Heparin

[KICKSTART]

What sort of heparin do you get and how is it given?  On my unit we have (im pretty sure its called) Hair loss tight heparin and its given via a syringe thats placed in the machine and fed through all the time we are on dialysis. Yesterday one of the nurses commented on the 'new' heparin we would be getting soon. Its going to be 'slightly' different and given as one iv injection into the line ! So hows that going to work? How will it stop your blood clotting for the whole session AND could it mean hair loss ? The reason behind the change ...Its cost effective ,in other words its cheap!

[Tracy]

The  only Heparin I'm aware of getting (I'm still kinda new) is after my tech hooks my fistula up (hemo), he shoots a syringe full of heparin in one of the lines(before he hooks up the long lines to my needle lines).  He pushes it in and pulls the blood back in the syringe and pushes back in again and does this several times, asking me, is this painful?  I say no, I can't feel it.  Then,  he hooks up the long lines to the needle lines and away I go.  It is only at the very beginning though.  Not sure of any other time I get it.

 

[Stoday]

I thought that was just saline.

[Bruno]

That is saline. Heparin is administered over the session with a booster given at the start and usually finishing an hour before dialysis end. The enables the blood to clear it out of your system. The hair loss does not apply to everyone.
Heparin during dialysis is a necessity to prevent your blood from clotting.

[vcarmody]

My husband's center does it the same way Tracy stated they filled a syringe with Heparin and put it in his arterial vein at the start of treatment pulling blood out and then pushing the blood mixed with the Heparin back in.  Now that we are at home we do it the same way.  I give my husband 4000 units in his arterial as soon as I put the needles in.  I pull the blood into the needle and push it back in with the Heparin mixed with his blood.  I do this like 3x's then I hook him up the the machine.   

[carson]

Just this year I started losing my hair. Talked to the neph and he said I could try cutting it back to 1.2 ml/hour which I did. They also gave me citrate for my line rather than Hepariin. Still, nothing changed. Hair falling out at a crazy rate. THEN, I read something about lack of protein causing hair loss so I went out and got myself some protein powder, chicken, turkey, tuna, soy burgers, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and just last night I brushed my hair with only a few hairs remaining in the brush after I was done. Hopefully I'm on to something here!

[calypso]

Just this year I started losing my hair. Talked to the neph and he said I could try cutting it back to 1.2 ml/hour which I did. They also gave me citrate for my line rather than Hepariin. Still, nothing changed. Hair falling out at a crazy rate. THEN, I read something about lack of protein causing hair loss so I went out and got myself some protein powder, chicken, turkey, tuna, soy burgers, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and just last night I brushed my hair with only a few hairs remaining in the brush after I was done. Hopefully I'm on to something here!

You are on to something. Some other things you can try: Omega 3 fish oils, vitamin E supplements (or just make sure to get enough in your diet, salmon and sardines are high in those, eggs for vit. E)

Also keep in mind that hair growth occurs in cycles, so it may take 2 to 3 months before your hair grows back after a traumatic event (major surgery for example) after the cause is removed.

[Bruno]

I got it wrong before...sorry, everybody. Heparin can be put into your system by the machine but it can also go in with the saline at the start. No sooner had I shot my mouth off than the very next session I got some with the saline. To stop clotting as early as possible, I was told.

[carson]

Thanks calypso for the advice. I had read on another thread that lack of protein can also make your hair fall out so I got some protein powder and now it seems to be better. No more hair loss! But I'm taking omegas too because they're just plain good for you!

[calypso]

Thanks calypso for the advice. I had read on another thread that lack of protein can also make your hair fall out so I got some protein powder and now it seems to be better. No more hair loss! But I'm taking omegas too because they're just plain good for you!

You're welcome. Also don't forget Vitamin E and I think also Omega 3 (perhaps to a lesser extent) thin your blood so try and be consistent with them.