Needing to pee while on dialysis

[Lis]

Ok, experienced dialyzers out there, this may seem like a silly question, but I'm wondering what happens if you have to use the bathroom while you are sitting in the chair doing a run.  I am about to start training to learn home hemodialysis so it's all a big unknown at this point. I still urinate, and I take Lasix which, of course, means I need to pee every hour or two. My Neph told me I will probably stop urinating in a year or two. But until then .... What happens when you are dialyzing for four hours and you can't get up out if the chair? I hate not being able to go when I need to. And yes, my anxiety is probably fixating on this one  issue.

[micron]

Husband has some GI problems, which makes is very difficult for him to sit for 4 hours straight.  This is the main reason we switched to home hemo (NxStage).  The cycler has really cut down on this problem since it is gentler and the 3 hour treatment time helps.  It's now fairly rare for him to need to use the bathroom during treatment.

Depending on severity, I either get him the 'receptacle' and step out of the room for a few minutes, or, unhook him so he can use the restroom.    We do have to do a rinse back and change some machine setting while he is off.  It's fairly fast and easy since he has a catheter, I'm not sure how much difficulty a fistula will add once he gets one.  He dehydrates easily so the extra saline isn't really an issue.

When he was in clinic, they'd take him off, but I know they've given the option of a privacy screen and container.

[PrimeTimer]

My husband was on Lasix but once he started dialysis his Neph took him off of it, I think he said it's because the dialysis helped take care of edema (swelling/fluid retention) so basically does the job that the Lasix had been doing for him. Maybe ask your Neph if this will apply in your case.

[Michael Murphy]

I am lucky enough that after 3 years I still eliminate all the fluids I drink, this is lucky on two counts I am not currently fluid restricted,and my monthly blood tests tend to be perfect.  The major problem is I am a 4 hour and 15 minute hemo patient.  Several times in the last 3 years I have asked and have been taken off, flushed back and allowed to use the rest room.  I try to avoid this because if I am off for 15 minutes that time does not count so I will delay the next patient.  Almost all the time I hold it till I am done, as soon as I am flushed back, before the needles are out I run to the rest room. Take care of business and get weighed and get my needles removed.

[Simon Dog]

Temporary disconnect with a fistula is not a problem - you leave the needles in the place and flush, flush the lines connected to the needles with saline, and leave the syringes connected to the lines.   

Temporary disconnect is possible with both NxStage and in-center machines.   WIth NxStage you rinseback which means about 300 has to be added to your UF; not sure if the practice is to leave blood circulating in the machine in-center while you are off or if a rinseback is done.

The privacy screen and bottle is the easiest solution for a #1.

[iolaire]

A few people in my clinic disconnect midsession to go pee regularly. They flush back the blood in the line from the connection closest to to access and the. Keep circulating the rest of the blood.

[Lis]

Thanks everyone!  What a great resource you all are. I am grateful I can come to you with any question.  I was all set to start training for HHD but when I went to the center for an assessmehey two weeks they said my vein was too deep.  So  I had a transposition of the vein on my fistula last Wednesday and I consider it a success in that I can actually see and feel the vein now, whereas before I couldn't and I was mystified as to how to know where to put the needles in.  This limbo phase, right before starting HHD has been dragging on and on and so  it's all a big unknown and all I can do is speculate.  That's where you all come in, I have learned a lot from this forum. 

[kristina]

Ok, experienced dialyzers out there, this may seem like a silly question, but I'm wondering what happens if you have to use the bathroom while you are sitting in the chair doing a run.  I am about to start training to learn home hemodialysis so it's all a big unknown at this point. I still urinate, and I take Lasix which, of course, means I need to pee every hour or two. My Neph told me I will probably stop urinating in a year or two. But until then .... What happens when you are dialyzing for four hours and you can't get up out if the chair? I hate not being able to go when I need to. And yes, my anxiety is probably fixating on this one  issue.

Hello Lis,
Interesting question !
I always drink my "allowed" liquid every day at around the same time
and I also make absolutely sure to always drink exactly the same (allowed) amount every day...
Because of that, I pretty much can estimate about the time when I need to go to the bathroom...
... At the same time I always make sure to "go" just minutes before being put on dialysis
and all those precautions pretty much take care of that...
Good luck wishes from Kristina.

[Bungarian]

In my center they will flush your lines with saline and let you go. I used to be worried about this when I started because I peed a lot. I found out it was not a problem because I don't need to go. I think it is because the machine is pulling fluid at that time.