Hello,
Wasnt sure how to title this…
I’m having a nauseous response in the first 30 min. of dialysis from the plastic in the NxStage lines and cartridge. Has anyone who has had this effect had any relief ?
I tried to flush a liter and 1/2 of saline through the lines today and it did not help significantly. It is fairly distressing and I’m not looking forward to Tx in the morning.
Thanks,
A Traveler
I used to all ways get first time dialyzor syndrom on the in center machines. Then after years of that it stopped. I have been on NxStage for almost seven months now and have not experienced a problem. I don’t realy enjoy the taste I get from the plastic at the beginning of treatment. I also always do my treatments in a recliner, so that I am sitting kinda upright. I hope you find an answer to your problem.
LSB
[quote=Leafsunbear;11730]I used to all ways get first time dialyzor syndrom on the in center machines. Then after years of that it stopped. I have been on NxStage for almost seven months now and have not experienced a problem. I don’t realy enjoy the taste I get from the plastic at the beginning of treatment. I also always do my treatments in a recliner, so that I am sitting kinda upright. I hope you find an answer to your problem.
LSB[/quote]
Same here, regardless whether it was in-center or not its the same deal. All newcomers to dialysis therapy will experience all these symptoms, I did. It takes time to adjust and I guess there’s nothing you can do about it.
I have been using Nxstage for almost a year. In the beginning I felt some nausea with the start of each treatment. The ‘taste’ of the plastic was pretty unpleasant. The nurses of my training unit suggested sucking on a mint (I use Lifesavers peppermint) just before I connect my lines. I actually start when putting in my needles. It helped tremendously! It wasn’t long before the nausea went away. Another thing to consider is perhaps starting with a lower pump speed and gradually increase it over 10 min or so. How is your BP going on? Starting on the low side may contribute as well. Check with the nurses who trained you. They might be able to help.
Thanks for the responses.
I have been on hemo a while…never had ’ first use’ syndrome…
Tried many machines ‘in’ and at home …the plastice has never been this strong an issue…it’s almost like it’s not ‘food grade plastic’.
I thought I would look into it…when I open the cartridge pack…the smell is the same as I’m getting in the 1st 20 minutes of dailysis…besides the nauseaa I get a headache, woosy, aches in the limbs and a stiffness in the top of the neck.
It mostly goes after 20 min. or so.
It just reminds me of low-grade plastic.
BP is usually good at about 140/70 or higher.
This seems the only negative I’m experiencing to the NxStage but for the time being it IS a hurdle.
A Traveler
I forgot to mention that I’m using the Pure Flow instead of bags but I’m not sure that has any relevance…I seem to get a similar reaction, if memory serves, the one time I did use the ‘bags’.
A Traveler
Just hang in there and try those strong mint candies unless you want to just go back in-center.
Well, I see you have advice to offer, Gus…but I’m not looking for advice.
I’m only inquiring of those with similar experiences that have solved them in some way to share that solution.
Your ‘advice’ is disingenuous, unkind and for me unwelcome, no matter how long you’ve been on dialysis.
A Traveler
[quote=A Traveler;11769]Well, I see you have advice to offer, Gus…but I’m not looking for advice.
I’m only inquiring of those with similar experiences that have solved them in some way to share that solution.
Your ‘advice’ is disingenuous, unkind and for me unwelcome, no matter how long you’ve been on dialysis.
A Traveler[/quote]
Sorry you felt offended, but sometimes the most experienced on dialysis are the ones who can provide the best solution. The long road on dialysis rough one , its not easy. Your situation I already have gone through that and I already gave you my experiecne and advice. Other here also gave you their thoughts as well. However, I think the best advice you can get is from you supporting clinic and your Doctor.
Good luck and take care…
I have yet to hear anyone say what causes the plastic taste. We asked a NxStage rep about this. No answer other than to say it is unpleasant, but harmless. Surely there is an answer?
Heather, I think the answer is not complex at all. We all have taste buds, some people stronger than others.
