Altitude Sickness Prevention and Advice

About this service

If you are heading to high ground, whether that is trekking Kilimanjaro, walking to Everest Base Camp, or flying straight into Cusco, La Paz or Lhasa, altitude sickness is a real possibility that is worth planning for before you leave Gloucestershire. At Berkeley Pharmacy our travel clinic offers personalised altitude sickness advice and, where it is suitable for you, preventative treatment supplied under a Patient Group Direction after a face-to-face assessment.

We take the time to understand your exact itinerary, because your risk depends not just on how high you go but on how quickly you get there. Our pharmacist will talk through your planned route, your sleeping altitudes and your rate of ascent, and give you a written acclimatisation plan you can carry with you. We welcome travellers from Berkeley, Dursley, Cam, Sharpness and the wider Gloucestershire area, and we can often combine this with your travel vaccinations in a single appointment.

What altitude sickness is

Acute mountain sickness usually occurs above 2,500 metres. The typical symptoms are headache, nausea, tiredness, dizziness, poor sleep and loss of appetite. For most people it is mild and settles with rest and a little time to adjust, but it can be unpleasant enough to spoil a long-planned trip, and it is important to recognise when it is becoming more serious.

Two rare but life threatening conditions can occur at altitude: high altitude cerebral oedema, where fluid builds up in the brain, and high altitude pulmonary oedema, where fluid builds up in the lungs. These need immediate descent and urgent medical help. Gradual ascent is by far the most effective prevention. As a general guide, above 3,000 metres you should sleep no more than 300 to 500 metres higher each night and take a rest day every third or fourth night. Preventative medicine may be considered where rapid ascent is unavoidable, and is supplied under a PGD after assessment.

Who this service is for

How it works

A simple, consistent process for every service at Berkeley Pharmacy.

What to expect at your appointment

Your appointment is private and face to face in our Berkeley consultation room. We review your destination, itinerary, maximum sleeping altitude and rate of ascent, and we go through your medical history and current medicines to make sure any treatment is safe for you.

• You leave with a written acclimatisation and symptom recognition plan
• If treatment is suitable we can supply it at the same visit
• We explain clearly when to stop ascending, when to descend and when to seek help
• This can be combined with travel vaccinations in the same appointment

Aftercare and safety

Preventative medicine is usually started one to two days before you begin ascending and continued as advised. Common effects include tingling in the fingers and toes, passing urine more often, and fizzy drinks tasting flat. These are harmless and settle on their own.

• Medicine reduces the risk but does not remove it, so keep ascending slowly
• Descend if symptoms get worse
• Check your travel insurance covers trekking at the altitude you are planning
• Call us on 01453 810316 if you have questions before you go

Frequently asked questions

How we can supply treatment without a GP appointment

Some treatments at Berkeley Pharmacy are supplied under a Patient Group Direction, or PGD – a written instruction, signed by a doctor and a pharmacist, that legally allows our trained pharmacists to supply and administer specified medicines to people who meet defined clinical criteria, without a prescription from your GP. If you do not meet the criteria set out in the PGD we cannot supply the treatment, and we will explain why and advise you on the best next step. Our pharmacists also work as independent prescribers where that is appropriate.

Serving Berkeley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages

Berkeley Pharmacy is on Market Place in the centre of Berkeley, with easy access from junctions 13 and 14 of the M5. We welcome patients from Berkeley, Sharpness, Newport, Berkeley Heath, Alkington, Ham, Stone and Rockhampton, and we are a short drive from Cam, Dursley, Slimbridge, Cambridge, Falfield, Charfield, Tortworth, Cromhall, Oldbury-on-Severn, Wotton-under-Edge, Thornbury, Frampton on Severn and Stonehouse. Patients also travel to us from Stroud, Nailsworth, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Gloucester.

• Berkeley
• Sharpness
• Newport
• Berkeley Heath
• Alkington
• Ham
• Stone
• Rockhampton
• Cam
• Dursley
• Slimbridge
• Cambridge
• Falfield
• Charfield
• Tortworth
• Cromhall
• Oldbury-on-Severn
• Wotton-under-Edge
• Thornbury
• Frampton on Severn
• Stonehouse
• Stroud
• Nailsworth
• Yate
• Chipping Sodbury
• Tetbury
• Gloucester

Safe, regulated care from your local pharmacy team

• Berkeley Pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can check any pharmacy or pharmacist on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org.
• Every consultation is face to face and private, in our dedicated consultation room – not an online questionnaire.
• Serving the Berkeley community for over 25 years.
• This service does not replace care from your GP. With your consent we will inform your GP of any treatment provided. If you are unwell, have new or worsening symptoms, or need urgent care, contact your GP or NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.
• If you experience a side effect from any medicine you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.

Page last reviewed: September 2026. Next review due: September 2027.

Related services

Other services you may be interested in at Berkeley Pharmacy.

Speak to our pharmacy team about altitude sickness prevention

Visit us in Berkeley or get in touch to arrange a private consultation with our pharmacist.

Book a consultation Call 01453 810316

Address

14 Market Place, Berkeley, GL13 9BB

Opening hours

Mon–Fri 9am–6pm (closed 1–2pm)

Sat 9am–1pm

Sun Closed