I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) => Topic started by: jackiemich on May 08, 2009, 07:41:26 PM
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Hello all,
I just started dialysis this week and so far haven't had too many of the side effects that people have posted about. The only things I notice when I get off the machine is a weak, tired, feeling. But nothing that I can't handle so far.
There is one thing that has started since I went on dialysis is that I seem to have a lot of pressure in my head. Not really a painful headache, just a kind of pressure. Like someone is trying to squish the sides of your head together. I asked the doc about it and he said to just take tylenol about an hour before you come off of the machine. But that helps for just a bit before it comes back.
I do have a permacath until my arm heals. Would that be a cause of it? Any other ideas?
Thanks for any help!
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The first week is kind of rough on everyone. Your body is trying to adjust to having the toxins stripped out, and you have to find a real dry weight. I get the weak, tired and headachey thing when I've been stripped too dry. Are you crashing or cramping at all? Those are obvious signs that they are trying to strip too much fluid off of you, but you can be dehydrated without experiencing such drastic symptoms. You might try drinking a cup of water right after dialysis. If it is dehydration, then the water will help the symptoms. It may just take some time for your body to be cleared of a back up of toxins. I felt pretty crummy for most of the first couple of weeks, then it got easier.
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I was told that when I start dialysis in about six months' time, they'll take it easy.
First week, just 2 hours a session, then 2h30 for the following week and increasing by half an hour a week until I'm getting four hours a session. The objective of this is to prevent the sort of symptons Jackie refers to.
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Sometimes, people who have headaches prior to starting D will experience them even more on D and it is likely related to the underlying pre-disposition to headaches, whether migraines or related to high arterial BP etc. However a good number of patients also experience "disequilibrium syndrome" which seems to be related to the fact that fluid is more easily removed from plasma than it is from the brain and "dialysis headaches" can occur as the fluid balance is re-equilibrated. This is why fluid removal is so tricky, especially when starting D.
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I seldom ever have headaches, but I sure get em on dialysis. Once I started wearing my sunglasses during dialysis they went away. I figured it had something to do with the lights.
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Headaches are quite common but finding the cause isnt as easy . Common causes are , dehyradation ,high blood pressure . build up of toxins or sometimes just plain stress !
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Monrein is right on target...that is how my Nephrologist explained it to me. I get migraines from hell for about 4 hours after most D days..even when we upped my dry weight just to check...so I just try to deal with them.