Is it because we do dialysis?

[gothiclovemonkey]

This is so strange, and I may be insane. (well, I am but..)
It seems that the longer I am on dialysis, the more strange things happen to my body. I know dialysis can cause many different things to happen.

Today, I didnt do much, which isnt out of the norm for me. I went shopping at walmart, and Sams. I walked walmart, but chose to take a buggy at sams because my leg was hurting a little. I hadnt done anything to cause the pain...
I get home, and decide to lay down for a while to relax, because i didnt sleep well last night. I got up about an hr later, and my leg was hurting worse. And about 20 minutes after that I had gotten up to get a cup of coffee, and i couldnt barely move the leg. I cant straighten the thing at all, and its shooting pain...
I dont recall doing a darn thing to the leg, but it sure hurts.

Now, I am thinking, could this be dialysis related? Seems any other time I go to my dr mentioning a pain, he says it is due to dialysis... Or my weight. And it ends there.
Could every little pain be from dialysis? I wouldnt think so, but I assume my dr would know what hes talking about. I know if I mention it to him the only thing he will do is offer me pain pills.

So, my question is, because i have heard dialysis weakens our bones and such, has anyone had a major ouchy when they didnt fall or anything like that? Should I waste time and money on an xray, or wait it out? I dont remember doing anything to that knee, but it looks odd, it hurts bad.
Do dialysis patients really injure themselves that easily?

[jeannea]

I don't know if your injury is beacuse of dialysis. But I think you should get it checked and treated anyway. No reason to be in pain.

[Traveller1947]

I don't have any definitive answers for you, goth, but can only tell you my own experience.  A couple of years after I started dialysis, I began to have MAJOR pain in both my legs.  Went to my PCP, who sent me for physical therapy--it helped.  Some months later the pain was back and this time the PT didn't help.  Off to the pain management guy, who gave me very serious pain medicine in the form of a patch.  You can guess how that made me feel.  My PCP was no longer interested in helping me, my nephrologist denied it had anything to do with dialysis and at this point I'm in a wheelchair, because my legs are too painful to stand on and that causes me to fall down.  An MRI of my spine shows deterioration and stenosis.  It is connected to dialysis?  No one is willing to say so.  Try physical therapy first, it may be all you'll need.  In any case, I hope you'll fare better than I.  All the best to you, gothiclovemonkey.

[gothiclovemonkey]

traveller! That is terrible news! I certainly hope someone figures something out for you!

Right before I had my parathyroid out i was having some bad hip pain, it went away after the surgery, but it came back a few months ago, but it comes and goes, thank god! still no idea why that happens, and now the knee.
I know my doctor sure likes to blame everything on D. Everything. I have a slowing in my brain, they claim its from D... The hip pain was "idk, could be from D" *rolls eyes*
my eyes, my hearing, maybe D.. nothing answered for sure, ever....

Its rather frustrating that they either say idk or its D, they dont actually check it out. Its like they dont want to waste time on me because im on d.
i dont want pain meds, i want an answer!

Ill def. be checking into options tomorrow. my knee keeps popping out of place when i try to walk on it.

[Traveller1947]

I'll be thinking of you today as you try to find answers about your leg pain, goth.  As always, all the best to you.

[Grumpy-1]

Being on D can do strange things to your body.  For me I have noticed that I have lost over 50% of my leg strength.  Currently to get out of a chair or from a seating position, I need to use my arms to lift myself part way up until my legs can take over and continue lifting me up.  Going up stairs is a stain as well. And I have to use my arms to assist on each step. My family keeps telling me that I need to exercise more, but I don't believe that is the total issue. Before D I didn't exercise any more or any less than I do now.   So I'm blaming that on D.  I try to stay in the good range on all my lab tests, but I may need to increase my protein intake or take some type of supplement.  Will be checking with the D clinic on that this Thursday.

[billybags]

gothiclovemonkey, my husband had leg pains for over 6 months, he was in agony at night. GP gave him morphine patches, they did not work, had all the other relevant pain killers, they did not work. In the end an appointment was made with a neurologist. He did different tests, pins in his legs ex ct. and we found out that his nerve pathway from his brain to his legs were  not working properly. He advised my husband to have steroids but he said no way. So he stopped taking the satin he had been on for 3 years and after a while he has no more pain. I believe it is all connected to D and the pills you take. So don't let them pis* you about, ask to see a neurologist and get some tests done..

[gothiclovemonkey]

Hmm, perhaps it is related to the "slowing" in my brain that had mentioned! Noone has every wanted to follow up on that, so I dont even truly know what that means. I know it has effected my memory, speech, and auditory processing.

We are falling apart, and the doctors cant figure it out. That is so frustrating.
I am going to convenient care when i can get a ride up there later today. Maybe get an xray to see if its something I did, and go from there. I am going to make an appt with a neuro even if it is figured out today, to find out moe about this slowing business.
 Hopefully one day we all get answers to this insanity!

