Hemodialysis at home, concerned about leg cramping & numbness

Posted by dramaking55 @dramaking55, Jul 7, 2022

Hi, my name is Michael and my 68 yr old wife is in ESRD. We started home dialysis about a month ago and lately as I get close to 1/2 hrs before I take her off she is experiencing cramping and numbness in the legs and feet! Is this common?

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@dramaking55 Michael, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!

Is your wife doing home hemo, or peritoneal dialysis? The cramping may have to do with the fluid being taken off. Here is an article from the National Kidney Foundation about some of the side effects of dialysis, that may answer your questions: https://www.kidney.org/news/coping-with-symptoms-while-on-dialysis

When does your wife go for her next dialysis unit check in with doctor and nurse? My suggestion is that you keep track of the symptoms she is showing, and relate them to the nurse. They may need to adjust the timing/rate of the procedure, based on your observations and labwork they pull. As you get towards the end of a session, there is less to pull off, but the machine is still as enthusiastic as ever!

Will you let me know what you find out, what helps you, please? I actually go this afternoon for evaluation for PD catheter placement.
Ginger

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I'd like to add my welcome, @dramaking55. Fellow members like @xottawan @stevewyatt @pegalini @mikek206 may have some additional experiences and tips to share.

Have you submitted a question to your wife's care team on the patient portal?

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@colleenyoung

I'd like to add my welcome, @dramaking55. Fellow members like @xottawan @stevewyatt @pegalini @mikek206 may have some additional experiences and tips to share.

Have you submitted a question to your wife's care team on the patient portal?

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Hi Colleen...I seem to be holding my own at Stage 4...for the past year, nothing has changed...if I stay this way I will be very happy...Just eating right...doing some exercises & just hanging around...

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