Headaches

[peleroja]

I'm one of those people who seldom experience headaches.  A bottle of 100 Tylenol lasts me 10 years or more.  Ever since going back on hemo, however, I have had headaches every day, ranging from noticeable but no need for medication to severe, needing medication and a lie down.  I'm assuming it has something to do with the increase in my blood pressure as more and more fluid piles on.  I'm continuing to lose weight by riding my stationary bike every day, and I'm doing my best to control sodium.  Other than an additional blood pressure medication for the short term till I go back to PD, any suggestions?

[Rerun]

Challenge your dry weight to get extra fluid off.  If your dry weight is usually 50kg then shoot for 49.5 and the next time 49.0 and the next time 48.5 etc... until you start cramping or your bP drops.  Nobody likes to challenge their dry weight, but you need to get that extra fluid off it is not good for your heart or your head.

                                                   

[Wallyz]

Ditto.   Also, High BP can be  a function of insufficient dialysis, so asking for 15 min extra may help.

[jbeany]

Are you checking your BP at home?  Having it too low, and pulling off too much fluid can also give you headaches.

[kidney4traci]

I read this thread because last  night I had the worst headache ever. My dry weight is 56.5 abd when I got off dialysis I was 55.8. Now I still have a bit of a headache and today is my off day. Drinking water now. Just having a bad day though, besides the headache my stomache is upset and it is hard to breathe. Went upstairs to help son put up legos and was out of breathe and my heart was beating out of control. Usually feel out of breathe with too much fluid on not too little??

[graeme]

Kidney4traci... do you have a BP machine at home?

[jbeany]

Too little will do that as well, traci.  Dehydrated is no better than overloaded, in terms of how it makes you feel!

[Rerun]

Usually dehydration gives you LOW blood pressure.  You heart will beat fast and you will feel light headed.  Traci if you did not ask the tech to challenge your dry weight and he did it on his own, I'd have a little TALK with him.  He took off almost a kilo under your dry weight.  What was your BP at the end?  I mean maybe it needed to be challenged, but I like to do that myself.

                                                                                     

[kidney4traci]

I do dialysis at home. My bp was very low and I should have known better. Was trying to hi 56.3 and missed my mark. I will go easy tomorrow. Thanks for your help.

[peleroja]

Rerun, my nurse has been gradually reducing my dry weight (I've also lost 3 pounds from my bicycling since I went back on hemo).  I started at 89.5 and today was 88.3.

Wallyz, they increased me from 3 hours to 3.5 hours last Friday.

I think the reason I get headaches from dialysis is all the blasted bells that no one ever seems to answer.  I'm not really sure what causes the headaches at home, but, yes, I do have a BP cuff and take it periodically throughout the day.