How I handle cramps during dialysis
Cramps is the one awful side-effect of being on a dialysis, it is painful depending on severity and it really makes a patient very uncomfortable and worried. But it's major cause is when fluids are taken out from the body in large amounts and when that happens the muscles react by cramping. This is due to electrolyte imbalance where the patient's blood ph level goes down until it causes cramps to major painful cramps of any part of the body.
One cure for it is to avoid drinking or taking excessive fluids between dialysis sessions, I can never overdo drinking much fluid because my torso's form now wouldn't allow it and I now just get filled up too quickly that my tolerance in taking much fluids is limited. I also eat during dialysis and it contributes to normalize the acidity of the blood, it is a natural way of replenishing the lost nutrients and electrolytes that the body loses when undergoing dialysis treatments so that the blood ph level won't get unbalanced too much and gives me cramps.
I also drink sour drinks and it is a good way to make my muscles relax just too oppose the contracting, cramping muscles. Sometimes when available I get to take some pickle juice, it is salty, acidic, and sweet and perfect enough to cure a raging cramp bout. One way I do when having a cramp is moving my muscles the other way because cramps is the contraction of muscles, you need to "pull" it back again as to not make it cause you pain and discomfort.
See also my recent article on "Life"
https://steemit.com/life/@cryptopie/dear-life-the-beloved-that-i-ve-missed
Sometimes eating some olives seems to help my cramps.
Yes Thanks for that tip @old-guy-photos
Dialysis cramps sometimes really are so painful but I am managing.
Thank you.
ugh wow! :( I agree cramps are awful. One night in my sleeping bag I got a monster cramp in my hamstring (electrolytes probably after going so long in crampons). It took such a long time to settle it down. And you have them a lot...:(
It's a pure misery. In dialysis they just often put sodium in my system so if I use a regular dialyzer (the filter) sodium would retain and makes me thirsty, I would of course dink then become waterlogged. So next dialysis I would get cramps because they would take out large amounts of water from my body. Then a vicious cycle begins again.
Now I use a high flux dialyzer but have to pay an extra fee to use it.
@cryptopie
Nice Job!
Keep the good work up!
Thanks for sharing
Some great tips thanks for sharing.