Can you switch one altered chord for another?

[S_R_S5]

I have seen in my fake book a lot of 7(#5) chords. I was wondering if it is wrong to play another altered chords like a 7b9 or 7#9 instead of the sharp 5. Would this sound bad?

[brwnhornet59]

What do your ears tell you? Composers provide specific chords that support the melody. When playing altered notes just look at what the melody is doing. Ask yourself, does it clash? Throwing a b9 on an dom for 1 beat when resolving is something I do a lot. But if it was a Dom 7#5, I would not. I would resolve the #5 into the 5th or the 6th, while adding the 9 and or the 13, then continue to resolve into the tonic.

G7#5-G9/ CM7
or
G7#5-G13/ CM7

Assuming I am using MM as the source of modal interplay.

If you are using non functional dom's you have more leeway but not always as much time to add ornaments.

If you are playing the blues you can add a lot of different altered notes and get away with it. Just pay attention to form and use your ears.

[AmundLauritzen]

You can generally substitute most altered chords for one another.
You could check what tonality it implies. An altered chord with a nat 13th usually implies diminished and you'd want to choose alterations from that tonality. If it has a flat thirteenth, it is more related to the altered scale and you could choose alterations from that scale.

Natural 9th with b5 or #5 usually implies whole tone. If the 9th is altered, it bends more towards diminished or altered scale.

In the end, try all the possibilities and let your ear decide what sounds good to you.
If your voice leading and resolution is strong, you can use almost any alteration because you create momentum and forward motion in the harmony.