Hey Aimhigh
yep tingling or pins and needles in the hands and feet is a very common side effect of diamox. it can range from mild to severe. I have it in the hands and feet. When i first started i got very bad pins and needles - very painful, quiet frequent, now several months on, it has settled down to the odd tingle. everyone is different. some people also get the sensations spreading up the legs or even in the head.
another common side effect is carbonated drinks taste wrong.
many people feel also feel dehydrated.
a few people report sore throats.
Mostly side effects are worse when you start or step up a dose and then settle down after a few weeks to a month.
hope that helps :)
-Keren

thank you :D it is listed here under serious side effects so I didn't know what that meant.....glad because I don't want to stop taking it.

lol i think the majority of people on Diamox experience that one and the doctors seem to expect it rather then be concerned about it. that said i have heard of a few cases mentioned here and there where it has been so severe it has been painful or unbearable and people have had to come off the drug or drop back a level, so keep an eye on it. :)

I am about 3 weeks into diamox and I get really bad pins and needles. They are annoying but the carbonated drink thing bugs me more. I miss my diet Pepsi I also get aches and Charlie horses in my legs A LOT!! I have been drinking so much and I STILL feel dehydrated. Hopefully all the aide effects will go away for both if us really soon!

MamaEssie: Please remember you should increase either eating bananas, drink low sugar orange juice that has 450mg of potassium or take potassium supplements....leg cramps are a sign of low potassium levels which can cause heart issues. Call your doctor for more information. I am not sure what the pins and needles are from but it is a common side effect. My doctor decided not to increase my dose for now to see if I will adjust to the meds.

Yep, me. Tingling hands and feet. I think it is more common to have this than not on Diamox. I can mostly ignore it but have to be a bit careful not to restrict blood flow to my hands and feet (i.e. kneeling too long) or it will go crazy.

I eat a banana every day. I read somewhere that acetazolamide (diamox) causes some sort of issue with potassium. so I've been able to avoide severe pins and needles , i'v gotten only very mild occational tingling .

One way I've been encouraged to try - in order to get rid of pins and needles - is to drink more water. It generally helps, even if I do feel as if I'm drinking gallons and gallons of the stuff. Early on, when doing dishes I would do half a load, sit down and drink 3/4 of a bottle of water, then finish.

i think its very variable :) i religiously drink 3 liters (over 5 pints) per day and have done for years - any more then that and i risk over working my kidneys and washing out electrolytes. but at the start my pins and needles were terrible but now they are mild. i have noticed that accidentally restricting the blood flow makes mine worse too, so i have to watch how i am sitting, leaning etc. everyone is different though.
And i keep red peppers in the fridge - better then bananas for potassium :) - and if they start tasting like candy, like the best food ever - i know i am craving potassium and up my intake. if they are just normal sweat red peppers i know i am fine, lol :) but myself, i havent had any correlation between change in pins and needles and the potassium cravings.

Thank you everyone :)