Bags VS. Pureflow : Survey

[PrimeTimer]

I don't know why the SAKs have aluminum in them at all but, I'm guessing it might have something to do with how dialysate in a SAK comes in a large plastic-type bag with many folds in it and is mixed with tap water in the Pureflow machine for 7-7.50 hours and the fact that the SAKs hold over 30 liters of fluid, compared to bags, which are much smaller and hold only 5 liters. Maybe the law requires anything over 5 liters to include aluminum in it for public safety reasons (to guard against bacteria ), like city tap water is. I don't know...but what I DO know, is that my husband gets up at the crack of dawn every morning and feels up to working a fulltime semi-physical job and despite having an aluminum level of 15, he feels better now than before he started dialysis and his labs keep looking better and better each month. Go figure. His neph says he is an "exemplary patient". He doesn't want to hang bags and I can't and being in a small apartment, we also do not have the room for bags. At least not on any regular basis. He said if he had to, he'd go back to doing in-center and pray that his boss could accommodate such a schedule if he couldn't get in at a center that does extended hours beyond 5pm. Meanwhile, the chances of our being mugged or shot by thugs in the neighborhood seem quite high. There is nothing quite like being on a morning walk with your dog when suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, thugs run past you and there are cops in every direction, including a helicopter overhead, with you and your dog standing literally in the middle of it all. It's a dark world, folks and having to fear aluminum ain't helping.   

To make matters worse (and I'm being serious), I just read all the ingredients, contraindications and warnings that come with my asthma inhaler and come to find out, if asthma doesn't kill me the inhaler just might. 

[cassandra]

I aggree a bit, Gambro, Fresenius, Baxter, they've all made "ridiculous "misstakes"", and poisoned us in some way or other, profit and health just don't mix. But it is us patients who have to keep opening our minds, and ring the bel etc

[obsidianom]

I don't know why the SAKs have aluminum in them at all but, I'm guessing it might have something to do with how dialysate in a SAK comes in a large plastic-type bag with many folds in it and is mixed with tap water in the Pureflow machine for 7-7.50 hours and the fact that the SAKs hold over 30 liters of fluid, compared to bags, which are much smaller and hold only 5 liters. Maybe the law requires anything over 5 liters to include aluminum in it for public safety reasons (to guard against bacteria ), like city tap water is. I don't know...but what I DO know, is that my husband gets up at the crack of dawn every morning and feels up to working a fulltime semi-physical job and despite having an aluminum level of 15, he feels better now than before he started dialysis and his labs keep looking better and better each month. Go figure. His neph says he is an "exemplary patient". He doesn't want to hang bags and I can't and being in a small apartment, we also do not have the room for bags. At least not on any regular basis. He said if he had to, he'd go back to doing in-center and pray that his boss could accommodate such a schedule if he couldn't get in at a center that does extended hours beyond 5pm. Meanwhile, the chances of our being mugged or shot by thugs in the neighborhood seem quite high. There is nothing quite like being on a morning walk with your dog when suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, thugs run past you and there are cops in every direction, including a helicopter overhead, with you and your dog standing literally in the middle of it all. It's a dark world, folks and having to fear aluminum ain't helping.   

To make matters worse (and I'm being serious), I just read all the ingredients, contraindications and warnings that come with my asthma inhaler and come to find out, if asthma doesn't kill me the inhaler just might.

The aluminum came from the lactate in the dialysate. The bags are made by PISA which uses a company named PURAC for its lactate. Purac makes aluminum free lactate. (there is a long invlolved story to this that I will leave out here). The saks are made by another company for Nxstage and the subcontractor who made the lactate had "issues" which cuased aluminum to be found in the dialysate. Its a long story that I just summerized. It shouldnt have happened.
The latest I have is that starting in October or so the Saks should be free of aluminum. Now I will still test as I dont trust this yet. So when we return to saks in the future we will test the aluminum monthly. That is what I recommend to everyone.
AS Hemodoc wrote, NO amount of aluminum is safe. Period!. 
The aluminum in the blood should be below 10 or even 5. The effects are long term .

[PrimeTimer]

Hope you are right, obsidianom. Let's hope for aluminum-free SAKs from NxStage and SOON! Stress from worrying about aluminum poisoning is like a killer in itself.

[CebuShan]

I recently switched Home Dialysis Clinics and they needed to test my water all over again. So, even though I would prefer to use saks, I have a pallet full of bags sitting in my front yard because they won't fit in my house!

[obsidianom]

We are still using bags. We had 60 delivered Thursday. They all had to be put upstairs. Real fun to haul up. My wifes aluminum is still up over 20 . This is taking a lONG time to clear out. I am so angry at Nxstage for it.

[del]

My husband is supposed to train for nxstage sometime after Christmas.  The bags are not approved by the FDA in Canada yet!!  Guess the people who will be using the nxstage need to start lobbying the government!!