All manufactured plastics will have the same effect on humans, especially, those of sterile medical plastics.
Patients, people, or Dialyzors…whatever you want to call it who go 3x a week dialysis sessions tend to have lower taste than those who dialyze longer. The reason for that is the uremia/toxins buildup.
Gus, When I started on NxStage I would eat a grahm cracker when I started my tx. I use other things now like licorice, hard candys, strong herbal tea, and what not. I am not into mints though, but I to have used your solution for the taste just not with mints. I also would rather deal with some nuasea and a funny taste then go back to in-center any day or even begin to try and use one of those other home machines.
About the plastic having the taste and smell it does. It wouldn’t be a low grade plastic with that smell. The smell that NxStage plastic has is not of the lower grade petroleaum smells. It has a higher more ether like smell to it. This would lead me to believe that it is of a higher grade pastic. I may be wrong on this, but this is how I understand it.
LSB
[quote=Leafsunbear;11774]Gus, When I started on NxStage I would eat a grahm cracker when I started my tx. I use other things now like licorice, hard candys, strong herbal tea, and what not. I am not into mints though, but I to have used your solution for the taste just not with mints. I also would rather deal with some nuasea and a funny taste then go back to in-center any day or even begin to try and use one of those other home machines.
Hehehe, we try what we can. I sometimes drink cranberry juice, lemon juice, or even a beer! (jokingly)at initiation of therapy
About the plastic having the taste and smell it does. It wouldn’t be a low grade plastic with that smell. The smell that NxStage plastic has is not of the lower grade petroleaum smells. It has a higher more ether like smell to it. This would lead me to believe that it is of a higher grade pastic. I may be wrong on this, but this is how I understand it.
[b]Of course, I mean c’mon…is a plastic soda bottle high grade? Is a plastic gallon of milk high grade? Of course not! Medical plastics are carefully manufactured and it needs to be sterile, so whenever you open a medical package you will smell the funny.
Unless we want to dialyze with plastic soda bottles? Hehehe…I kinda wonder how it would be like dialyzing with glass…hmmm[/b]
Sterility and grade of plastic are separate things.
Almost any grade of plastic can be sterilized …they can simply be Irradiated by Gamma or Electron if they are not durable enough to stand up to heat or steam or chemical sterilization.
Different grades of plastic maintain their integrity bettor than others …the taste of plastic is when a plastic loses more of its integrity, molecules to the solution it is containing.
And while many seemed to be concerned with the taste, this is only a indication of the plastic contamination that their physical is being subjected to.
There are only now studies to show the effect of plastic contamination on fisrh in the ocean. When I wrote here I was hoping for a solution to avoid the plastic contamination, not to avoid tasting it.
Btw, NxStage is sterilized by irradiation.
And I have been on hemo-dialysis since 1980.
At home since 1997. Daily since 2003.
NxStage for 3 weeks.
A Traveler
[quote=A Traveler;11832]Sterility and grade of plastic are separate things.
Almost any grade of plastic can be sterilized …they can simply be Irradiated by Gamma or Electron if they are not durable enough to stand up to heat or steam or chemical sterilization.
Different grades of plastic maintain their integrity bettor than others …the taste of plastic is when a plastic loses more of its integrity, molecules to the solution it is containing.
And while many seemed to be concerned with the taste, this is only a indication of the plastic contamination that their physical is being subjected to.
There are only now studies to show the effect of plastic contamination on fisrh in the ocean. When I wrote here I was hoping for a solution to avoid the plastic contamination, not to avoid tasting it.
Btw, NxStage is sterilized by irradiation.
And I have been on hemo-dialysis since 1980.
At home since 1997. Daily since 2003.
NxStage for 3 weeks.
A Traveler[/quote]
Welcome back! Have you already found any relief from it?
