looking for a LIST of side of effects of being on dialysis

[kitkatz]

One of the side effects comes from the medical establishment. They give pill after pill, prescription after prescription treating symptoms and never really looking for the cause of the problems. 

[dwcrawford]

I have a question about side effects please.

Years and years and years ago I suffered from gout (i think acid goes to the lower extremities (toes in my case) and crystallizes.  Last three of fours nights I've been having that very same feeling (yes, it was bad enough to remember all these years).  Its not nearly as severe but it isn't pleasant and last night Tylenol let me go to sleep.  Not night yet, but it is back.  What from dialysis could cause that or is it totally unrelated?  I'll see my neph on Friday, but wondering if I should call (or ask a nurse tomorrow)...

[Wenchie58]

I don't know about dialysis causes, but reduced renal function sure will cause it!  OUCHIES!   I feel for you!

[dwcrawford]

Ok, I better talk to the doctor.  There was medication I had years ago that worked.  Thanks

[Wallyz]

Amylodosis.

PTSD- covers a lot of the mood swings, depression, anxiety et al.

also, a lot of these side effects can be ameliorated by daily dialysis and or extended dialysis.

Kidney disease causes a lot fo this, and it is a lack of sufficient dialysis that creates the problems.

[Restorer]

Loss of sleep.

Whether it's the restless legs, the cycler making noises (on PD), or just plain insomnia.

[dwcrawford]

works the oppositve on me (sleep).  now I hear nothing and sleep all night (except occassional visits to the bathroom for which I'm greatful).  sometimes I sleep too much though.

[Hanify]

I don't have any of these side effects.  I'm really lucky.
Only one I'd say is tiredness - but that's for other reasons too - not just the dialysis I mean.

[Jie]

One of the important side effects should be added: lack of concentration. This is a big problem with professional workers.

[icecream]

well i need to know if anyone has any suggestions on what to do for dry skin on the face..I need a good face cream .I have several sores from dry skin and i need to heal them already....

[Lillupie]

lol. sorry i had to laugh at that.

Lisa

A huge side effect is being LAZY and not wanting to read, do research or learn anything.

                                                   

[RichardMEL]

gout is a common side effect of kidney disease, but is usually well controlled with alopurinol(sp?). I had one attack in 2000 (6 years before I started dialysis) and it was horrible.. but I've been on the meds ever since and not even a twinge (thank god!).

[dwcrawford]

Did anybody mention that your butt gets sore and tired from sitting?  HEHE

[RichardMEL]

yeah those bloody chairs wreak havoc with one's backside that's for sure... but that's not really a side effect of kidney falure, but a result of chair sitting while doing dialysis.... I use a big pillow and it helps a lot.

[Lillupie]

ROFL rerun you are so funny! 

A huge side effect is being LAZY and not wanting to read, do research or learn anything.

                                                   

[Maker]

yeah those bloody chairs wreak havoc with one's backside that's for sure... but that's not really a side effect of kidney falure, but a result of chair sitting while doing dialysis.... I use a big pillow and it helps a lot.

Seriously, I can't even walk because my butt hurts so bad when I get out of that chair!  I'm always squirming around and asking the nurses to push my chair against the wall so I can cross my legs indian style without it falling all the way back.  I asked them if I could sit up instead of being reclined even partway but they said something about my blood pressure might drop (which has never happened), but anyway I just can't get comfortable. 

Earlier in this thread people were talking about seizures...I had 2 this year without explanation.  I was on AEDs for a while but quit taking them because it really doesn't seem like epilepsy.  So its reassuring to hear others on here have struggled with this.  No seizures since starting dialysis though  Thank God, because they are pretty scary.

[HAM OP]

Not all effects are permenant.  I am less tired now that I am at my dry weight.  They take off less fluid so I fell better.  Also taking a protein drink before dialysis make me feel better.  Scarres from surgery can be eiliminated by using MSM lotion on the skin.  My fistula scarres are completely gone.  All scarres can be treated. 

[dwcrawford]

I have severe sorebuttitius.  The only other side effect that last more than a couple of minutes is Acute Boredom.  That will go away as one tends to start finding amusement in the most mundane of situations.  Still haven't found anything to help   with the sorbuttitus. 

One  poster a while back suggested altering positions as in sit for an  hour, legs up an hour and then lean back...maybe helped a little.

