# The sickness in the film Vertical Limit **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314 "2000-12-13T05:45:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/1 "2000-12-13T05:45:02Z")
Can anyone tell me what was that sickness the trapped people got in Vertical Limit and what were they injecting? Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/2 "2000-12-13T06:27:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wooba \* > \*\*Can anyone tell me what was that sickness the trapped people got in Vertical Limit and what were they injecting? > \*\* I haven’t seen the movie, so forgive me if I’m way off. I suspect that it’s almost certainly a severe form of Acute Mountain Sickness - either a High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). Read about 'em [here](http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/files/altitude.pdf) (it’s a PDF file). HAPE essentially causes fluid buildup in the lungs, which prevents adequate oxygen exchange with the blood - a Bad Thing at 25,000 feet. HACE is swelling of the brain due to fluid leakage. Either of these can easily be fatal, and descent (_NOW, not in the morning!_) to lower altitude is the most fundamental initial treatment. The most common cause, simply put, is going up too high, too quickly. As for the drug they’re injecting, I’m not sure. The site I linked above mentions Diamox and Dexamethasone as _preventive_ medications. [This site](http://www.aafp.org/afp/980415ap/harris.html) specifically mentions intramuscular administration of dexamethasone as a treatment of HACE, but not really prominently. ---
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/3 "2000-12-13T07:26:02Z")
I saw the movie, and it was HAPE they were reffering to, although, IIRC, they refered to it just as an edema. Acording to the above pages, they were mistaken in treating it with “dexy” (presumably dexamethasone). The above pages list nifedipine as the drug of treatment for HAPE and dexamethasone for prevention and treatment of HACE. ---
**Author:** ![Kubla\_Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@Kubla\_Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kubla_Khan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/4 "2000-12-13T17:12:03Z")
I just saw the movie last night, and I agree with Osakadave. I work as a rock climbing (as in rock formations) guide NOT an alpine (high altitude) guide, but Osakadave’s analysis is correct, and it corresponds with the medical training that I’m required to have as a climbing guide. Still, I wish I had my medical texts handy, since this is an issue I never have to deal with here in the US (people very rarely suffer from HAPE at any altitudes encountered in the coninental US). BTW, I thought the movie was very exciting, and a good thriller/suspense film, but it didn’t portray climbing very realistically. But, that’s to be expected, since watching people climbing tends to be rather boring unless you’re VERY interested in what they’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![Kubla\_Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@Kubla\_Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kubla_Khan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2000, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/5 "2000-12-13T17:15:25Z")
errr…continental US I pine for an edit feature… ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/6 "2011-10-25T19:05:16Z")
youre ALL wrong. i am a hardcore bill paxton fan. The meds in vertical limit for the treatment of pulmonary adema (,also called “altitude sickness by climbers” was refered to as DEX. Which is short for Dextramathorafan. A med that helps reduce the fluid that can develope in the lungs arter days of breathing quick, short breaths in extremly cold air. Much like condensate from an A/c unit. Anyone ever run really fast on a cold day and your lungs hurt? (beginning stages) its not unlike an VERY acute form of pnemonia. any questions? Dr. David Bradly cheif medical exmainer, branford con. ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/7 "2011-10-25T19:10:32Z")
> [@streetgang](#): > > youre ALL wrong. i am a hardcore bill paxton fan. The meds in vertical limit for the treatment of pulmonary adema (,also called “altitude sickness by climbers” was refered to as DEX. Which is short for Dextramathorafan. A med that helps reduce the fluid that can develope in the lungs arter days of breathing quick, short breaths in extremly cold air. Much like condensate from an A/c unit. Anyone ever run really fast on a cold day and your lungs hurt? (beginning stages) its not unlike an VERY acute form of pnemonia. any questions? Dr. David Bradly cheif medical exmainer, branford con. kow dog ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/8 "2011-10-25T19:25:51Z")
I have a couple of questions? a) Does it also cure zombieism? b) There were **more** misspellings in that post originally? c) Condensate in an A/C unit comes from **hot air** cooling down. There’s no way breathing cold air causes anything similar within the lungs. (That’s not to say there’s no way cold air can damage lungs and cause fluid build-up IANAD, it’s just nonsense to make the comparison to A/Cs. IDTP (I do teach physics.)) d) I’ve heard of doctors having bad handwriting, but how many doctors are such horrid spellers that they can’t even spell Chief Medical Examiner? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/9 "2011-10-25T19:52:28Z")