I was put on a med for "restless leg" but the med he put me on is absolutely evil, and its for Parkinsons! I was reading about it, due to the nausea, I assumed from this med, OMG, you should read what this pill is capable of! It can cause gambling addiction!? Hypersexuality?! the list is... woah! Makes me wonder if it has something to do with that... But to stop taking it, can cause some syndrom that can put you in a coma!!! Wish the dr had told me that!

[billybags]

Goth, the restless leg, aches and pains  are all attributed to the electrics in your body. See a neuro and get him to do the tests. What did he give you for restless leg, my husband had one that was for Parkinson, Gabapentin spelling might be wrong, did not work, made him feel sick so he stopped taking it. Talk to your doctor..

[gothiclovemonkey]

 spent 5 and half hours at the doctors today getting tests done on my leg, because they wouldnt listen to me, made me make sure it wasnt a clot...
It was arthritis, and osgood schlatters disease. Something Ivee had as a child. basically a torn tendon.

[billybags]

Should I say "thank goodness for that"  What is Osgood schlatters disease. Do you feel better with their explanation?

[gothiclovemonkey]

yes, thank goodness, because the dr at first thought a clot, then thought a fracture, so htis is much better!
Osgood is like... a tiny tear in your tendon. Its actually a sport disease, im not very sporty, but i used to be. When I was around 10 i was told i had it, after cracking my kneecap on the concrete due to a bike accident. i was very active back then. apparently it never goes away, and i had a 'flare up' which i did do alot of walking this week, and i went to a gym, so it must have flared from all that..

[looneytunes]

Gothie...if you don't mind, could you tell me the name of the med you were on for restless legs?  My hubby is also on one that is normally used for Parkinson's and I just was curious.    Glad you found some answers and hope you get some relief from the pain.

[RichardMEL]

GLM you sure it wasn't the hypersexuality that caused the leg tear thingy?!!   

I'm so sorry I couldn't resist that call - you know me! d'oh!

Anyway before I read your diagnosis I was actually at first thinking like a gout related thing, but then when you talked about having your PT glands out I wondered if it could have been a bone density issue - as you aluded to in terms of how fragile our bones can get due to secondaryhyperparathroidism (you know I only love typing that because it makes me appear all intelligent like?!! )...  I think of Epo, who of course wound up in a wheelchair with brittle bones because of this issue. I was going to suggest you ask for a bone density scan

I'm sort of glad you did get that diagnosis that it wasn't a clot and something hopefully they can treat and/or give you some relief for?

as for the meds and weird side effects etc - about that "Parkinson's pill" - remember some meds can be used for a number of things. Valcyte, for example, which is common post-tx is a serious level HIV drug because it basically kills off stuff that can attack your imunesystem or attack you due to a deficient imunesystem - which makes perfect sense for HIV folks and those of us with lowered imune systems due to anti-rejection meds - but if you do a google most references are to HIV (at least that's what I found a year or so back when I did one) so perhaps to not totally jump to conclusions on that one.

Some side effects listed are very weird though I agree. Apart from the usual catchall that amuses me about half the pills I'm on  like "May cause Diarhea(sp?)" then on the next line "May cause constipation" - talk about an each way bet!!! but the fave one I've seen, and I forget which med it is, I think it may be cyclosporin or cellcept, but anyway one of them says "May increase male breast size" - umm.. wtf? and why just in men? Why can't the gals get a boost too? What's with that? All I know is I'll soon be searching for a frilly a-cup bra..... :p

[billybags]

Richard, I will send you one of mine, I can not even fill an A cup.

[gothiclovemonkey]

carbadopa-levadopa is the RLS pill, looneytoons

HAHAHA richard! Yes, i thought gout at one point too, ive had that a few times.
If you develop breasts, i want pics Side effects are insane! I noticed that too, about the one line saying diareaha the next saying constipation... or other things like that, too much sleep, insomnia, etc... and always, "this is not a complete list"

No, unfortunately, even if i was hypersexual right now, i cant do anything about it LOL darn it! Too bad drs still dont try to treat women with issues like "hysteria" like
 they used to...id be hysterical all the time :p
 ha ha ha Hey ladies, maybe thats all we need?!

im glad it was only arthritis and ogd, i can handle that. I already feel better today, as long as i dont straighten my leg!
Of course, i had to have a cramp in that leg  today, that was delightful

[tbarrett2533]

EVERYTHING gets blaimed on dialysis for me.....
I swear if I were to go to the ER b/c I fell down the steps and broke my leg, well its becasue I am dialysis!!!
 

[gothiclovemonkey]

yep, same here! it is frustrating!

[Rain]

I know i have difficulty processing and remembering information then 5 years ago when I was still in school.  Now I have to study for a professional exam and i have trouble remembering what I read 2 days ago and I use to have a photographic memory.