Peritoneal Dialysis

[Ladysingsblue]

Hello Community-

My husband started Hemodialysis in February. He goes to the center Mon, Wed & Fri. When he gets home he's really tired. On his days off, he's still trying to recooperate. He wants to know if there's anyone out there that do Peritoneal Dialysis at home during the night. The center thinks he may be a candidate to do PD, but he wants to know if he'll still be tired all the time.

Also, we noticed his face, hands and feet have turned about three shades darker than the rest of his body. Is this to be expected? I must add that he is African American. None of his doctors are able to give us an answer as to why the change in melanin.

Thank You!

[Hidden]

Hi! I was on PD for five weeks prior to getting a living donor kidney. Based on those five weeks, I felt much, much better. Very little fatigue and never felt drained. My BUN, which is one of the BIG numbers they measure during dialysis, improved dramatically. It went from 100 down to mid 50s. Also, I was still urinating on my own — approximately 3 liters a day — so I didn't have much of a fluid restriction.

Honestly, PD is pretty simple to do at home. You have the catheter placement, followed by training, and then your first night on PD. My wife and I did the setup together each evening. You can actually set up the PD solution and machine hours in advance so you'r ready for bedtime. I usually went to bed between 9-10 p.m — with a total of 8 -9 hours on the machine — wake up, unhook at 6 a.m and go back to bed.

The only real issues I had with PD, were the a) the machine could possibly wake you up in middle of night with an alarm, and b) similar to hemodialysis, there is always a chance of infection.

If/when I every need dialysis again, I would surely do PD. To be sure, It is lifesaving technology. However, I've now had three minimally invasive abdominal surgeries — either laparoscopic or robotic — I not sure if they could place a catheter again.

Also, Is your husband on the transplant list?

Kind Regards,

Christopher

[Kalyn]

I switched from in center hemo to PD after about 3 months and it was the best decision. I did PD for about 2 years before I received my transplant. The set up is easy and I had so much more energy. I would choose PD all day over hemo. The machine can alarm during the night if there is a kink in the cord but it rarely happens. That’s honestly the only downside I found from it. There can be a little bit of a pulling/cramping feeling when the machine is draining you, but that isn’t bad at all. Definitely recommend it if he is a candidate

[John13074]

my mom is on PD and I am her main caregiver. In the beginning of PD there may be small annoying complications like the catheter positioning and drain pain but if or when they reposition the catheter it will be instantaneous relief. The first 2weeks there was no change to her energy level but afterwards she began wanting to do things and had more energy. I would focus on the medications that may be dialysized and what possible vitamin supplements you can take as well. Some other items to look for on PD is cramping..if you use too strong of a prescription leg cramping may occur. I keep a low sugar pedialyte near by that fixes that problem pretty quickly. If you go PD you can also visit stickman dialysis for accessories to make things easier ,like belts,shower lanyards and toilet drain holders. These are just OUR experiences..others may be better but would she do PD again? Yes..it made things more manageable..I still take her on vacations for a weekend. You just need to prepare for those days. Hope this helps

[RhenDutchess123]

I have been on PD about 5 months now...the best decision I made...I use an Amia Cycler at night...every once is awhile there is an alarm...usual just need to reposition yourself...They will train your husband how to set up and use the Cycler and also the manual bags in case of a power shortage...the Cycler is small and easy to take on travels...The vest thing to do is to attend his training if you can so that you understand how it works...I was "fuzzy" while in training due to kidney failure and it worked out well to have my Husband know how to run it..It does take alot of space in your home for all the boxes of solutions and supplies. So if you have a room you can designate to that it works well..

I set up my Cycler and night...sleep through the 8 hour treatment and when I unhook in the morning ...the rest of the day belongs to me..I actually forget that I am even on Dialysis...

I dont just feel so much better...I feel like I got my Life back....Keep in touch if you have questions...we are all here for you !!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

The time on tx in clinic is usually 12 hours or less. Kidneys work 168 hours per week so you can see hemodialysis in clinic is bare minimum. The machine is trying to replace 168 hours of cleaning and fluid removal in 12 hours. They will try to run the pump as fast as possible, remove fluid in that time which can lead to headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and more. The high pump speed can be damaging to the heart and vessels. PD and Home Hemo are great options. I did PD for a short while and LOVED it. Been doing home hemo for nearly 20 years. I can do nocturnal or extended. I rarely get the dialysis hangover like your husband. Don't cramp or get headaches.

Check out kidneyschool.org

NKF.org

AAKP

AKF

or the book Help, I Need Dialysis! It is on Amazon for like $7?

Blessings

[steve680]

I hope your husband's PD was better than mine. When I did PD in the clinic, it didn't remove enough water or potassium, which can be very dangerous. I had a couple of trips to the ER with fluid overload. One time I had a seizure in ICU, and bit part of my tongue off. PD worked for me at the hospital but not at the clinic for some reason. I had to back to hemodialysis and got rid of the catheter, which has a high risk of infection. I tried PD because I would get a rapid heart during dialysis. It turns out that dialysis would trigger atrial fibrillation. I recently had a cardiac ablation and seem to be doing much better.

[Ladysingsblue]

I want to thank you all for your personal input. This will definitely help in making a decision!