[girliekick]

acid reflux
diarrhoea
constipation
periotinitis
hormone imbalance
shortness of breath
loss of income
off the top of my dialysis mind
girl

[Zach]

I have severe sorebuttitius.

Me too!
 

[jbeany]

Did anyone list acne?  I think it's from the toxins sweating out thru the skin, since mine cleared up with the transplant.

[kitkatz]

Dialysis Side Effects

Compiled by actual dialysis patients and caregivers at IHD.com

sores from dry skin
lack of concentration
tiredness
sometimes I sleep too much
Amylodosis.
PTSD- covers a lot of the mood swings, depression, anxiety et al.
One of the side effects comes from the medical establishment. They give pill after pill, prescription after prescription treating symptoms and never really looking for the cause of the problems.
And Neuropathy...and not just for those that are diabetic.
having seizures
Sometimes we are just mad and there is no clear reason (other than the elephant in the room).
being PI$$SED OFF
mood swings
itching
cramp/BP crash
skin peeling
-feeling the cold
headache
possible malnutrition
there other long term effects on the body:
muscle wasting,
loss of bone density
infection leading to sepsis
heart problems
death
your weight go up then down
Some foods taste different
Sex drive may reduce
You don't pee
people are always sticking BIG needles in you
the diet is so hard
you can't drink very much, so your always thirsty
starfuit can kill you
loss of memory
its frightening to be sick
higher risk of serious infection
scarring from surgeries
Paperwork to sign that says dialysis can kill you
Insurance worries
prescription worries
Lots of meds
blood pressure problems
Baldness
anemia
bone pain
calcification - calcium deposits in joints and under the skin
gout is a common side effect of kidney disease
your butt gets sore and tired from sitting
acid reflux
diarrhoea
constipation
periotinitis
hormone imbalance
shortness of breath
loss of income
acne
Fighting pain every treatment has left me unable to feel anything anymore.
Women find me extra repulsive.
 All my boxers & socks are stretched out because of the fluid boomerang.
My entire essence is darker.
Career has ground to a halt because treatment saps ambition.
Turning into the youngest curmudgeon in the history of mankind.
Endure panic attacks around continual loud noises because patients are rude with their TV's.
Eyes look hollow and lifeless.
Blackout at the most inopportune moments.
Have created enough vomit in my lifetime to fill the Superdome.

[girliekick]

amylodosis... Is that when u stop having periods? If not thats and irregular menstration

[flipperfun]

Amyloidosis - sorry folks this is what it is in relation to dialysis - Regards Denise

Dialysis-Related Amyloidosis

Normal kidneys filter and remove excess small proteins from the blood, thus keeping blood levels normal. When the kidneys don't work properly, as in patients receiving dialysis, one type of small protein calle beta-2-microglobulin builds up in the blood. When this occurs, beta-2-microglobulin molecules may join together, like the links of a chain, forming a few very large molecules from many smaller ones. These large molecules can form deposits and eventually damage the surrounding tissues and cause great discomfort. This condition is called dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA).

DRA is relatively common in patients, especially older adults, who have been on hemodialysis for more than 5 years. Hemodialysis membranes that have been used for many years don't effectively remove the large, complex beta-2-microglobulin proteins from the bloodstream. Newer hemodialysis membranes, as well as peritoneal dialysis, remove beta-2-microglobulin more effectively, but not enough to keep blood levels normal. As a result, blood levels remain elevated, and deposits form in bone, joints, and tendons (the tissue that connects the muscle to the bone). DRA may result in pain, stiffness, and fluid in the joints. Patients with DRA may also develop hollow cavities, or cysts, in some of their bones; these may lead to unexpected bone fractures. Amyloid deposits may cause tears in ligaments and tendons. Most patients with these problems can be helped by surgical intervention.

Half of the people with DRA also develop a condition called carpal tunnel syndrome, which results from the unusual buildup of protein in the wrists. Patients with this condition may experience numbness or tingling, sometimes associated with muscle weakness, in their fingers and hands. This is a treatable condition.

Unfortunately, no cure for DRA has been found, although a successful kidney transplant may stop the disease from progressing. However, DRA has caught the attention of dialysis engineers, who are attempting to develop new dialysis membranes that can remove larger amounts of beta-2-microglobulin from the blood.

[nycrtst85]

Suicidal toughts,A new appreciation for life,You FIND GOD AND THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE.