Low Blood Pressure

[tee]

Ok, now my husband has some new problems, which they can't figure out.  He was having lots of pain in his fistula arm, at the wrist, and they just diagnosed him with Carpel Tunnel syndrome.  I really not sure how he got that, as he has not worked in a few years, and does not even know how to use the computer.  They gave him a trigger point injection, which was like a miracle shot, and the pain went away.

Now, for the last couple of weeks, his BP goes really low during Dialysis, he has to sit for awhile, before he can leave the building, and no one has given us any explanation.  The other day, he left, and went to his Cardiologist, and was bouncing off the walls as he walked down the hallway, needless to say his cardio was very upset, and thinks he may be receiving to much Dialysis.  It is so fustrating, as the nephrologists, does not want to cut his time.  I know that he is on the verge of walking out of that Dialysis center.  Has anyone else had this problem?

[silverhead]

Well I believe you can never have to much D, but they are probably removing to much fluid, when was his dry weight evaluated last?, If it were me, the next time my BP drop low, I would ask them to stop removing fluid and just filter, I'll bet he comes of the machine feeling better......

[Wallyz]

I agree, sounds like too much fluid off. Also, is he taking Blood pressure Meds?

[*kana*]

I'm on PD and if I use too many 2.5% solutions my BP drops really low.  I have to lay down to get a 80/40 BP.  When I stand up I drop lower and darn near pass out. 

[Fluffykiwi]

Hi,

I've been having similar problems, particularly with my BP. I never used to, I was always between 140-148. Then lately, it's been pretty good, anywhere between 116 and 134. Sometimes though, it has been dropping below 100 and the nurses/techs have said that my dry weight needs to be re-evaluated. You have to watch out though because if they push you dry weight up too much, this can also cause your BP to elevate and that's not good either.

I've heard of many patients suffering from pain which can lead to to 'steal syndrome' or 'carpel tunnel syndrome' as your husband seems to be experiencing. I have experienced severe pain in my fistula. I actually put a post up about it earlier on. I did not suffer any effects other than a bit of steal syndrome, (numbness and tingling in my hands and fingers), but the pain was really severe. The doctors eventually determined that the pain was neuropathic and so started treating it with a drug called Gapapentin. This really seems to have worked. It still hurts sometimes but not nearly as much as before. The pain can also be triggered by the needle insertion so quite often, I just ask for local and that prevents any needling pain and further pain from  occuring.

My only complaint is the doctors are always so easy to treat things with drugs. There's no forthought about the effects that medications have on patients. Somedays, I feel like I could probably go without it but never feel like I'm strong enough to cope. Does that make me an addict and in this case, who do I blame? Myself, or the doctors for making me take these pills in the first place. 

[peleroja]

Yup, most likely removing too much fluid.  I always told my nurse exactly how much to take off.  Maybe hubby needs to do the same?

[tee]

I really appreciate everyone's comments, and a funny thing happen this past Sat, I was tempted to make a trip to that Dialysis center myself, and ask what's going on, but he did not want me to.  But, he had a different nurse, who he likes, and has never had any problems, and he was fine.  The other nurse, that has been doing his treatments, is known as the vampire, I think she is turning the machine up to high for him, and removing to much fluid.  She is also the administrator, and he has already complained to the doctor about her before.  No one likes her.  These centers, need to listen to their patients, and get rid of these people with big heads.  He is going to complain to the dr. again

[Fluffykiwi]

Hi tee,

You go for it!! Sometimes I've experience the same, the only problem that I have is that our doctors are even more useless. They listen even less and in fact, I've come to the conclusion don't actually care. Despite what I keep being told by hospital staff, but if they really cared, why is whenever I have a problem, they never seem to really listen.

Most of our nurses and technicians are actually great and do care a lot, a lot more than our doctors in fact. I think our doctors heads are far too big. They treat the symptoms, not the patient!

