Tired all the time!!

[Nikki41775]

Ok- so I've been on PD for 8 months now. Labs have been great. Adequacy tests have all been above average. Sleeping pretty good now that I've grown accustom to PD. My problem is that I am so exhausted! All the time!! It is getting increasingly hard for me to get up in the mornings and work all day. I've spoken to my doctor about it and he cant find anything wrong with me. I am assuming it all dialysis/kidney related. Maybe I am lacking a vitamin so I asked him about a multi-vitamin that I can take and he said I can try. Just wondering if any one is dealing with being consistently tired and what you are doing to cope?

[Bunkin]

Praying that you feel better. I am tired a lot but I’m not on dialysis. I thought that would help with the fatigue. You’re hemoglobin is good? Mine is low. I may have to start EPO injection.

[Nikki41775 in reply to Bunkin]

Thanks. Yes all my labs have been good.

[RhenDutchess123 in reply to Nikki41775]

Do you take B Complex Liguid ?...I take it and it perks me up...my nephologist approved it for me...might ask your doctor first

[Nikki41775 in reply to RhenDutchess123]

I don’t but will look into it. Thanks!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

Most dialysis patients should be prescribed a multi vitamin specifically a renal vitamin. This can be given free as part of the bundle. Ask your dietitian about this. Your iron stores and available iron work together with your hemoglobin. So if they are both at good levels you'll feel good. If one is low then the other will also eventually drop. Many people feel good with low levels of hgb while others just DRAG slow unless their hgb is say above 10 and stores above 30. This is where individual treatment is critical you may need more meds for better anemia control. Perhaps your target weight is too low or you've gained body weight. Are you short of breath? Either challenging your target (dry) weight by trying to remove 1/2 kilo more or increasing your target by removing 1/2 k less. Many on PD feel FULL which may contribute to feeling so tired.

Are you exercising? Believe it or not but oftentimes this can help lessen fatigue symptoms. Even simple chair exercises or walking a block or two as a daily regimen can improve overall health.

Just some ideas.

Blessings

[Nikki41775 in reply to KidneyCoach]

Thanks for the ideas! Will definitely ask my dietitian. Honestly I’m not exercising. I come home and do my first fill and can’t fathom exercising with 5-6 pounds of fluid in me.

I’m not short of breath but I’ve gained a little weight and I know I have to work on that but I am ALWAYS hungry so it’s hard lol

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador in reply to Nikki41775]

The hunger is from protein loss. Dialysis generally removes protein so this causes hunger. Your dialysate may mess up your blood sugars so be certain to ask about their numbers and how to keep them controlled. Blessings

[jobeth]

I am also on PD dialysis. I am tired almost all of the time. There are days I just lay on my bed a lot because I cannot stand long enough to do much. I force myself to complete the daily tasks I need to do. The main reason for my fatigue I believe is my blood pressure. Since being on dialysis,. my blood pressure has gone very low. In the middle of the night it can be as low as 79/60. It is hard to keep it above 100. I am taking a medication for it, and it helps. They just doubled my dose and tonight it was over 110. I was actually able to do more tonight. I also have psudotumer cerebri which is high spinal fluid pressure. It had been doing well and I am off of meds for it, but I think with the weight I have gained with the PD, the symptoms are starting to return. I am going to be following a diet by Lee Hull. He has published a book and diet book on kidney disease. I am hoping that as I lose weight I will feel better and get more energy. I have been on PD for just over a year. I think by following a diet that helps limit the toxins in my blood, I will also feel better.

[Jayhawker in reply to jobeth]

I'm glad to hear that your blood pressure is a little higher tonight. As I read your post I wondered if your BP was running low; sure enough that's what you mentioned. I've had trouble with low BP as well. I felt exactly the same way you have described. Once my Bp began running a little higher I definitely both felt better and have been able to do a lot more on a daily basis. I'm hoping your doctors will be able to get your low Bp under effective treatment.

Jayhawker

[jobeth in reply to Jayhawker]

I agree. It goes up when I take the blood pressure medication. Since they doubled my dose it doesn't go down as much.