Blood pressure in center hemo

[horsie63]

During my treatments I have the nurse put the machine where I can see the readings mostly so I can see my BP when it is done every half hour. I noticed today that there were a couple of readings of 99/64 and 94/67. Then a 138/84 so they seem to fluctuate quite a bit and I wonder why I'd get such low readings. I'll ask the nurse on Sat when I go back. I don't see anyone there looking at their screens but maybe since I'm new to all this I have a bunch of questions.

[Bassetmommer]

Ah Horsie, I can speak to that...... so as the dialysis machine is doing its thing, it is removing fluid from the body. So as the time progresses, your BP will drop. Then, if you are have something similar to me, they push the fluids (saline) back into you at the end, bringing the pressure up. I do my BP every half hour also and at the beginning twice, once sitting and one standing and then we repeat it at the very end. My BP runs from anywhere from 140 over 70 to 119 over 60. I am having very little fluid removed and I start to get cramps at the end. I learned to day how to give myself saline during the process. Brought my BP back up and stopped the cramps.

[horsie63 in reply to Bassetmommer]

That’s one thing I haven’t had…knock wood…is cramping. That might be due to the potato chips I eat during the day.

How are you giving yourself saline?

[Bassetmommer in reply to horsie63]

You crack me up..... eat them chips.....I am now eating pretzels to get my sodium in balance. I haven't eaten pretzels in years. There is a separate line that supplies just straight saline from the bag. I undo two clips and in it goes into the arterial line. The machine is right next to me with a saline bag on a "pole". I can reach the machine and many of the lines I need.

[horsie63 in reply to Bassetmommer]

I’ve seen that bag. I suppose I could reacthings but that means coming out from my blankets. I have three so it’s not easy.

Since I still have the catheter I can cover all i up p but I’m not sure if that will work with a fistula. Most of the people with them just wear short sleeve shirts. Of course they seem to be better insulated than me. I’ll figure something out.

[Bassetmommer in reply to horsie63]

oh no, I get very cold too. The blood coming back in is not heated and the fluids are of course at room temp. I wear short sleeves but then I have a collection of fleece vests.

[horsie63 in reply to Bassetmommer]

Where did you get the fleece vests? I have fleece lined sweats and snap closed long sleeved shirts lined with fleece that work with the catheter but not sure about the shirts and a fistula. They said it would probably be in my upper arm when I did the first vein mapping. I go today for a second on on a non dialysis day.

[Bassetmommer in reply to horsie63]

I buy them from a woman within on line but everyone carries them. They are soft and warm and sleeveless. I have six of them in multiple colors and weights. Some are thicker than others. I also have a puffy vest, but it makes my hair staticky.

[29hupp in reply to horsie63]

Suggest you go on Amazon and buy a battery operated heated vest, I use one all of the time in dialysis and it is comfortably warm the whole session. I charge the battery after I get home. In addition I have a long sleeve jersey with a zipper sewn in the upper sleeve, this keeps most of my arm warm.

[checkman]

BP always fluctuates during treatment. Please keep in mind any and all "automatic" BP cuffs are not true readings, only manual BP's taken are your true numbers. There is ALWAYS a pretty big difference when I have a manual done compared to the automated ones. I stopped buying home BP machines years ago due to this fact.

[Ziggydoodah]

Hi Horsie....ALWAYS check your screen!!!!..This was the first bit of advice I got from a long term dialysis patient. The staff are usually spot on but sometimes errors do occur. I have had to ask them to double check how much fluid they are removing as the wrong amount has been entered on machine. Also check blood flow. Also if you feel ill, you can check what your blood pressure is. If its low, you are probably about to crash. So you can take action before passing out etc. All the best

[horsie63 in reply to Ziggydoodah]

Where on the screen is the fluid and blood flow? I'll ask tomorrow at my Sat treatment.