“Is dialysis a painful process?”
I am 47 years old and due to high sugar levels my kidneys have been suffering. My creatinine levels are currently 6.2 and the doctor has immediately recommended dialysis to start. Is dialysis a painful process? How will it impact my everyday functioning?
3 Answers
No but dialysis can help you live while waiting for a transplant
No, the dialysis procedure itself in not painful. There is pain involved in preparing you for dialysis, like putting a catheter or creating a Graft or a Fistula.
It's not a painful process, but given your age, if your BMI is less than 30, then you need to apply for transplant also while starting dialysis. I am a big transplant advocate and try to get my patients to lose weight before their GFR drops to <20 and try to get them a transplant before they go on dialysis. If your labs (potassium, BUN, acidosis) are indicative of need to start dialysis then use that as a bridge to transplant. Kidney transplant will give you a better quality of life and a longer life span, too.
