Those aren't cramps..its

[Thalia]

more likely gas.  That's what the nephro said about the severe pain my mom has had in her stomach for several days. Prior to starting dialysis she did stop eating dialysis..so I guess its possible.  He prescribed Pepcid but the pain seems to have gone away for now.  She's does have cramps in her legs (even lthough they stopped removind fluid 2 treaments ago). My friend believes she may already be far behind due to prior treatments..hence the cramps. 

What do you do to alleviate the pain caused by cramps? I've been trying topical analgesic..but i don't think they're very effective.

[Chicken Little]

I use to use Hyland's Leg Cramps Ointment with Quinine.  You can get it at the vitaminshoppe.com

The cream and the action of massaging it in did help me.   My cramps have stopped since I started dialysis though. 
 
My stomach cramps from PD are from my catheter being out of place.  I've had it surgically repaired twice and it won't stay put.    I'm just putting up with it now and taking Endocet occasionally to deal with the pains. 

[angela515]

Dunno about those types of cramps... sorry. For regular cramps or dialysis related cramps, I always got a bottle of water and chugged it down all at once and my cramp would be gone.  If the pepcd is helping, that sounds like acid related or gas, not cramps, but then again i'm not a doctor and I have never tried to relieve stomache cramps with pepcid so it might work, lol.

[boxman55]

I don't understand what you mean when you said "she is already far behind due to other treatments" cramps mainly occur in the lower legs (calves) when to much fluid is trying to be removed. Don't let the techs dictate how much they want to take off, your Mom needs to tell them IE. if she knows that 4Kilos will make her cramp tell them to only take of 3.7 or what ever. When she starts feeling  a little strange ask for her BP to see if it is getting to low and if so have them turn the UF off. It takes a few treatments to get it right but you (your Mom) has to pay attention...Boxman

[Thalia]

BM55..my Mom is 90 and while sound of mind is not really capable of following on some of the suggestions you made. Per the health dept's guidlines they have a very strict no visitor policy, but thanks to the information I already picked up on the site I insisted on knowing what they intend to do during each treatment and was able to get special permisision to stay with her for 10 mins before and after the treatment (I seemed to throw them in to a bit of spin with my request..lol)..during that time I can speak with the tech. The leg cramps do not pccur during the treatment rather later when we're home usually late night.  My friend who's a health care professional suggested that even though they were no longer removing fluid from her since she still appears dehydrated (in addition to the cramps she has an insatiable craving for ice)  they may have already taken off too much fluid during her earlier treatments (she's had 3 emergency treaments in the hospital and 3 in the DU)...therefore she's behind in fluid from her earlier treatments...hope that makes sense? (ETA..the cramps did not start until after her 4th treatment where they said they only removed 1 kilo)

thanks CL..I'll try that ointment..

thanks to everyone else for their input

[Lori1851]

Just puttin in my 2 sense . Dustin gets them also and some of it is when they take alot of water off him. He takes Neurotin and it has really helped. He use to wake up in the night screaming from them.
Lori/Indiana