Chronic low BP, dialysis, and damage to heart

[casper2636]

My blood pressure is chronically low (80's/50's) sitting, standing it usually doesn't read unless it's manually done (60's/40's). My cardiologist has put me on Midodrine 5mg, 3x per day to raise it. The readings I mentioned are the readings WITH the medicine. My Neph. increased the dosage on dialysis days to 7.5mg. I used to have high blood pressure until I started dialysis, then it dropped like a stone and stayed that way. I have never had a heart problem (except for pulmonary edema in the early stages of renal failure, which was fast and fleeting). I have been reading posts about the stress on the heart, blood flow rates, and general heart damage due to dialysis, and am wondering if I could have possible heart damage due to the dialysis? My sessions usually end up with my face planted in a spit bucket and my pressure at an alarming low number. I am very strict with my fluid intake (20oz per day-MAX) and am very thin (because I'm always nauseous, I have a hard time eating), so they always just take the minimum off. I'm wondering if my cardiologist should be doing more, or my Neph, or if I should take it to be it is what it is?

[noahvale]

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[casper2636]

Noahval, thanks for the link, it was VERY helpful and will give me lots to talk to my Neph. about. The connection of the low BP, parathyroid activity (high), Calcium (low), and Vitamin D (low) all make sense, and I will discuss this with my Neph. It is just a shame that I have to twist answers out of my Neph., and if I don't ask, she won't say. Being a dialysis patient is a slippery slope, if you fiddle with one thing, another goes off kilter! Balance is the key, and my new center is tripping all over me!][ftp][/ftp]

[Athena]

Caspar, I hope they sort this all out for you very soon! I'm not on dialysis but am just wondering if the previous centre seemed to get it right for you, can't it just be replicated by the new centre?

Really hope you're feeling much better.

[Riki]

I have similar issues, though my bp is not as low as yours.  There have been numerous things tried, except medication.  My neph wants to avoid it if we can.  I'm continually being told that the reason my bp is so low is because my weight has gone up and dialysis is drying me out.  After a few months of fighting them on this, I allowed them to change my dry weight.  My bp still runs low.  You didn't mention this, Casper, but when my bp runs low, I have no symptoms, no cramping, no dizziness, no headaches, nothing.

A couple of years ago, I had an acute case of pulmonary hypertension, which was caused by an extremely low hemogloben and excess fluid.  My fear, with them not taking all the fluid off and running me in minimum, that I'm going to end up with another case.  This condition makes it incredibly hard to function as a normal person, as you can't walk across a room without losing your breath