What happens when dialysis stops working? Karma Ayurveda – Dr. Puneet Dhawan

If you are a patient with kidney failure, you may be wondering what happens when you start dialysis. If you are a patient on dialysis, you might be thinking about what happens if you decide to stop treatment. Your kidney doctor can provide you with specific information about the dialysis procedure itself.

What is kidney failure and how is it treated?

Normal kidneys work to filter poisons (called toxins) and fluid from the blood. Most people have normal kidneys that function and work well throughout their lifetime. When kidneys stop working properly or fail, it is most often due to complications from diabetes or from hardening of the arteries. Kidney failure causes these toxins or poisons (such as creatinine) to build up in the body, ending in death if not treated.

Hemodialysis is a way to artificially filter out toxins once the kidneys no longer function on their own. To do this, a surgeon must connect an artery and a vein together in your arm to form a "fistula" (an enlarged vessel or vascular access). A fistula is needed for the future of needle necessary to connect you to a dialysis machine so that toxins can be filtered from your blood using an artificial kidney.

Here are some symptoms after dialysis withdrawal for your information:

Congestion (If saliva and mucus collect in the back of the throat, you may hear a gurgling sound. While the sound can be distressing to hear, it’s a normal response to a fluid imbalance and the inability to cough up normal secretions. It may help to raise the head. Turning the head to the side allows gravity to drain the congestion.) "What happens when dialysis stops working?"

• Disorientation, confusion and failure to recognize familiar faces
• Changes in color and skin temperature
• Visions of people who don’t exist
• Hallucinating most of the day
• Loss of appetite and fluid overload
• Restlessness

Changes in breathing. (Changed breathing patterns indicate decreased circulation in the internal organs and buildup of waste products. Elevating the head and/or turning onto the side may increase comfort. "What happens when dialysis stops working?")

For seniors, what complications can you experience from having dialysis?

Because of just being older, seniors have an increased frequency of the following complications:
Neurotension (a drop in blood pressure) during dialysis - this can bring about fatigue, nausea and/or dizziness. This is the most common problem and occurs 20-30% of the time.

Malnutrition (undernourishment) can be an issue for many, because of a loss of appetite and trouble maintaining adequate protein stores. "What happens when dialysis stops working?"

Infection (invasion of germs that cause disease) of the vascular access (the fistula in your arm) is a recurring problem for some people, requiring hospitalizations and repeated surgeries.

Bleeding from the stomach or bowel is increased.

And, all these problems can lead to worsening depression.

If you choose not to take dialysis, what health services are  available to help you?

An Ayurvedic treatment that focuses on helping to manage kidney symptoms, controlling the anemia, and providing social and relational support (such as with hospice), have allowed many to survive comfortably for months. "What happens when dialysis stops working?"