Stopping Dialysis

Posted by dhrubasen @dhrubasen, Jun 8 9:16am

I am told that if I stop dialysis, I will die in a few weeks. If so - why?

If not, is it because the dialysis industry wants to maintain its profit by billing to insurance?

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Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jun 8 11:20am

@dhrubasen When we are on dialysis, that treatment is working to do a portion of the job our native kidneys do. That is, removing toxins from our body. When or if we make the decision to stop dialysis, those toxins are no longer being addressed, and will build up in our body. Eventually, we will go through multi-organ failure, leading to death. As far as how long death may occur after discontinuing dialysis, that is relative to each patient's health in general at that time.

Two years ago my cousin decided to discontinue dialysis. He was doing in-center three times a week, was in his late 70s, and his kidney condition was the result of a cardiac medication complication from years before. His wife of many decades had a very frank talk. He decided his quality of life was no longer as good as it could be. After stopping dialysis, he lived about 2.5 weeks.

Here is an article from the National Kidney Federation: https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/dialysis-deciding-to-stop

Are you currently doing dialysis? If so, what modality? And what leads you to this question, if I may ask.
Ginger