Frequency of Dialysis Treatments

[Hdslimand62]

I am currently doing 2 Dialysis Treatments per week, every Monday and Friday with each being a 4 hour run. Does anybody else do 2 times a week or does everybody do 3 times a week? And how long is your run?

[Hidden]

Usually, there is no standard for everyone. Your nephrologist will write a script for your dialysis treatment. There is a standard of in-center hemodialysis that is usually three times a week and the amount of time is also part of the script written by the doctor. However, I've met someone else at the local DaVita center that receives HD twice a week. I didn't pry into why she only gets it twice a week but she and her doctor apparently believe that is all she needs.

[Foster15 in reply to Hidden]

That’s interesting how does a Dr. know if a patient needs 2 or 3 days is it the gfr rating that gives them that number

[Hidden in reply to Foster15]

My nephrologist explained to me that it depends on his overall health, attitude, complaints about symptoms, but most of all on the cumulative results of his blood and urine labs. Again, the first script is a starting point and can be changed. Have you gone to the nephrologist with your father and spoken to him/her about his concerns about the center? As to how to handle a grievance about a center I've included some information below to help you with this.

kidney.org/atoz/content/dia...

[Jayhawker]

How do you feel with your current prescription?

Marj

[Hdslimand62 in reply to Jayhawker]

I am currently doing fine. Started out doing in center 3 times a week for about 9 months and changed to 2 times per week for now about 9 months.

[Foster15 in reply to Hdslimand62]

Do you feel better doing 2 days per week verses 3 days how do you go about getting your dr to change from 3 days to 2 days? Thanks

[Hdslimand62 in reply to Foster15]

One day I talked to my nephrologist and asked what he thought about going to 2 times per week. He looked at all of my blood tests and urine tests, and based upon those numbers plus how I was doing on dialysis and agreed to go to twice a week, but increae the run from 3 & 1/2 hours to 4 hours. He said he would continue to monitor all tests to see if the frequency can stay the same or whether it needs to be changed.

[Charlene_Coxhead]

The dialysis team and your renal doctor will have discussed and looked at by dialysis clearance (UKM) or you may know it as kt/v. If you are achieving greater than 1.4 your doing good and that maybe why the cut your sessions as felt this was enough for you.

When I first started dialysis on the 28th Jan 2019 I was told I would need 3 times a week doing 4 hours, within two weeks it was charged to 3 times a week still but 3 hours. During this time I was being trained to go home and they believed I would need 2 hours 5 times a week but I'm happy to say I started home haemo dialysis on the 28th March and doing every other day and 2hours 35minutes and achieving good clearance of 2.1 so could reduce it but I doing well at this level and don't want to tempt fate changing things are bodies are very sensitive creatures.

Every one is very different and this is why they will have reached their decision not because of guess work or text books, although sometimes it does feel like this but they will have been looking at your bloods and the clearance and feel this is enough.

If your feeling unwell or worried your not achieving the right level or want to know your results or just have it all explained dont be afraid to ask as it might help you to understand.

Have you ever considered HHD are csnt recommend it enough the freedom is amazing.

I hope this has helped a little, I'm based in the UK and know the USA do things slightly different but the principles are the same.

Good luck your doing really well

Charlene

[Carillon in reply to Charlene_Coxhead]

Hi Charlene. I need to decide between home hemo and PD. Can you tell me if you have a fistula and how easy/hard it is to do the home HD. Steven