"electric" feeling in fistula

[texasstyle]

Every once in a while I press my husbands fistula and there is always a very strong pulse/electric current going through it. Today though, it felt the weakest it ever has. Maybe the way he was lying, I don't know. It certainly did not feel like his blood was "charging" through. Just a little bit. It's in his forearm. Fairly new about 3 years old. My question is should this current that I feel always be very strong every minute of the day, or does it weaken sometimes and if so, for what reasons? It looks really good from the outside.Also, why do some people need to get new ones? Do they easily get infected? Thanks so much. Hope every one is feeling the best they can today!

[jennyc]

Mine is only new but the thrill does change a little. mostly it is really strong, if it goes weaker i know i need to drink cause i've been naught and let myself get dehydrated. Also if my BP is high i can actually see it pulsating near the join.

[kellyt]

Fistulas can clot and stop working at any time.   Mine had a strong "buzz", but at times it felt weak.  Also, be sure he doesn't lay on his fistula arm.  The morning after my transplant mine stopped working with no warning.  Now I just have the ugly scar with no cool "buzz".   

[texasstyle]

what is protocol when they clot? A blood thinner?

[kellyt]

I'm not 100% sure.   I just know that sometimes they stop working and can't be fixed so a new one will need to be placed.  I had two done.  My first was in my left wrist.  It didn't work from day one.  The vein ended up being too small.  So one month later he went in and place another one in the upper left arm.  It worked great, but didn't get real big on the outside.  But you could feel the vein a little deeper.   But, again, I never used it and and after transplant it just stopped.  I was kind of sad about it.  It's a strange feeling when they stop.

I'm sure someone else will have an answer for you though.    Take good care of his fistula.

[RightSide]

My neph advised me to call him, if I ever notice a substantial and continuing weakening of that "thrill"--the buzzing you're talking about.  Because that could mean the fistula is closing off.

Yes, I do notice that at the same time when I wake up each morning, my "thrill" is a bit weak.  But then so is my pulse when I'm sleeping.  But one time, I noticed my "thrill" was weak during midday.  I notified my physician. Sure enough, the fistula had closed off, and I needed more surgery.

So your husband should let his neph know.  And the next time he goes to dialysis, the nurses there can listen to it with their stethoscope.

[tyefly]

    Ok     this may be stupid......  but   I would think that if your fistula closed off  it would balloon up and explosed.....     I am sure it doesnt do that but I would be worried that it might...   what happens to the blood....  it has to go somewhere..... I realize that we have other veins  but gee   how much blood can be diverted........LOL

[Plip]

Really good questions. All my care team assume since I'm in nursing I don't have any of these questions, they fail to see I'm no M.D. specializing in nephrology or cardiology. I recently had my AV fistula surgery, and what I've been told isn't really how things are going. I get the weird "flutter", but sometimes it's really light. I still have my staples in....should I be worried ? and where does the blood go ? Better yet....how long on average does a fistula last ? So many questions....

[Ken Shelmerdine]

As I understand it the lower your BP the less buzz you get from your fistula. Also dehydation can cause problems so be careful how much fluid they take off.