[HAM OP]

Hi my name is Bill and I had the same problem.  My blood pressure would drop below 80 over 50 and they would stop taking off fluid and the pressure would come up.  My method of solving the problem is to take a protein shot before going to dialysis.  I take a can of Nepro and by blood pressure stays up the entire 4.5 hours I spend on Hemo.  Costco sells a protein shot fluid you can mix with diet 7-UP and it will do the same thing to your BP.      Bill

[billybags]

Yes this also happens to my husband, his blood pressure can go really low. What he has found out is, if he lies down on the chair instead of sitting up, that helps. Swings and roundabouts.

[murf]

I also have had carpel tunnel syndrome. Apparently it is the build up of calcium in your vein around your wrist. It became so sore that it kept me awake at night. My doctor first prescribed a splint with a steel band through it. The steel band pushes down on the vein to open it up to allow greater blood flow. This worked well for a time but eventually it got worse. I then had minor surgery (day procedure) to put a small slit in the vein. It has worked like a treat. No more pain, no more pins and needles.

[Bajanne]

I too have been having horrible problems with low BP.  My nephrologist suggested, of all things, that I drink a drink made from Maggi bouillon cubes when my BP gets low between dialysis treatments
The low BP is very frustrating as it makes me spend nearly an hour after I have ended my dialysis.  I have to beg them to let me go when it gets to 95/60.

[jennyc]

Hey,

Before my fistula was put in i had 'carpel tunnel' in my left wrist. Numbness, tingling and pain. apparently though if it is true carpel tunnel it will be the (please correct me if i get the digits wrong) thumb, first finger, forefinger and sometimes ring finger that are affected. It is from the median nerve bundle being 'pinched' in the smaller area of the wrist. Can arise even without repeated use as it isn't RSI.

Turned out though that when i spoke to my neph about it he said it was another symptom of Hyper-parathyroidism/and Hypocalceamia. Since correcting my pth levels it has stopped. I still get numb fingers at times when I touch something cold and they become hypersensitive but i no longer get the same symptoms as carpel tunnel.

If it is carpel tunnel, my Dr also mentioned that it is usually only commonly noted in women because of our smaller wrists, everything gets cramped in there. So i'm guessing that it would be also more commen in hemo-dialysis patients regardless of sex becuase of the fistula taking up more room in the arm and casuing the nerves in the wrist to be compressed in between the wrist bones.

Low BP: Do they have his dry weight correct, are they taking off too much fluid? I know i havent' started home hemo training yet but i've been speaking with my training nurse alot and she said that my BP would remain fine and i shouldn't crash so long as i didn't take off too much fluid. She even advised that if i don't need fluid taken off to begin with (becuase i'm passing) then to NOT TAKE fluid off.

[HubbysPartner]

My husband has had a few times during treatment when his BP went low.  They would give him some concentrated sodium chloride through the medication port on the machine sometime before his last hour of treatment.  That helped a lot.

[HAM OP]

MY DOCTOR BESIDE TELLING ME TO TAKE A PROTEIN DRINK BEFORE DIALSYS SOME TIMES DURING MY TREATMENT TIME HAS ME TAKE A BP RAISING PRESCRIPTION CALLED MIDODRINE HCL  10 MG THIS RAISES MY BP TO 130-160 OVER 70.  LASTED ABOUT 3 TO 5 HOURS.  IT WORKS BY CAUSING THE BLOOD VESSELS TO BECOME RESTRICTED IN SIZE; THEREBY RAISING THE BLOOD PRESSURE.  SINCE TAKING THEW PROTEIN DRINK BEFORE DIALYSIS I ONLY HAVE TO TAKE BTHE PILL BEOR TREATMENT NOT DURING THE TREATMENT.  SORRY FOR THE CAPS, I AM AN OLD TELETYPE OP AND WE ONLY HAD UPPER CASE.  I DO EVERYTHING IN UPPER CASE.  I will try to learn to be more proper.