Cystic Fibrosis and Climbing

[rxx]

Does anyone have experience climbing with someone who has cystic fibrosis?

 

I have a friend with cystic fibrosis who wants to climb some of the PNW volcanoes this year. Of course, he will consult his doctor, but I am wondering if the community has had experience with this that they would be willing to share. I really want to see him achieve his goals safely and enjoyably.

 

Specifically, is this a feasible goal? Are there special precautions that must be taken at altitude? Are there steps that can be taken to increase the likelihood of success?

 

Thanks for the help.

[gyro]

I don't have any experience climbing with someone that has cystic fibrosis, but since one of the predominant symptoms is difficulty breathing due to lung infections, I would be cautious. Take your time acclimating, plan plenty of time, have a flexible schedule, and have the necessary first aid and ability to summon more help if needed. It might not be a bad idea to purchase SAR insurance depending on the health of the person and the likelihood of an onset of acute respiratory distress necessitating evac. Dunno what to say beyond that. It is a tough decision that you two will have to weigh carefully.

[ClimbingPanther]

more specifically, the problem is decreased fluidity of bronchial secretions, and since climbing involves heavy breathing at high altitude and cold temperature (read: drying out bronchial secretions), I would expect the symptoms to be particularly bad on the mountain. cold, dry air is also a bronchospasm trigger. my recommendation would be to start small, expect exacerbations, and be prepared for them. try a small peak this summer and ask for prescriptions to all potentially useful medications (bronchodilators, mucus thinners, etc).

[zhanx]

I second the start small. If the doctor doesn't flat out say no. Your friend might need a mask. When running in the extreme cold I use a dust mask. I normally change them out every 3 miles on the run. It might help. Since the air is coming in is warmed up by the exhale.

 

cystic fibrosis unfortunately is one of those disease's that only get worse. But your friend can do this if their health is good enough at this point.

 

I would start with day hikes, do a couple of mixed elevation changes to start then a harder incline only. After that try to move to a weekend multi-day trip. St Helens is a "hard" one but in the winter involves Snow Shoes. Which is harder on the body. Not sure if your in the Seattle area but there are plenty of hikes to choose from to start with.

 

If the doc ok's your friend to get out and do this. I would start with this plan and see how he/she does.

 

3-4 Weeks Day hiking getting a bit harder each week

2-4 Weeks Multi / Weekend trips

2-4 Weeks Day Hiking with snow shoes

2-4 Weeks of Weekend Trips with snow and a pack

 

With an honest eval at the end of every trip. There is not a point of pushing pass the limits if its gonna hurt your friend in the long run. While new to rock climbing. I am not new to hiking.

 

Also the partner should have enough first aid training if needed to be able to sustain till SAR gets there.

[cascadesdj]

I know of a man who has CF and climbed Rainier with the guide service at about age 20. I think lots of hikes and easy climbs before trying anything extrordinary would be prudent. The severity of the symptons can vary widely from one person to another, so you can't just figure it's OK to do something because someone else did.

[iluka]

I think you need to be careful with your friend and the sources you consult for information.

 

There is actually some information in the medical literature about what happens to CF patients at altitude. For example, some studies show that at moderate altitudes (~ 8,000 ft; eg. the cabin "altitude" that might be experienced on an airplane at cruising altitude) they become quite hypoxemic (much more so than normal individuals at altitude) and experience further drops in their oxygen levels with even mild-moderate exertion. Most of the studies, however, only involve short duration exposure to hypoxic environments on the order of hours... much shorter than what they would experience on a climb of Rainier.

 

Many CF patients struggle with periodic exacerbations of their disease. There are no systematic studies about whether these occur more frequently at high altitude and no studies looking at what happens to their airway secretions in the cold dry air at high altitude, but there are case reports of CF patients with severe disease at baseline who developed right heart failure during a ski holiday at high altitude.

 

In the end, the risks faced by your friend, and any CF patient going to high altitude for that matter, will to some extent be a function of how severe their underlying disease is. The hypoxemia noted above, for example, was more pronounced in those people with lower baseline lung function. As a result, you can expect that the worse their underlying disease, the greater the risk they likely face of severe hypoxemia on the mountain and the potential for severe respiratory difficulties.

 

Most CF patients are cared for in specialized CF centers and they should consult with their CF specialist prior to such a trip and, if possible, someone who knows something about the issues involved in high altitude travel.