When I wrote here I was hoping for a solution to avoid the plastic contamination, not to avoid tasting it.<quote> a traveler
How about not using it? Personally I would rather tempt my fate with some plastic contamination then not do dialysis. I have to ask, do you live in a city or own a car? If so, what do you do to avoid the contamination?
LSB
I can well understand the concern about “plastic contamination”. I have battled health problems, nothing to do with kidneys, for about 20 years. One of the things my current doc suggested when I started going to her was to try to avoid any food product sold in plastic containers due to the chemicals which leech into the products between the time they are packaged and the time they are consumed. I did some online research and found there have been studies and warnings about that, especially when the product and plastic are subjected to sunlight or heat.
So, it might be better if NxStage didn’t use plastic, but until there is a feasible alternative we’ll have to go with what is currently available.
BTW, my husband has very little kidney function, GFR 10, but he still has a very sensitive palate. I will make sure he has something available to combat the taste when he starts on the NxStage. Thanks for the heads up!
[quote=Lorelle;11891]I can well understand the concern about “plastic contamination”. I have battled health problems, nothing to do with kidneys, for about 20 years. One of the things my current doc suggested when I started going to her was to try to avoid any food product sold in plastic containers due to the chemicals which leech into the products between the time they are packaged and the time they are consumed. I did some online research and found there have been studies and warnings about that, especially when the product and plastic are subjected to sunlight or heat.
So, it might be better if NxStage didn’t use plastic, but until there is a feasible alternative we’ll have to go with what is currently available.
BTW, my husband has very little kidney function, GFR 10, but he still has a very sensitive palate. I will make sure he has something available to combat the taste when he starts on the NxStage. Thanks for the heads up![/quote]
Hi Lorelle, there’s a nifty procedure that can be done to NxStage System One after priming lines, but ask your clinic about this and only if the plastic yucky taste proves to be a BIG problem.
Anyway, once after the machine is done and ready, you replace the saline bag with a new one and make the correct connections and then start the cycler(green button) and set the UFR rate to the highest while saline from the new bag is streaming in. Be sure the waste line is connected/unclamped…Let it run till the whole saline bag is almost empty. After that stop machine and add a new saline bag and adjust the cycler parameters for your prescribed treatment.Finally, initiate your treatment. If you’d ask what actually happened…well, you just flushed the lines and set UFR to secrete any residue/particles that may reside in the lines/dialyzer and also reduced or stopped that funky taste…the only taste that may remain is the saline itself…
Don’t try thise without consulting with your clinic/Doctor…
[QUOTE=Gus;11894]Hi Lorelle, there’s a nifty procedure that can be done to NxStage System One after priming lines, but ask your clinic about this and only if the plastic yucky taste proves to be a BIG problem.
Anyway, once after the machine is done and ready, you replace the saline bag with a new one and make the correct connections and then start the cycler(green button) and set the UFR rate to the highest while saline from the new bag is streaming in. Be sure the waste line is connected/unclamped…Let it run till the whole saline bag is almost empty. After that stop machine and add a new saline bag and adjust the cycler parameters for your prescribed treatment.Finally, initiate your treatment. If you’d ask what actually happened…well, you just flushed the lines and set UFR to secrete any residue/particles that may reside in the lines/dialyzer and also reduced or stopped that funky taste…the only taste that may remain is the saline itself…
Don’t try thise without consulting with your clinic/Doctor…[/QUOTE]
Irregardless of the desire to eliminate the plastic taste, this procedure should be done on every tx to remove any contaminants from the filter and lines. We always flushed with an extra bag of saline in-center. We would want to continue to do so for home txs. This is a step that usually no one will suggest unless the patient takes the initiative.
The option is there, its up to you and is not required, but if you think it may help you then do it! Its not part of our training with NxSTage but like some of you are complaining and can’t stand that funky taste then i’d say try that option under your clinic’s supervision. Either way, doing it or not its still beeing filtered/dialyzed.
On my behalf, it has not caused problems at all. I have been on dialysis since 1978 and am still here alive!
It’s your choice, your right.