My life with dialysis
What is an Adverse Event (AE)
Any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or clinical trial subject administered a medicinal product and which does not necessarily have a causal relationship with this treatment [Dir 2001/20/EC Art 2(m)].
An adverse event can therefore be any unfavourable and unintended sign (e.g. an abnormal laboratory finding), symptom, or disease temporarily associated with the use of a medicinal product, whether or not considered related to the medicinal product (Annex 4 Guideline on good pharmacovigilance practices (GVP) Rev 4).
Reporting Side Effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your Doctor, Pharmacist or Nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Report an Adverse Event
Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. Adverse events should also be reported to Fresenius Medical Care on 01623 445 215 and via medinfo-uk@freseniusmedicalcare.com
Medical Information
Call 01623 445 100 (please choose option 5). Opening times are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.
UK/HEMA/FME/0922/0002 – Date of Preparation September 2022.
You may notice that the routine you have established gives you more freedom to deal with other questions again. What activities did you enjoy before starting the treatment? What was helpful for your overall well-being? You now realise that life on dialysis requires concessions and that you had to restructure some areas of your everyday life. However, try to keep in mind that dialysis gives you the energy you need to cope with your everyday tasks and enjoy your life.
It is important for your well-being to find ways to combine hobbies and social contacts with dialysis.
Talk to your physician or healthcare professional about how to continue to integrate them into your everyday life.
Individualisation of therapy
You are already familiar with the different forms of therapy and have a new everyday life with your chosen treatment. However, in addition to medical factors, your individual lifestyle also plays a role in the choice of therapy. This may change during the course of your life or there might be complications which require switching to another form of treatment or adjusting your current treatment prescription. Many patients do not undergo just one form of treatment in their lifetimes. For example, you may begin with peritoneal dialysis and then get the opportunity to have a transplantation. If the transplant is unsuccessful, you may switch to home haemodialysis. A change in the therapy modality can therefore be reasonable in some cases.
Your physician will explain which options are available that best fit your individual needs.
Problems that may occur on dialysis
As with any medical treatment, there may be problems related to dialysis. We want you to be aware of some of the possible problems related to the dialysis treatment that may occur and how to manage them.
There are various potential symptoms of kidney disease. In the following, you can find some symptoms you might experience:
- Tiredness and weakness
You may feel tired and weak. As a result, it might feel difficult to walk up a flight of stairs or take a walk around the block. You may feel the need to sleep more than usual. - Coldness
- Feeling of having the flu
- Lack of concentration and forgetfulness
Concentrating might be difficult and you may forget things more often than usual. These symptoms are most often due to anaemia, a shortage of red blood cells which can be treated. - Swelling
A person with kidney disease has kidneys that aren’t removing fluid. Therefore, swelling may occur in the feet, ankles, hands or face and putting on shoes is difficult. Extra fluid in the lungs can make it hard to breathe, which sometimes is mistaken for asthma or pneumonia. Having too much fluid can strain the heart, especially in someone whose heart is already weak due to congestive heart failure or other problems. - Restless legs, insomnia, itching
Many problems are treatable. Talk to your physician and ask for help.
Complications of dialysis
Complications may be due to different reasons: they may be related to dialysis, the underlying kidney disease itself or the medications that are taken. As the most important member of your healthcare team, you play the key role when it comes topreventing or correcting problems that can lead to long-term and even life-threatening complications. You can help prevent complications by:
In the following text, you can find the most common potential problems for PD and HD. During training, your nurse will explain these problems in more detail.
For peritoneal dialysis, there are three types of infections. Please see the details here
In haemodialysis, a potential problem is an unsuccessful cannulation.
After unsuccessful cannulation, a haematoma may appear. A haematoma is a localised collection of blood, usually clotted, in the tissue. Blood may seep into the surrounding tissue, e.g. after an unsuccessful needle placement. If possible, do not place the needle in the area with the haematoma and give the area several days’ rest.
Frequently asked questions
General
Swollen legs can be an indication of oedema, a sign of fluid overload in your body, which may lead to severe complications. In this case, please contact your dialysis centre.
Yes, you can continue to go on holidays after consulting your dialysis centre. More information can be found here
Wear the most loose-fitting clothing possible in order to avoid applying too much pressure to your vascular access site.
Light exercise and sport have a positive influence on your well-being, circulation and sleep at any age. Many sports are suitable for dialysis patients if you protect your catheter and vascular access well. However, please clarify with your dialysis centre which sports you can do, and to what extent.
More information can be found here
Peritoneal dialysis
Yes, a sexually fulfilling life may be possible with your kidney disease. Many PD patients have had good experiences by covering their abdomens. In any case, you should speak openly with your partner.
Yes; you don't have to go without a pet. However, you should make sure that your pet is not in the same room while you are exchanging the PD bag and that your room is clean.
Haemodialysis
To prevent this from happening, you or your nurse will firmly attach the dialysis needle to your skin at the beginning of the treatment. Check this from time to time by yourself. In case it falls out, you can contact the clinical staff or stop the treatment. For home haemodialysis patients, there may also be warning sensors which detect a needle falling out. After the treatment, the needle is removed, the bleeding is stopped by applying a small swab and then the site is covered with a plaster.
Transplantation
If you want to be put on the list of potential organ recipients, discuss it with your dialysis team. It must be checked whether you would be a suitable recipient and that no medical factors contradict a transplantation. It is important that your health is suitable for a possible transplant.
You have to take immunosuppressives every day for as long as you have the kidney transplant. This is important to prevent rejection, as the transplanted kidney is a foreign organ to your body. You must continue to see your nephrologist regularly after the transplant. It is closely monitored how well the transplanted kidney is doing its job and whether the immunosuppressive medication may have to be adjusted. Under no circumstances should you stop taking the medication yourself! This can lead to the rejection of the transplanted kidney.
Read more about how to enjoy your life on dialysis in the next section
