Hi, I've been on dialysis for a year now and on the whole apart from being incredibly boring and time consuming, its not too bad. My main problem seems to be generalised aching most of the time and I tend to get a dull pain just above the knees especially when going up and down stairs or getting out of a chair. It feels like a combination of stiffness, weakness and pain. Does anyone else get this? Does anyone have a good suggestion to improve these symptoms?
thanks
Keith
Might be down to having low or Deficient levels of vitamin D.
(not saying this is what you have pryderi, but do consider it.)
Taking a safe high dose of vitamin D3 cured my stiffness getting up out of chairs and bed, vitamin D3 can also help knee problems. My friend reported her aching knee pain went within hours of taking D3, yet everything else she tried failed.
I was walking with a stick and had pain until 3 months ago when I read about Vit D and started taking it. Now I no longer need the stick and I am walking more and more with no trouble.
That is brilliant for you fredinspain, what a difference it must make for you.
Those helped by taking vitamin D3 need to network it out to others, apparently 85% of us here in UK are either low in vitamin D or deficient and don't know it. Even over in warmer countries you can still be low or have deficiencies in Vitamin D, lighter colored skins absorb more vitamin D from the sun than those with dark skin.
Not sure if you have heard of vitamindcouncil.com
for safe up to date doses which are far higher than those prescribed by NHS. Also lots of information on the many illnesses it helps prevent.
Vitamin D3 along with vitamin A is also now known to help with COPD and Asthma and there is one man I know who has helped his wife from dying of Emphysema with only a few days left to live, their Doctor is on board with them agreeing it can only be down to the vitamins, she now is well enough to help in the garden and catches a bus into town.
The fredinspain was my username when I lived in Spain and I had no problems but we returned to NW England 18 months ago and it started after 6 months. I now take a 20,000 IU supplementary tablet every 2 weeks and it seems to be enough for me as I also eat selected high vit D foods and take cod liver oil which seems to also ease joint pain.
That is good you take a good dose of D3 Fredinspain/UK 
It does seem like comming back to cold NW UK might be why your vitamin D levels went low.
Hubby and I take 5000iu D3 daily, we take it with K2,
D3 and K2 go well together. (Recent findings) K2 Helps calcium get to the correct places in our body and takes out calcium build up in the wrong places.
Sunshine is definitely good for our (old) bones 
I like the sound of the sunshine and have a couple of weeks booked in the sun so perhaps that will help.
If sunshine does help and your pains go away then come back again once home, it might well be a vitamin D deficiency pryderi.
Enjoy the sunshine
I will let you know what happens
I'm taking calcichew as couldnt get on with the vitamin d substittes cholecalciferol. Perhaps the vitamn D, K & cod liver oil will help. I'll take a look at what is in the vitamin supplement they give me. Thanks. Im only 55 by the way
Our family and friends who know the benefits are all on a daily 5000iu of vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 (together in one pill,) it has helped so many of us. If I forget to take it all my pains come back within the day. I too am around your age pryderi.
Hi Keith, You don't say how old you are. I am 72 and have been on dialysis over 6 years. The symptoms you describe I also had and were mainly age related.
I stared taking cod liver oil every morning and rubbing witch hazel into my knees which, together with Vit D tablets, sorted me out. My stick is now in the back of a cupboard.
I take HuxD3 20,000 IU tablets (certified as suitable for Vegetarians) once every 2 weeks and I am much better at walking long distances now. It is a very important vitamin and most people in UK, especially NW where it rains a lot, are defficient. My problems only started when I returned to NW England after 13 years in Spain.
Cholesterol keeps increasing