BMJ  2004;328 (3 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7443.0-c

Acetazolamide is better than ginkgo biloba for mountain sickness

Acetazolamide reduces acute mountain sickness when climbing at high altitude. Gertsch and colleagues (p 797) randomised 614 Western trekkers climbing Mount Everest to acetazolamide, ginkgo biloba, a combination of the two drugs, or placebo. They found that only acetazolamide reduced the symptoms of acute mountain sickness. Ginkgo biloba did not have any effect, and when it was combined with acetazolamide the incidence of headache was greater than when acetazolamide was taken alone.

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Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled comparison of ginkgo biloba and acetazolamide for prevention of acute mountain sickness among Himalayan trekkers: the prevention of high altitude illness trial (PHAIT)

Jeffrey H Gertsch, Buddha Basnyat, E William Johnson, Janet Onopa, and Peter S Holck
BMJ 2004 328: 797. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]