Bloomin' Alarms!

[Tabs]

Hi, I'm new to PD (two weeks) and I am not getting much sleep due to three or four "Low Drain Voume" alarms on my Baxter machine. I will be seeing my nurse in the next week or so, but I was wondering if there was something simple you old hands had sorted out.

I am already on 85% drain, but the alarms are happening at the beginning of the drain, not the end. I have to sit on the edge of the bed and jiggle about until the level is reached.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[supernan56]

Hi we had the same trouble, u can turn the alarm down, have u tried going on earlier so it does not cause you to much loss of sleep. Good luck

[Tabs in reply to supernan56]

Thanks, I was looking for how to improve the drain but I appreciate the work-around.

[RunningPete]

I think it must be some 'right of passage'. Everyone has to cope with the alarms. It probably your body getting used to PD. The good news is they do reduce over time. In the meantime, standing up for the first drain seems to help - getting the system used to it. Jiggling is also good! But the main thing is getting your bowels moving. I got fed up with the PD nurses asking me if I was 'regular'! Once you get your bowels sorted, it will just flow out! Best of luck.

[Tabs in reply to RunningPete]

Thanks my bowels have yet to synchronise time-wise. I will persevere.

[Hardworkthisbeingpoorly]

Haha this sounds familiar ! It happens to me on my last cycle . Guaranteed every morning I get LO UF alarm ! And have to sit on the edge of my bed.

What colour bags are you using ? At a guess I'd say all yellow !! 1.36% . Are you diabetic by any chance ? And how many cycles per night do you do ?

I find I have to sleep sat up slightly with about 5 pillows ! It's not nice at first but you get used to it after 6 years . Also make sure your machine is slightly lower than your bed because it works with gravity so if it's higher than your sleeping position the fluid in you won't drain out properly . Try these and see how you get on you might get a bit more sleep

[Tabs in reply to Hardworkthisbeingpoorly]

Thanks - machine is lower (started high), 5 cycles, yellow, sitting propped up doesn't help (I tried that quite quickly). Hopefully it's just a settling down thing as RunningPete suggests. Fingers crossed.

[marlow2000]

you need a p-d click belt if you go to peritonealdialysis.co.uk you can see on the web that this will work for you. thanks dave

[Tabs in reply to marlow2000]

Thanks Dave. Two such belts arrived first class post this very morning. I ordered them a couple of days ago because of the irritation from the plasters. Got one on now - very comfortable, lets see if it helps tonight. Cheers.

[Tabs in reply to Tabs]

Given up on the belts. Even after spending time taking the sharp corners and edges off the mouldings they were still uncomfortable (digging in) I guess they don't suit all of us.

[Tabs]

Just to update the post (for those browsing) we discovered that several settings were wrong on the machine. I had been given a replacement machine during training but the programming had not been copied over correctly. There was an immediate improvement and I have now had several weeks without alarms