Time in the chair

[Pam]

When you first start Dialysis how do they decide how long you will run? This is my 6th week and I have been on for 3 1/2 hrs. each session. Today my labs came back everything is in range and my KT/V 2.3  they  say that starting next week they can drop 30 min. Is that a good idea? Less time in that chair is awesome but I don't want to start feeling like crap again. If they lower my time and then my labs aren't so good do they increase it back to the origanal 3 !/2?

Pam

[Rerun]

More time is really better.  Hence "nocturnal" which is 8 hours.  Most people want less time in the chair so they can go home.  I'm sure if you said you wanted the extra half hour he would let you. 

If your KT/v is good they usually lower the time. 

[tyefly]

   ReRun           tell me about blood pressure......   since BP go down when you dialysis is the dependent on the speed that the machine runs.......    Are slower speeds better because of your BP......   does the BP go down less when the speed is slow........  I am trying to figure out what speed is a good speed  but keep my blood pressure around normal...all the time.... is this possible...... I dont want really low BP    and dont want to be dizzy and I dont think that a really low BP would be good for you ......Talk to me about BP     thx  kathy

[Zach]

Today my labs came back everything is in range and my KT/V 2.3

Unless your kidneys are still functioning somewhat, perhaps the high Kt/V was due to the blood sample incorrectly being taken from the venous line (blue) instead of the arterial line (red).

[Pam]

I still have some urine output so that helps. I am going to tell them to leave my time as is. I'd rather spend that 30 min in the chair and feel good. 

Pam

[twirl]

More time is really better.  Hence "nocturnal" which is 8 hours.  Most people want less time in the chair so they can go home.  I'm sure if you said you wanted the extra half hour he would let you. 

If your KT/v is good they usually lower the time.

how do you put up with a dumb butt- I used to get dumb butt the last hour and now I get it the last two hours -- what can I do for it -- would a shot of linocane help in the third hour ?
do you get dumb on nocturnal - please help  twirl

[jbeany]

Good for you, Pam!  I have good enough clearances that I could drop my time as well.  I'm at 4 hours a run right now.  I said I didn't want my time lowered, and they were all shocked.  I feel pretty good - at least for in-center, and I don't want to chance that changing.  I even got them to bump up my pump speed, so I would get more clearance over my 4 hours.  If you want to feel your best, more is better!

More time is really better.  Hence "nocturnal" which is 8 hours.  Most people want less time in the chair so they can go home.  I'm sure if you said you wanted the extra half hour he would let you. 

If your KT/v is good they usually lower the time.

how do you put up with a dumb butt- I used to get dumb butt the last hour and now I get it the last two hours -- what can I do for it -- would a shot of linocane help in the third hour ?
do you get dumb on nocturnal - please help  twirl

twirly, you mean numb, not dumb!  (At least I think you do!)  I refuse to tip back at all when I start my run.  I sit straight up for the first hour or so, with only my feet elevated a bit.  When I start to get sore, I tip back a bit to change the pressure points.  By the end of the 4 hours, I'm sometimes tipped all the way back.  It helps a lot.

[twirl]

no, I wanted to use dumb   

[OhioTech8Years]

Even though your clearances and kt/v are good, you need to consider your fluid gains. If they are large and you are taking off +3 kilos a treatment, decreasing time will force the fluid out of your body faster, which can leading to cramping, nausea, hypotension and just a general feeling of illness after your treatment has concluded. The longer you are on, the better for you.

[Zach]

 The longer you are on, the better for you.

[Hanify]

If you can definitely stay on for the 3 1/2 hours.  I used to do 5, and would have given my right arm to make it half an hour less, but didn't have the option.  I think if you can cope with the 3 1/2 keep doing it.  You'll feel better.

[dwcrawford]

All of my labs are good and I'm trying to go down  to 3 1/2.  That last hour makes my butt DUMB too. He says, everytime as ask, we'll talk about it sometime.  In the meantime my butt is getting Dumber and Dumber.  And they try to take of 1.5 kilos sometimes but I can't get there.

[RichardMEL]

Well Dan if your butt is dumb after 4 hours I must be back at pre-school after my 5!! 

I hope you can get down to 3.5 hours for you. Whenever I (half jokingly) bring up reducing my time (I have decent clearance, 77% last time) they don't even really consider it. They just give me the "more dialysis is better" line - which is true - so I just tell myself "no pain no gain" and soldier on and go back to thinking about the girls of IHD  

[YLGuy]

I am on for 3:15.  Maybe an option for you? 

I bought a nice chair cushion.  It delays the dumbness.  Then I start the: roll to my right, roll to my left, lift my butt in the air, clench loosen. squiggle, fidget, wiggle. stare at the clock, wiggle, fidget squiggle, oh great a whole 3 minutes passed... repeat as necessary. 

[Ken Shelmerdine]

I think we need to distinguish between treatment time and quality of life. If you feel good on the treatment time you get then why do more? It's my belief that if you want to try less time you should be given the chance to so  and if you still feel well then stay on that time.