Struggling with fluid restrictions

[Mr Pink]

It's just another day at the office for me. I'm about an hour into my third dialysis for the week, and for the third time this week, I' having 5 liters taken off me. I was doing well there for a bit with my fluids, but these past few weeks have been catastrophic. I feel okay, but this simply can't continue. I'm tired of the lectures I get from the nurses. My diet has slipped somewhat, which is crucial. I simply have to try harder... much harder. I'm going to try and not drink during the day, and only drink at night time. I know how much I drink. With the two year mark just around the corner, I have to nail this. As strong as I think my heart is, it won't stay that way if I keep having fluid blowouts. This weekend is going to suck, but I have to get myself back in the game. I can do this! My thoughts and best wishes to those struggling with their fluids.

[Michael Murphy]

The solution I found is to drink from a 10 ounce sports bottle with a pull cap omit to reduce the amount I drank at any one timeous remember if they are drawing 5 kilos off of you you may be getting constipated which will increase your weight.  When I started dialysis they were pulling 3 to 4 kilos off me every treatment,  I was restricted to 40 ounces of fluid and I was coming close to that goal but when I showed up to the nephrologists office with my bp at 75/45 they asked the question they should of asked first do you still pee.  If the answer is yes then you should be limited to 32 ounces of fluid that is above your output.

[obsidianom]

It's just another day at the office for me. I'm about an hour into my third dialysis for the week, and for the third time this week, I' having 5 liters taken off me. I was doing well there for a bit with my fluids, but these past few weeks have been catastrophic. I feel okay, but this simply can't continue. I'm tired of the lectures I get from the nurses. My diet has slipped somewhat, which is crucial. I simply have to try harder... much harder. I'm going to try and not drink during the day, and only drink at night time. I know how much I drink. With the two year mark just around the corner, I have to nail this. As strong as I think my heart is, it won't stay that way if I keep having fluid blowouts. This weekend is going to suck, but I have to get myself back in the game. I can do this! My thoughts and best wishes to those struggling with their fluids.

Would you consider home hemo? That way you can dialyze 4 to 5 times per week . This would allow you much more freedom from fluid issues and you would feel better.

[jeannea]

It's so easy to slip. The first step is to try not to beat yourself up inside. That can make it harder to do better. There are a lot of methods people try. Ice cubes, small drinking cups, frozen grapes, hard candy. Maybe you can find one to work for you. Maybe you should try distracting yourself. If you want a drink in the middle of the day, try to do something else for 10 minutes. Maybe you can get past the desire if you're busy doing something else. If you drink too much one day, take a deep breath and try again another day.

You can also talk to the workers at your center. Ask for their help. Say you are trying really hard to make a change but the lectures are making it harder. Ask if they will help encourage you instead.

You can do this. As you do it, your body will feel better.

[BobN]

Mr. Pink, jeanna is right.  Don't beat yourself up.  Fluid restrictions bedevil all dialysis patients at one time or another.

Also agree with ob, if home is an option for you, you might consider it.  With more frequent treatments, the restrictions are eased and you shouldn't have such a problem with gaining so much between sessions.

In addition, watch your sodium intake.  Check the contents of any processed foods you buy, almost all of them have sodium added, sometimes a lot of sodium.  Lowering sodium will make you less thirsty.  It was an adjustment that I made early in my dialysis history and it made a huge difference.

Good luck.  Let us know how you're making out.

[Sugarlump]

I don't think there will ever be a way to resolve fluid problems unless they invent very portable machines we can all have...like insulin pumps of similar.
Unless you have iron will to stick rigidly to those fluid levels and can live with being permanently thirsty ... everyone has spells of going over. Hot days. Going to a party or celebration. Even just needing an extra cup of coffee... we are all human.  It will always be a problem for me. 

[dialysisuser82]

Hi Mr. Pink,

I totally agree with the difficulty in controlling fluid intake.  This is one of the hardest part in dealing with kidney failure.

In case you would like some suggestion there are a few methods:

eating crushed ices, cooking with spices in lieu of salt and these days I chew gum.

Sometime I take a sip of very cold carbonate water, it does help with the thirst. I often gargle with ice water.

best,

[Sugarlump]

Does chewing gum really work? Maybe I ought to try that!

[bhall777]

I know how you feel.

Im only allowed 12oz per day.

[bhall777]

Im restricted to 12oz a day, so that trick mentioned above with the 10oz bottle wont work with me because thats 95% of my daily allowance of fluid. Im struggling BIG TIME keeping my fluid at 12oz or below. I feel like im literally dying of thirst.