Low blood pressure & cold

[mandikoss]

Hi everyone.  What a great site!

I am posting this for my friend. 

In a nutshell, she is complaining of being freezing and her blood pressure dropping during her visits to a new facility.  She said that she has been to two other facilities (summer-winter homes & hospital) and has not encountered this problem as severly. In fact I believe she said she did not experience these symptoms at all.

She feels terrible after her treatments.  I believe that she is somewhat 'out of it' and even has trouble remembering.  I believe she feels awful for at least 6 hours afterward. She sleeps for several hours.

She said that she had a winter jacket on during her session today and it was so unbearable (cold) that she had to leave early. (I am aware as is she that this is a no-no.)

I did read up on tricks to make yourself feel warmer.  I will pass these on to her.

I also read a little bit on dialsate temperature on the machine. From what I understand, the nephrologist would need to write an order to increase the temp to prevent hemolysis (and becoming hyperkalemic.)

Is there any input or advice from the members here?

This is the best site I have found on the internet for dialysis support.

Thanks a lot!  .

[goofynina]

Hi Mandikoss, welcome to ihatedialysis.com.  I understand you are here for a friend but if you would please go to the introduce yourself section and tell us a little more about her (and yourself) we can formally welcome you to our awesome community we have here  
Now, as for her being cold, when i was on hemo (i am currently doing PD at home) being cold was always my biggest complaint.  I do know that they can adjust the temperature on her machine to possibly attempt to make it a little more comfortable for her, but to be honest, that never really worked for me.  Even with all the blankets and warm sheets they gave me, the shivers still came on strong.  Good luck and i hope she finds comfort soon.  Please feel free to read into the posts and do not hesitate to add any questions, comments and/or concerns of your own.  Looking forward to hearing more from you.


Goofynina/Admin.

[mandikoss]

Thanks GoofyNina.  I did post a little bit about myself in the introduction section.  I will suggest some of the things I have read to my neighbor.

[RichardMEL]

It seems dialysis patients more than most really feel the cold which sucks. My problem is that when my BP goes down I actually heat up and become hot and actually sweat!

Down here I just ask for whatever temprature I want in the machine.. when my BP goes down and I heat up I get them to take it down to say 35.5 and that really helps and I do cool down in 10-15 mins (it's amazing that a 0.5 degree change DOES affect me!).

As for your friend I'm not sure what to suggest to warm up... maybe a hot drink while she is on? I think the best bet is the machine temp as there is a range they can take it up to. I think 36.5 is the highest?

[keefer51]

Yes low blood pressure can bring on the cold. I am on hemo and go to a center three times a week. I don't have a chair i always sit in so i try and sit away from the air duct. The nurses and usually adjust the air for themselves. They are running around and working which makes them hot. We always remind them we are cold and they will adjust it. I carry a blanket but i am lucky and don't get that cold. When my pressure drops i make sure i put it on. There isn't much to do during dialysis when you get that cold. Just allot of blankets.

[AlasdairUK]

If your Hemoglobin levels are low you will feel cold, otherwise you could change the temperature on the machine as Richard suggested to make yourself more comfortable.

[Joe Paul]

It seems dialysis patients more than most really feel the cold which sucks. My problem is that when my BP goes down I actually heat up and become hot and actually sweat!

Down here I just ask for whatever temprature I want in the machine.. when my BP goes down and I heat up I get them to take it down to say 35.5 and that really helps and I do cool down in 10-15 mins (it's amazing that a 0.5 degree change DOES affect me!).

As for your friend I'm not sure what to suggest to warm up... maybe a hot drink while she is on? I think the best bet is the machine temp as there is a range they can take it up to. I think 36.5 is the highest?

I know this thread is old, but I run at 37.5

[ssticker]

I was having low BP's at end of treatment at one point in time so I started running a UF Profile.
It can be set to pull more fluid earlier in the treatment and less in the latter part.
That helps to "equalize" the fluid volume distribution between the intercelular space and the vascular system at the end of the treatment.

[ssticker]

The low BP problems I had were about 3-4 years ago. As I think back on this, I also used a Sodium Profile and found that to more helpful. Higher initially then dropped to baseline 30 or 60 minutes before end of treatment.
I also eventually raised my dry weight a little bit.
The link below is to a study that evaluated different approaches to the problem.
So your freind should discuss options w/staff and nephrologist.
Or maybe the situation has already been resolved? Your post was a little while back.
At both the previous unit and the unit I'm at now the air vents were right above the patients and blew air directly on them which was often very uncomfortable especially in the summer with the air conditioning on.
It was always worse in the corners(the PAIENTS know where the cold spots are.)
The unit I'm at now finally put plastic deflectors on the vents in the coldest areas.


http://www.nature.com/ki/journal/v59/n3/full/4492136a.html

[Russ]

Hi everyone.  What a great site!

I am posting this for my friend. 

In a nutshell, she is complaining of being freezing and her blood pressure dropping during her visits to a new facility.  She said that she has been to two other facilities (summer-winter homes & hospital) and has not encountered this problem as severly. In fact I believe she said she did not experience these symptoms at all.

She feels terrible after her treatments.  I believe that she is somewhat 'out of it' and even has trouble remembering.  I believe she feels awful for at least 6 hours afterward. She sleeps for several hours.

She said that she had a winter jacket on during her session today and it was so unbearable (cold) that she had to leave early. (I am aware as is she that this is a no-no.)

I did read up on tricks to make yourself feel warmer.  I will pass these on to her.

I also read a little bit on dialsate temperature on the machine. From what I understand, the nephrologist would need to write an order to increase the temp to prevent hemolysis (and becoming hyperkalemic.)

Is there any input or advice from the members here?

This is the best site I have found on the internet for dialysis support.

Thanks a lot!  .

[Jannie]

When I first arrive, I feel comfortable, neither hot nor cold. But about 30 minutes after I get hooked up, I start to shiver. I bring a blanket and pillow and that helps some. I've always asked the techs and nurses to put the machine to warm my blood as much as possible. it helps some. I also wear sweat suits. My dialysis arm is bare, of course. I also have a sleeve I cut off an old sweater. I put that on my hand. I joke that my left hand makes me look like Skeletor, the bad guy on the Masters of the Universe super-heroes TV show. My nephew was really into that show.

[Ang]

i  think  you'll  find  that if  the  cold  is in  one  spot  thats  down  to  poor  circulation,  if  it's  all  over  i  suggest  tat  can  be  needle  placement(happen  to  me  a  couple  of  times)  or  your  just  in   a  cold  part  of  the  centre,  thats  happen  plenty  of  times.

[Deanne]

I'm still pre-ESRD, but I'm always cold anyway, so I dread this part of dialysis and am already trying to think about ways to stay warm once I go on the machine. It seems like if I can keep my hands and feet warm, the rest of me feels warmer, too. So what about things like hand and foot warmers placed on pulse points on the wrists? And wearing lightweight gloves? I wear lightweight gloves at work every day and it helps a lot. I can type on the computer just fine with them (wearing them now).

[mandikoss]

It has been a while.  Just wanted to let everyone know about my neighbor.  Her son gave her a kidney and she is doing great.  The reason that she was having such a bad experience is because of an infection at the site of where she was receiving the injection/dialisis.

[okarol]

  Thanks for the update!

[paris]

Thank you for coming back and letting us know.    We do wonder and worry.  It is wonderful that your neighbor got a transplant.  Hope her and her son are both doing well.