> [@naita](#): > > d) I’ve heard of doctors having bad handwriting, but how many doctors are such horrid spellers that they can’t even spell Chief Medical Examiner? Or “Bradley.” Or “dextromethorphan,” which is the wrong drug anyway, “doctor.” It’s a cough suppressant, and while I don’t know much about high altitude pulmonary edema, I can’t see how it would help. And why would you inject it? Anyway, this thread was started in the dark days before Wikipedia. [The authors of the entry on Vertical Limit agree the drug was dexamethasone.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_Limit) ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/10 "2011-10-25T21:29:05Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Or “Bradley.” Or “dextromethorphan,” … Or “you’re”, or “after”, or “edema”, or “develop”, or “extremely”, or “it’s”, or “a”, or “pneumonia” … ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/11 "2011-10-25T23:12:30Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I have a couple of questions? > > a) Does it also cure zombieism? > > b) There were **more** misspellings in that post originally? > > c) Condensate in an A/C unit comes from **hot air** cooling down. There’s no way breathing cold air causes anything similar within the lungs. (That’s not to say there’s no way cold air can damage lungs and cause fluid build-up IANAD, it’s just nonsense to make the comparison to A/Cs. IDTP (I do teach physics.)) > > d) I’ve heard of doctors having bad handwriting, but how many doctors are such horrid spellers that they can’t even spell Chief Medical Examiner? To A it does not. but it will help YOU To B Uh, was that a question, or an incomplete sentence. P.S. keep tryin to C- bull hockey! Hot air cooling down OR!!! warm air cooling off(i.e. the steam in your breath. The comparison to A/c was for simple minded physics teachers and physical education teachersl which did you say you were again. oh well, whats the dif? P.S. physics is not medicine To D To answer your question, Fourty two thousand, nine hundred, sixty two. Kudos to you. you were the only one to actually ask a question.i asked at the end of my paragraph, any questions. you win!!! ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/12 "2011-10-25T23:16:24Z")
> [@streetgang](#): > > To A it does not. but it will help YOU > To B Uh, was that a question, or an incomplete sentence. P.S. keep tryin > to C- bull hockey! Hot air cooling down OR!!! warm air cooling off(i.e. the steam in your breath. The comparison to A/c was for simple minded physics teachers and physical education teachersl which did you say you were again. oh well, whats the dif? P.S. physics is not medicine > To D To answer your question, Fourty two thousand, nine hundred, sixty two. Kudos to you. you were the only one to actually ask a question.i asked at the end of my paragraph, any questions. you win!!! snow dog ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/13 "2011-10-25T23:22:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Or “Bradley.” Or “dextromethorphan,” which is the wrong drug anyway, “doctor.” It’s a cough suppressant, and while I don’t know much about high altitude pulmonary edema, I can’t see how it would help. And why would you inject it? > > Anyway, this thread was started in the dark days before Wikipedia. [The authors of the entry on Vertical Limit agree the drug was dexamethasone.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_Limit) wrong again. oh wow, you know the authors. try again, it was not based on a novel, therefore there are no authors. they are called writers, and it is called a script. do your home work at home , homeboy. and they have an injectable version of the drug. just like they have demoral pills. and i would not expect you to see how it could help. you are not a md ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/14 "2011-10-25T23:24:17Z")
> [@streetgang](#): > > wrong again. oh wow, you know the authors. try again, it was not based on a novel, therefore there are no authors. they are called writers, and it is called a script. do your home work at home , homeboy. and they have an injectable version of the drug. just like they have demoral pills. and i would not expect you to see how it could help. you are not a md big boy ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/15 "2011-10-25T23:25:35Z")
\ is UNH unusual in requiring pre-med and pre-vet students to take 3 writing-based English classes to graduate? \ ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/16 "2011-10-25T23:26:44Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Or “you’re”, or “after”, or “edema”, or “develop”, or “extremely”, or “it’s”, or “a”, or “pneumonia” … incomplete sentence more errors than ken kampanetti ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/17 "2011-10-25T23:27:45Z")
keep trying yall, i can do this all night k ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/18 "2011-10-25T23:45:22Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > \ is UNH unusual in requiring pre-med and pre-vet students to take 3 writing-based English classes to graduate? \ uh, huh. my mistakes happen on the keyboard, not in the O.R. ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/19 "2011-10-25T23:46:24Z")
what is a unh ---
**Author:** ![streetgang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@streetgang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/streetgang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314/20 "2011-10-25T23:48:02Z")
yall are easy, give me something hard [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sickness-in-the-film-vertical-limit/45314.md?page=2)