If someone moves to COLO from a coastal city, does it take time to adjust to the thin air? (Denver: living, cabin)

[dnvrsoul]

Originally Posted by CABQ

Thank you ALL responders!

But does everybody adjust even if it takes over 6 months?

I am worried about making a huge mistake. I might not be able to make another move. And I don't know how to be sure unless I say give it a go, and see what happens after half a year.

The notion of being even more limited and more fatigued is not something I take lightly for sure.

I live in St. Pete/Tampa area and moving back to Denver tomorrow (it was supposed to be today but that's another story)-

Yes it will take time to adjust to thin air. First of all when a person lives at sea level, its easier because the air pressure is more dense, thus making it easier to breathe.
At high altitudes, the lower air pressure makes it more difficult for oxygen to enter our vascular systems. Once you are in high altitude, your body will produce more red blood cells to accommodate the deficiency-however this takes about 90-120 days.

It will take time...I went skiing two years ago after moving to Florida and I'll be honest...I was dragging while my friends were doing great. And the first day I was there...I had a little bit of altitude sickness. However, I was on a mountain top and much higher than Denver.

Bottom line is the body will adjust. It will help if a person is in good shape to begin with but if you are overweight and out of shape...it may take longer.

Also you will freeze your backside off too for the first couple of months-(less red blood cells).

[davidv]

Originally Posted by CABQ

Thank you ALL responders!

But does everybody adjust even if it takes over 6 months?

I am worried about making a huge mistake. I might not be able to make another move. And I don't know how to be sure unless I say give it a go, and see what happens after half a year.

The notion of being even more limited and more fatigued is not something I take lightly for sure.

Nearly all healthy people can adjust.

Sometimes people with health problems like asthma, heart problems, circulatory problems, and anemia cannot adjust. For one Pittsburgh Steeler, playing football at altitude cost him his spleen and gallbladder, and he does not play when the Steelers come to Denver.

[Otherside1]

My living room is at 8860ft elevation. I came from sea level in New Smyrna Beach and when friends and family come to visit it always takes about 24-36 hours to adjust. The biggest mistakes are drinking liquor and not enough water.

[CosmicWizard]

When going from a lowland location like Grand Junction where the elevation is approximately 46oo ft above sea level, to the Ward Lake Campground on the Grand Mesa with an elevation of 10,200 I can feel the thin air only slightly when hiking in the daytime. During the night however, I wake up with a slight gasping for air experience the first two nites. By the 3rd nite, my body has made the adjustment, and thankfully, the gasping for air experience is no longer an issue.

[Seeker5in1]

Originally Posted by CABQ

Thank you ALL responders!

But does everybody adjust even if it takes over 6 months?

I am worried about making a huge mistake. I might not be able to make another move. And I don't know how to be sure unless I say give it a go, and see what happens after half a year.

The notion of being even more limited and more fatigued is not something I take lightly for sure.

Same here. We are looking at a house in Peyton and I didn't know until today that the altitude there is 7000 feet. I was feeling pretty bad the first week at 6000 feet in COS. It would really be bad if we make the investment and then find that I can't adapt. I might have to sleep in Pueblo for the first three weeks while we work on the house in the day (I'll really have to take it slow though). Also, they say that Diamox really helps.

[Seeker5in1]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

I assume you mean the altitude. Yes, it does and some people never adjust. One of the reasons I hate Colorado is that, despite spending a good deal of time there, I never adjusted to the altitude and always felt bad/sick. It's not for everybody.

20yrsiNBranson

What problems persisted no matter how long you stayed?

[Seeker5in1]

Originally Posted by ChrisFromChicago

Within 7-days your body will be 100% adjusted, and most people won't have syptoms after 36hrs
Altitude Fast Facts


Denver is moderate, once adjusted. . .you can go to mountains without issue.

I just spent ten days in COS and never fully adjusted, though I was getting a bit better the last day there. The worst part was not being able to sleep because of gasping for air. I had wheezing lungs from fluid build up (edema) until the last day. It started about three days after I got there. Not fun.

[Bideshi]

Well, it looks like we're buying at 7000 ft. If I can't adjust we'll have a house for sale...

What could go wrong with such a well thought out plan?

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Bideshi

Well, it looks like we're buying at 7000 ft. If I can't adjust we'll have a house for sale...

What could go wrong with such a well thought out plan?

Most people have absolutely no problem.

[cjcolorado]

My husband does/did research on altitude acclimitization and found that most people do the majority of acclimitization within the first two weeks of their arrival at "moderate altitude" which is where most Front Range cities reside. However, the remainder of the adjustment can take anywhere from 7-13 months. The most significant factor in determining how long that process took was if the person had been born at or previously lived at altitude. There is an 'altitude acclimitization' gene which may be turned on in some people and off in others, putting it plainly. Here is an abstract to one of the studies that addresses acclimatization: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs...m.2007.8308?2&

However, as others have noted, if you have underlying health issues (asthma, chronic pneumonia, COPD, etc.) you may have continued difficulty with living at altitude, no matter the status of your genes. Best wishes with your move!