tadalafil + acetazolamide

Tadalafil + acetazolamide is a combination therapy investigated by Sheba Medical Center for the prevention of severe high-altitude illnesses, including acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). The combination consists of tadalafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, and acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Tadalafil acts as a pulmonary vasodilator, which helps to reduce pulmonary artery pressure—a key factor in the development of HAPE. Acetazolamide facilitates acclimatization by inhibiting carbonic anhydrase, leading to metabolic acidosis which in turn stimulates minute ventilation and improves oxygenation at high altitudes. A randomized, open-label clinical trial conducted among trekkers on Mount Kilimanjaro demonstrated that the addition of tadalafil to acetazolamide significantly reduced the incidence of severe high-altitude illness compared to acetazolamide monotherapy.

Other names

tadalafil and acetazolamidetadalafil plus acetazolamide