Hey,
I hope everyone is well. I need advice please.....peoples pro's and con's of both HD and PD. the last couple of days I have had a change of heart. obviously my fistula failed so nothing is in place yet just wondered at what stage dialysis will need to be done? and would I be able to change my mind now or am I too late... GFR back to 10%.
hope everyone is well. thank you xx
Hi lauralou
I would think dialysis is very close now. PD has changed since I did it. It really didn't suit me at all. I had a very difficult fistula at the time. Needling was a nightmare and I dialysed at home. So I tried it. I was back on HD within 3 months.
So- PD.4 times a day, or APD nightly.You carry fluid in your abdomen, drain it out, put more in. The diet is slightly more relaxed. You may gain weight. You won't need a fistula. But you'll have a tube hanging from your abdomen. Risk of peritonitis. It's at home.
HD- on 3 times per week-long you have dialysis free days. If done at the unit, lots of hanging around, especially if you use hospital transport. You will meet other patients and get support. If eventually done at home (My recommendation if it's possible) you fit dialysis around your life. You need reliable access such as fistula, graft or line. You'll have needles. Needling can be a fiddle, once you get used to it. This you will do.
This is a personal choice and sometimes a medical one. Not everyone is suitable for PD.
I've given you a very diluted list of pros and cons. This is your choice. And Yes, you can go back. PD is favoured by Drs because it's cheaper. Ask if you want to know specific things x
Hi Lauralou,
I was put on dialysis when GFR was in single figures.
Although my fistula was done way back in 2004,and it was not fully developed,started dialysis in Jun 2016, the staff were able to dialysis me my using thin needles and the fistula was corrected within 2 weeks of dialysis.Till then I was on 1 hour slots, then 2 hour, then 3 hour and then full 4 hour slots when the fistula was properly developed.
Hi
My GFR was also 10% a few months ago. The doctors and the nurses recommended that I chose PD; and so I chose APD. The main reasons were :
1. Freedom during the day. I work so I didn't think my employer would like me taking 2 or 3 days off work every week.
2. Dialyse during the night, so I don't need to take fluid bags with me to work. Also, as I am asleep, I don't get bored.
3. Don't need to travel to the Renal unit very often. It's a 25 min trip each way, so it's time saved.
4. Travelling away from home is easier. I take the APD machine with me and have supplies delivered to my destination (even abroad). No need to worry about finding a Renal unit nearby.
The nurses will give you extensive training on how to set up the machine (which is very daunting at first) and how to take care of the catheter site (cleaning.)
The cons are:
1. Catheter is permanently attached to the abdomen. Although it is easily hidden under clothing (no one has noticed it yet,) it can be irritating (itchy).
2. Draining fluid from abdomen can be painful (at least until you get used to it). The pain was excruciating at times but is not so bad now.
3. Need to dialyse every night (no nights off).
4. Need to store fluid boxes and associated supplies in spare room (and there are a lot of boxes!) But you do get a reduction in Council Tax as a result of loss of use of the room.
5. Risk of infection. I was warned by some nurses that this was one of the main reasons not to choose PD. Anyway, so far I've not had any problems.
I've only had a couple of HD sessions when I first started dialysis and found it quite painless but kept getting alarms (which was very annoying). Also, I got very bored as the sessions were so long (4-5 hour).
Hope this helps.
Hello, well with PD so just in my opinion I think PD is kind of different for male and female and I mean that in their appearance do we as women still feel appreciated, attractive, do we feel sexy you know if you and your guy is intimate are you going to be embarrassed by this tube in your stomach and is it going to be in the way of different activity that you're involved in, so I mean those are some of the things that I've heard as a mentor that I have talked to others, and when I had it I felt less attractive I felt like I lost my sexual desire. But as far as HD it didn't at first having like the bandages on my arm and I wear a short-sleeve you know everybody's looking at my arm, like you know what is that and you know stuff like that, it became a conversation piece and after a while it didn't even bother me anymore, now I don't care what they say you know, if they say or anything else I haven't developed the knots that a lot of people have on my arm and again I've been doing this since 09 and each person is really different it depends on if that person is susceptible to having keloids and also determines where that person sticks when they put the needles in your arm, are they sticking in the same spot all the time causing scar tissue to rise or are they moving the needles around constantly so that you you know you don't get that some people call it a snake so fast in your arm. and again I've been doing this for 7 years. Pros for PD u can do it at night and have ur day to yourself. Pro in my opinion for HD there is so many nurses and techs around if something happens. Con for HD it was a chunk of ur time , but u do get to socialise with others like u. and so that's my pros and cons that's just in my opinion and how I feel so I hope that helps.
Hi Lauralou88,
Sorry to hear that you are starting dialysis soon. I sincerely pray that they can hold it as long as they can because it is very traumatic experience for anybody to go through. i have had both HD and PD and they involve some kind of surgery. HD normally leaves one very tired and lacking energy. I find it better to do it at twilight in order to go to bed straight after getting home. that is if your clinic does twilight shifts. PD on the other hand done trough the night give you freedom to do things during the day depending on how well you are dialysing. Both treatment modalities can cause infections as we are prone to them as dialysis patients.
Anyway, discuss both treatments at length with your consultant/nurse if you can.
Wishing you all the best.
Thank you much. Fingers crossed everything will work out super this next time. Hope you are well.
Take care xx
Starting dialysis on Monday 
Why am I here?
Sorrowful 
Gfr of 10 but feeling well - is this possible ?