LOW blood pressure and sudden fluid gains?!

[Lexxtech18]

So, for the last... idk 6 months or so my BP has been really LOW while on dialysis and off the machine, too. It started when I gained a ton of weight last summer. I have always had high blood pressure, and it seemed to be at it's highest when my weight was at it's lowest. About a year ago I was down to 135lbs, then suddenly I gained about 40lbs in a matter of months and my blood pressure has stayed low ever since.  How backwards is that?!

I'm on 10 mg of Midodrine before every treatment, but it doesn't seem to help much. My HGB is staying steady around 10. The only medication I'm on in-center is Venofer and occassionaly Benadryl for itches. The Neph is perplexed. The Cardiologist is stumped. I'm so frustrated because I can hardly get any fluids off even though it feels like I'm always full! I once went into treatment on a Tuesday night, took off 4 kilos, came back Wednesday morning and had gained back those 4 kilos?! I hadn't drank a thing all night! *sigh* BP will ususally get down to 60s/40s and I feel fine but they insist on giving me saline or to stop pulling.

Has anyone else experienced this? It's very frustrating.

[CebuShan]

I do home hemo/5days per week. Since starting, my blood pressure has really dropped (a good thing!) but I have to really watch my BP during treatment. If it drops into the 70's, I get really light-headed and find it very hard to concentrate. Also, a lot of times I can't pull as much fluid off and just have to keep close watch on what I eat and drink.
Hope they figure out what is going on really soon.
Good luck!   

[noahvale]

^

[Lexxtech18]

So, for the last... idk 6 months or so my BP has been really LOW while on dialysis and off the machine, too. It started when I gained a ton of weight last summer. I have always had high blood pressure, and it seemed to be at it's highest when my weight was at it's lowest. About a year ago I was down to 135lbs, then suddenly I gained about 40lbs in a matter of months and my blood pressure has stayed low ever since.  How backwards is that?!

I'm on 10 mg of Midodrine before every treatment, but it doesn't seem to help much. My HGB is staying steady around 10. The only medication I'm on in-center is Venofer and occassionaly Benadryl for itches. The Neph is perplexed. The Cardiologist is stumped. I'm so frustrated because I can hardly get any fluids off even though it feels like I'm always full! I once went into treatment on a Tuesday night, took off 4 kilos, came back Wednesday morning and had gained back those 4 kilos?! I hadn't drank a thing all night! *sigh* BP will ususally get down to 60s/40s and I feel fine but they insist on giving me saline or to stop pulling.

Has anyone else experienced this? It's very frustrating.

Please go to Home Dialysis Central and read the posts to this thread on HYPOTENSION to see if any of it can relate to your situation.  If so, then bring to your nephrologist's attention.  -  http://forums.homedialysis.org/threads/3368-Mysterious-hypotension

Also, I find it hard to believe you gained back the 4 kilos overnight.  Here are a couple of POSSIBLE explanations:

The scale might need recalibration or you might not have been standing on it correctly.

Do you take off extra clothing - like a heavy coat/sweater and shoes - before weighing in/out, but forgot to on Wednesday morning?   Extra winter clothing can make a huge difference in weight.

I think you're right about the scale needed to be recalibrated or something. But I was also thinking maybe I carry a lot of fluid in my cells/tissues and dialysis isn't able to remove it? A lot of my fluid gathers in my mid section, not really in my ankles or lower legs. So my belly always feels pooched out. Idk, I guess it's something to talk more about with my new neph.

Thank you very much for the information! It sounds a lot like what I've been going through, so it's comforting to know others have gone through it as well. How frustrating. :/

I had dialysis earlier this morning at was able to take off a whole 2.5 kilos. My BP was down in the 60s/30s, and no matter how many times the tech readjusted my cuff it didn't go up. Just like I told her it wouldnt! lol

[kennedy56]

My husband says this happened to him.  He says that sometimes the only way to get rid of the fluid is to exercise for sweating.  He says the fluid can get in pockets of the body that cannot be removed.  Hope this helps.

[Lexxtech18]

It does, thank you! I've been meaning to start a new exercise regimen, so maybe I can sweat it out! Lol