risk ascents above 2,500 m
Pair with our travel vaccines and malaria tablets

Book or walk in →

Simple & quick

How it works

A 15-minute consultation with a GPhC-registered pharmacist. Supplied under a Patient Group Direction — the same medicine a GP would prescribe.

Tell us the itinerary

How high you sleep each night and how fast you get there is what decides your risk. We use the Wilderness Medical Society categories, not guesswork.

Safety questions

Kidney, liver and adrenal problems, COPD, pregnancy, a sulphonamide allergy, and a few interacting medicines rule acetazolamide out.

Trial dose, then travel

You take a test dose at home a day or two before you fly, then start properly 1–2 days before ascent and continue 48 hours after reaching your highest sleeping altitude.

Price

Confirmed in branch

pay on the day · consultation included

✓ GPhC-registered pharmacist

✓ Private consultation room

✓ No GP referral needed

✓ No charge if we can’t supply

Who it’s for

Is this service right for you?

✓Adults aged 18 and over
✓Moderate risk: a history of altitude sickness going to 2,500–2,800 m in a day, or going above 2,800 m in a day without one, or gaining more than 500 m a day above 3,000 m with rest days
✓High risk: previous altitude sickness above 2,800 m, any history of HACE or HAPE, sleeping above 3,500 m in one day, or fast ascents such as Kilimanjaro in under 7 days

Not suitable if

✗Low-risk trips (staying at or below 2,800 m, or a slow ascent with rest days) — gradual ascent is the right prevention and tablets aren’t indicated
✗Allergy to acetazolamide or sulphonamide antibiotics
✗Kidney disease, severe liver disease, adrenal problems or COPD
✗Pregnant or breastfeeding
✗Taking high-dose aspirin, metformin, lithium, phenytoin, carbamazepine or certain other medicines

The pharmacist checks the full criteria at your consultation. If this service isn’t right for you, we’ll tell you what is — and there’s nothing to pay.

What we supply: Acetazolamide 125 mg tablets (250 mg if needed), twice daily with food, starting 1–2 days before ascent and continuing 48 hours after your highest sleeping altitude. Enough for the trip plus two days, typically 10–14 tablets. Off-label use, explained and recorded at your consultation.

Book an appointment

Choose your branch and time

Only branches that offer this service are shown. Prefer to walk in? Just come to the counter — a booking guarantees the pharmacist is free.

Questions

Frequently asked

Is this licensed for altitude sickness?

Not in the UK — it’s used off-label, which is standard practice and recommended by the Wilderness Medical Society and NaTHNaC. The pharmacist explains that and records your consent.

What are the side effects?

Passing more urine, tingling fingers and toes, and fizzy drinks tasting flat are common and harmless. That’s why we suggest a trial dose at home first.

Do I stop it on the way down?

If your trip goes up to a high point and then descends, and you have no symptoms, stop when the descent starts.

Does it replace going up slowly?

No. It helps acclimatisation; it doesn’t make a dangerous ascent safe. Rest days, hydration and no alcohol on the climb still matter.