Pain During Infusion?

[Ken Shelmerdine]

 :yahoo;Thats great news. Good luck with your trainiing and I do hope the cycler method solves the pain problems.

[MyssAnne]

The first two weeks will be an adjustment, but it WILL get better, I know I love it, it has really freed my days!  Just take catnaps to catch up on your sleep...and you CAN lower the volume too!!

[Slywalker]

KT -thanks for the update.  I think it took a couple of weeks to get used to the inflows and outflows.  And it takes time to find the right adjustments for the length of time it takes to fill and empty.  Some nights I am only awaken by the buzzer because not enough emptied - but most nights for the last two months my nights have been uninterrupted.  I'm sure you will get the kinks worked out. 

I'm happy you are enjoying your free days- I do too.

Best wishes

Sandyb
 

[KT0930]

My husband sure has enjoyed my days being free. I've gotten more housework done this weekend than I have the last eight months, combined, I think!! BTW, Goofy, as for not noticing it, have you ever tried vaccuuming around that thing???

[MyssAnne]

Isnt' it amazing how much more time you have?  When I first got on the cycler, I was just shocked, then mad at myself for not getting on earlier!!   

[rookiegirl]

KT0930,

How's the pain on the cycler?  Did the cramping stop?  I too experience the same pain during dwelling and draining.  Right now, I'm still training on CAPD and will be on the cycler at the end of training.  I just want to know if the pain will go away?

Thanks,
Rookiegirl

[KT0930]

I'm sorry to say no, the pain has not gone away completely. However, with manuals, I was feeling it every single time I did an exchange (4x day), but on the cycler, I usually only feel one or two per day. I'm awake for the first drain and fill and usually wake up during the last one because my alarm clock is going off, so it is an improvement over manuals.

Honestly, I don't think I really understand why you're having pain during dwells? Once you've drained everything (I understand the pain at the end of draining), then put in your 2000 or 2500 ml and there's no fluid moving in or out, do you still have pain? Is it just the full feeling, kind of like you've eaten a huge meal, or is it something else? I'd be concerned if there's pain during dwells.

[MyssAnne]

What sort of pain is it you experience during dwells? A "stuffed" pain? Shooting pains? KT is rght, there should not be any pain during dwells. Discomfort perhaps, from too much in you, but no real pain.  Can you give us more details?

[rookiegirl]

The dwell pain feels like someone punching me on my sides.  I guess it's because the full sensation and my side muscles are contracting or being pushed.  When I sit still for a few minutes and then get up the pain seems to ease off.  But when I laugh that punch sensation comes back.  I just wish they would start me off slow to give my abdomen the time to adjust.  Yes while dwelling I feel like I ate a huge meal.  It also makes it very difficult to breathe.  I tried to eat lunch but can't get but maybe 2 bites.  Each time I drink or eat I can feel my sides swelling and it's very tight.  I feel like I'm going to EXPLODE.

As for the drain pain, it comes at close to the very end.  It hurts to move my position.  My body just tents up.  When I try to relax the pain just seems harder.  The shooting pain comes and go but the some pain just hovers until the transfer set is close.  Immediately the pain goes away.

[MyssAnne]

It really sounds as if you have way too much fluid in you. How much are they having you put in? You should not have that much discomfort after all this time. As for drain pain, has the nurse said anything about it? Sometimes it's becuase you're pulling too much off. kinda like a straw in a glass, sucking air, when the liquid is gone. How much more training do you have to do?

[goofynina]

Rookiegirl, have they Xrayed you to see where the tube is positioned inside of you? 

[rookiegirl]

Today they gave me 2 exchanges of 2.5% @ 2000mls.  It was not so bad today.  I still felt really full but I was able to eat half my sandwich for lunch.  I am draining pretty fast.  10 minutes into the draining, the bag is pretty much full.  That is when I feel that pinching pain.  I had my nurse close the transfer set and I changed position.  He opened it back up and that pinching pain still comes.  So he shut it off half way and that was much better.  It still cramped but I was able to tolerate the pain.

As for an X-ray of where my catheter is, I have no idea.  According to my nurse it seems like it's right down in my pelvis bone near the uterus.  Will see how I do on the cycler tomorrow night.

[KT0930]

Your dwell pain does seem to be because you have too much. Maybe once you get trained on the cycler you can ask them about a prescription that will allow you to be empty during the day? Unfortunately because of my daily schedule I can't do that, but I know quite a few people on here do that, and that may help quite a bit.

As for the drain pain, the way I had it described to me is what happens to the fill bag as you fill is sort of what happens to your peritoneum as you drain. It doesn't collapse as much, but it does go from being stretched out and full to being empty, and this is the reason for the cramping. I know sometimes mine hurts as much as you describe, and the only thing to do (on the cycler) is to bypass the rest of the drain cycle and go to the fill.