BP crashes - quickest way to recover?

[Deanne]

What do you do when your BP crashes? I had my first post-D crash this morning. It wasn't even that bad as far as the numbers to, but I felt/feel awful. My BP was 90/60. I crashed worse a few months ago, pre-D, for no reason and that time I was out of commission for several days - I couldn't move off the couch for 3 - 4 days. Even with 90/60 I'm having trouble functioning. My nurse said to fix a cup of chicken buillion if/when it happened, but I couldn't summon the energy to do it. I had to go sit down for a while to rest before I could do anything, and after an hour or two I finally managed to microwave some fried rice take-out and pour a big glass of water, which resulted in several quick trips to the bathroom. Food seems to go in one end and directly out the other when I crash, and I'm wrapped up in a blanket in a 70-degree house and still shivering. If/when it happens again, I'd like to have something right away. Maybe carry around a bag of potato chips? What do you do? I think I'm finally starting to improve, but even this posting was interrupted by a couple trips to the bathroom and a myriad of typos, and maybe a nap, too. I lost track.

[Weggy]

I'm on PD and I haven't had a BP crash in a while, but I do keep some V8 in my fridge for the occasion since it has lots of sodium.

[Deanne]

Thanks! That's a great idea. I'm finally thankfully feeling better. It's already noon, but it feels more like it's 9 am considering how long I've been able to focus/work today. I'll probably have to make up some work time over the weekend. blech.

[Dman73]

If you crash often your dry weight may have changed and needs to be increased also don't gain too much fluid between treatments so you don't have to remove more than 3 kilos.

If my BP gets very low 60/40 they give me some saline or bring in the dancing girls.

It's easy to develop low BP because the unit is cold, you are bored (our TV's have been out for over a month) and basically you hybernate.

[Deanne]

If my BP gets very low 60/40 they give me some saline or bring in the dancing girls.

 

Being surprised by dancing girls or boys in my living room would likely do the trick, just for the surprise factor alone! I do PD and still urinate about a liter/day. I'm fortunate in not having fluid restrictions yet.

[JLM]

Mayhaps you are taking off too much fluids.  When I asked my nurse about my low UF, she said that I just didn't have any extra fluid to take off.

[Jean]

While in the hospital they made the head of my bed lower and raised the foot. At home, at first, I did the same thing and then thought, hmmmm, what raises my BP and started to walk around the room as fast as I could. That worked. But, I wouldn't do that while alone. Mine sometimes went as low as 70 over 40. Scary stuff. Take care.

[Deanne]

I admire you for even be able to walk, let alone walk quickly enough to raise your BP. My neph said my BP would drop after I started dialysis. It took longer than I thought it would. Even on 100 mg toporol and 8 mg cardura (twice day), my pre-dialysis BP was around 160/100. I'm down to 50 mg of toporol now and I think I'm off cardura for good. Yay! I have a clinic appointment tomorrow, so I'll see what they say about my UF. I think it's probably about right. I usually pull off about 1 liter overnight and urinate about 1 liter over 24 hours. I don't feel dehydrated.

[Weggy]

I'm on PD and I haven't had a BP crash in a while, but I do keep some V8 in my fridge for the occasion since it has lots of sodium.

I didn't really mention it since those of doing home dialysis can be relaxed with our diet, but V8 is loaded with potassium (~700mg a serving). I never worry about potassium since I run really low (~3.2-3.3) and I consume a ton of potassium foods.