Can I ask you that during my dialysis, after a while they (the nurse or technician) always increase the UFR, and I figure out will be higher than the CMS guideline 13/ml/kg/hr, sometimes even 18/ml/kg/hr. I am afraid that Myocardial stunning could be happened. Kindly pls advise. TKS again.
That seems really high. Everything I read it says a long slow treatment is best. Hopefully one of the experts will comment
jnch88, good for you for learning what a UFR is, what your UFR is, and paying attention at dialysis! You are absolutely correct that a high UFR puts you at risk of stunning your heart and also your brain, gut, and any kidney function you have left.
Perhaps the single most important thing you can do at dialysis is to talk to your nephrologist about your UFR. If you are not gaining excessive amounts of water weight, it should be possible to keep your UFR in the safe range. Ideally, that is less than 10 ml/Kg/hour–even 13 is too high, and you certainly don’t want 18!
You might know if you are being stunned. Stunning tends to cause painful muscle cramps throughout your body (including your heart). It tends to make people feel like a steamroller ran over them. Recovery time after a treatment might be well over the 2 hours or less that is optimal and on to 12+ hours–even into the next day. These are all signs of damage that can build up. In some cases, the heart is damaged enough that a transplant becomes impossible.
To protect your heart, you need slower, gentler dialysis. Sometimes people can arrange to get this in-center. If that’s not possible, you might consider how other treatments might fit your life. Our free treatment matcher can help you do that. You can find it at: https://www.mykidneylifeplan.org
