Faster Draining

[joyfulmother]

As I mentioned earlier, I went back to manual exchanges a week ago.  It is going well and as much as I was looking forward to getting to use the cycler, I find that I am as equally glad about not being tied to the machine at night.

Anyway, someone here gave me a tip to put my IV pole up higher and I will fill faster and it works!  Does anyone have any tips that would allow faster draining? Thanks!

[peleroja]

I'm afraid the only thing I can come up with is to stand up.  It's all about gravity.  The further you are from your drain bag, the faster it will drain.

[KICKSTART]

   That was me !!!  Good to know i have my uses. Really you cant do anything to drain out faster but it shouldnt take that long anyway  , sorry i cant speed that one up for you !

[george40]

find yourself a tall chair. Mine is adjustable height so when I am at the highest level it drains a little faster. I have an office chair.

[Rann]

why did you go back on manual?

[Hanify]

Great that it's working.  When I first went on the cycler I wanted to go back to manual for ages.  But they didn't want me to cos the cycler works better for me.  Now I think I've gotten lazy with not having to do an exchange during the day.  Rann, your dad could ask about going back to manuals if he's never very happy with the machine.

[joyfulmother]

I am a low transporter but they let me go on the cycler anyway.  After a month they did a pet test and found that I wasn't getting adequate dialysis and added one manual exchange in addition to the cycler.  A few months later and I wasn't feeling well.  The last time I remembered feeling really good was when I was doing manuals.  I talked to my nurse and she agreed that the cycler was probably the reason.  As a low transporter, I need longer dwell times.  Sometimes doing manuals can be time-consuming but it is worth it to me to feel good.

[Rann]

My dad who is 87 isn't good at telling us if he is feeling well or not so I'm not sure we will know from him which is better...manual or cycler.. We did hear him loud and clear about not going back to the hemo clinic, so we have been using the cycler going on the 4th week. Don't have labs drawn till the 10th and we will find out then how it is working.

 He fell last Saturday night and took a trip to the hospital where they kept him until Tuesday night. Had hit  his head, but cat scan ws good. His blood pressure was up and even with an increase in meds wouldn't consistently stay where they wanted it. We thought the agititation and no sleep could of been contributing to it, but it is still up there. Following some advice from these boards, we did ask for an xray of the catheter due to drain pain. Xray showed it where they said it needed to be. We also got the permcath removed. Got drain fluid evaluated for possible infection, artery dopplers, ekgs, echocardiogram etc.  I'm afraid he is just very old and run down and the strain of dialysis is just taking a toll.

oh..the best part is that we met a dialysis nurse in the hospital that ws doing manuals on daddy (as they wouldn't use the machine) and she is signing up with an agency and coming to be his night time dialysis nurse. What a blessing to find an RN  that knows dialysis that will relieve me. I'm excited that he will be getting such good care!! And if he needs manuals, she'l know all about that too.

[Hanify]

That's great Rann.  Sounds like you're in good care - well your dad is.  He's lucky to have you looking out for him.

[sico]

Gday Rann, i find i get abit of drain pain when the catheter is in the right position like your dad. I think mine is because it's touching the peritoneal cavity wall somewhere down low.

[billybags]

I agree with Peleroja, My husband who was on CAPD would stand up and move from leg to leg in a rocking motion and it really helped the draining. It would take him about 25 minutes from start to finish. But its what ever works for you. Some people are slow drainers some fast.