Dialysis and BS control

[Pam]

MY time has come to start dialysis. I think I'm ready and then the next min. I'm scared to death. I had a mandatory hepatics c blood test today and as soon as My Dr. has the results everything will be set up. My question is, what will this do to my BS? Do I need to be prepared with apple juice and glucose tablets for lows and insulin for highs? And do I need to eat a meal first or is that going to make me sick. I realize everybody is different but any ideas will help.
Pam

[Rerun]

I'm not diabetic, but check with your center to see if they allow snacks.  If they don't then you have to hide and sneak.  AND don't choke!

Eat a little something before also.  Take your apple juice.

Best of luck.             

[Chris]

Doesn't matter what your center says, bring insulin and glucose tablets, crackers or something to cover a low. It's your life and not theirs and you are in control of your own life. If they won't let you carry something for a low, ask them how well are they prepaired to treat you or will they just end up shipping you off to the ER for an unnecesscery trip. My second center was good about this, I ate before and had snacks during dialysis. I was unaware of low blood sugars happening so I monitored my blood sugar throughout treatment because I also drove myself home. Keep food in your vehicle too! Sometimes I would be high and had to adjust my insulin pump, but always carried an insulin pen with for the just incase a problem arises. Learned that a couple weeks after starting pump therapy.

So ask your center now about their policy and treatment options to be better prepaired, but always carry something. Don't trust your center 100% with your life. You may never get the same person who maybe knowledgable about diabetes and you may have to take control of your circumstances.
Just make sure that whatever you bring is in easy reach.

Best of luck.

[Joe Paul]

Since I go  for the first shift (5 15am), I eat breakfast before I go in. I have been on dialysis for 3 years now, and have never had a low blood sugar while on the machine. As Chris said, bring a snack or at least some glucose tablets - better safe then sorry. You can ask to have your blood sugar checked while on the machine, its easy for them to get a splash of blood from your lines.

[Wallyz]

 Most centers run their dialysate at 200 mg/dL of glucose, so your blood glucose will be moderated by the dialysate.  Highs and lows that require action are rare while on in center dialysis.

[jbeany]

Most centers run their dialysate at 200 mg/dL of glucose, so your blood glucose will be moderated by the dialysate.  Highs and lows that require action are rare while on in center dialysis.

That depends on your blood sugar control.  If it shoots all over the place on a regular basis, it's going to do so while you are on dialysis.  If it's normally pretty stable, then dialysis isn't going to affect it much.
I always eat before I go - not a huge meal, but a sensible one.  I always bring a snack.  I'm on at 6 am, and if I don't eat something around 8, I crash by 9.  Crashing while hooked up is a pain.  It's very difficult to tell blood sugar symptoms from blood pressure symptoms, and my dropping blood sugar can sometimes make my blood pressure crash at the same time, even when it's not a issue with fluid removal.  I have a bag of smarties with my dialysis kit.  They dissolve easily, and work just as well as glucose tablets, only they taste better.  My unit does not have a glucose meter, so I carry mine with me at all times. 
Go prepared, and check your sugar every hour the first few runs, until you get an idea how you are going to react.  Bring a snack that won't upset your stomach.  I usually take some kind of cracker, and some dried fruit.  (My potassium is usually low, so the dried fruit isn't a bad choice for me.)  Those little applesauce cups are easy to take along, too.
Even if the center has no-snack rules, they should let a diabetic eat if they need to!
Good Luck!

[Dan.Larrabee]

it really is different for everyone, so be prepared. I have found that Dialysis will lower my BS by 50 mgdl during a 3 hr treatment.

[Chris]

That depends on your blood sugar control.  If it shoots all over the place on a regular basis, it's going to do so while you are on dialysis.  If it's normally pretty stable, then dialysis isn't going to affect it much.
I always eat before I go - not a huge meal, but a sensible one.  I always bring a snack.  I'm on at 6 am, and if I don't eat something around 8, I crash by 9.  Crashing while hooked up is a pain.  It's very difficult to tell blood sugar symptoms from blood pressure symptoms, and my dropping blood sugar can sometimes make my blood pressure crash at the same time, even when it's not a issue with fluid removal.  I have a bag of smarties with my dialysis kit.  They dissolve easily, and work just as well as glucose tablets, only they taste better.  My unit does not have a glucose meter, so I carry mine with me at all times. 
Go prepared, and check your sugar every hour the first few runs, until you get an idea how you are going to react.  Bring a snack that won't upset your stomach.  I usually take some kind of cracker, and some dried fruit.  (My potassium is usually low, so the dried fruit isn't a bad choice for me.)  Those little applesauce cups are easy to take along, too.
Even if the center has no-snack rules, they should let a diabetic eat if they need to!
Good Luck!

jbean that is close to how I was. Since I had hypoglycemic unawareness and I knew if I started sweating for no reason, it was either bp dropping or bs dropping. However, sweating didn't always occur when bs dropped, so always checked my bs while on dialysis since the center wouldn't do it. They only monitored at the start, 1/2 way between, and near the end. Well a lot can happen between those checks.