Another seizure

[karen547]

I am goiing crazy! I just can't take dialysis anymore. I want to try and see if I can go down to 2x a week. I am hardly gaining weight between treatments, thus my seizures happen. They try and take off to much fluids. I understand that I NEED dialysis, but I am thinking that going 2x a week at 3.5 hours would be better. I am going to talk to them about it monday.

[monrein]

Has the doctor said that your seizures are the result of trying to take off too much fluid Karen?  Cramping, yeah for sure, but I've never heard of seizures associated with D like this.  Let us know what your doc says.

[okarol]

Found this on the following PDF:
Other less common side-effects - Seizures: These are rare and are usually only seen in someone who has had seizures before. 
"In-Patient Hemodialysis Information Sheet"
http://www.rush.edu/Rush_Document/Hemodialysis and Hemofiltration Information Sheet_Final.pdf

I only read the overview of this article, but it might be helpful:
"Seizures in patients undergoing hemodialysis" http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~IIOItricih9Qca/

[monrein]

Thanks for that Karol.  This is new to me and of some interest since I have epilepsy (first grand mal seizure at 11 years old) but haven't had a seizure in almost 40 years.

Hope they can stop this from happening to you Karen.

[galvo]

Sorry for your troubles, Karen. I would suggest that you find out as much as you can, before reducing D.

[aharris2]

Karen, We have firsthand experience with this. For my brother, it happened because his blood pressure crashed severely at the beginning of dialysis. After leaving the unit by ambulance, the hospital confirmed seizure and we were told what okarol says, that there has to be a predisposition to seizures. We were not aware of such a predisposition in my brother...

As you said, you need dialysis - to remove toxins from your blood and to maintain you at your "dry weight". If you walk in at your dry weight, then no fluid should be being removed. PERIOD.

Karen, start screaming! Be heard, tell your neph, tell the charge nurse that you don't want fluid removed. Even if there is a minimum amount that must be removed, the fluid can be put back (saline) at half hour intervals so that you are never dry enough for your blood pressure to drop. Insist that they do it and get your nephrologist to back you up. Sullidog recently fought this battle and won:

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=18356.msg316510#msg316510