Comparison of Metoclopramide and Ibuprofen for the Treatment of Acute Mountain Sickness

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2017-03-30
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of metoclopramide in relieving the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

It is our hypothesis that the combined antiemetic and analgesic effects of metoclopramide (which has been study-proven to be effective in relieving symptoms of migraine headache) will prove to be more efficacious in relieving symptoms of acute mountain sickness than the standard, previously-studied analgesic medication, ibuprofen.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Treatments: Ibuprofen; Metoclopramide

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Presence at Manang recruitment center (at approximately 11,500 ft) during the dates March through May, 2012.

• Recent increase in altitude of > 1000 ft vertical in last 24 hours

• Presence of headache and at least one other symptom required for diagnosis of acute mountain sickness (including nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness or poor sleeping.)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age less than 19 years old

• Known allergy or contraindication to either ibuprofen or metoclopramide

• Evidence of severe high altitude illness (e.g. High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) as evidenced by dyspnea at rest -- or of High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) as evidenced by altered mental status or ataxia)

• Known or suspected pregnancy

• Use of other analgesic or antiemetic within 8 hours of study enrollment

• History of migraines or other chronic headache disorders

• Inability to provide informed consent