Most people on dialysis have this irresistible urge to pull off more fluid during a dialysis session than is actually required. The reason is very simple. We have to restrict our fluid intake. Most of us are allowed no more than a liter of fluids in 24 hours. And this includes anything that is fluid at room temperature. Curd, ice-cream, tea and of course water among other things all put together should not cross more than a liter.

So, when we get off dialysis, the meter starts ticking and every sip of water we take counts towards the fluid weight gain between two dialysis sessions. All the fluid that is present in our body above the 'dry weight' (weight of the body minus any extra fluid that would have been removed if the kidneys were working) is usually targeted for removal during a session.

If too little is removed, you need to watch your fluid intake very carefully until your next session - when you can pull off the extra fluid. Removing too much can cause your Blood Pressure to fall or can cause muscle cramps. Most people on dialysis prefer the latter! Because we hate, simply hate restricting our fluids! The basic restriction is bad enough. Further restricting because you did not remove enough is simply not acceptable.

This is what happened to me recently. I tried removing too much fluid and this caused the low BP.

Most family members of people on dialysis just cannot understand why we do this. Technicians and nurses rarely even make the effort. They treat it like another problem to deal with during dialysis sessions - one that increases their work.

This can be understood only by someone who goes through this. Someone on dialysis.