Dad

[gja1000]

Mexalatine is a medication used to treat ventricular arrythmias. Ventricular arrythmias (sometimes called V-tach, pronounced Vee-Tack) is the medical term for a very bad heart beat where the bottom part of the heart beats very fast, so fast that the heart cannot pump out any blood. Left untreated, a person will die of V-tach. An ICD will fire when the heart goes into a V-tach rhythm. The ICD firing will bring the heart back to a normal rhythm. Mexalatine is a drug used to control V-tach. Unfortunately, most of the medications used to treat V-tach are very strong and have many side effects.

I'm not familiar with Teakison - maybe it is Tenormin or Tambocor. They are used to control V-tach too. All those drugs are nasty with lots of side effects - but one cannot live with V-tach, so it has to be controlled. It's a double edged sword.

[JJJ]

My heart goes out to you, I hope meds are just making him look sicker than what he really is. Big huggs going your way.

[paula1961]

Dad is still in the hospital! Today he had SLED dialysis. It lasted over 10 hours. They got 22 lbs of fluid off of him. Please keep him still in your prayers. Janet has your Mom ever had this kind of dialysis done? Just curious. I'm going back down tomorrow.

[gja1000]

Hi Paula, thanks for the update on your dad. Janet's mom has probably not had SLED dialysis because it is used for persons who are very sick. It's just a slower way to do regular hemodialysis (where the blood is filtered through the machine to remove the toxins and wastes). Regular hemodialysis takes 3-4 hours, but SLED is done over 8-10 hours because people who are very ill can't tolerate the loss of fluid so quickly - so it is done slower.

[paula1961]

Originally Posted by gja1000

Hi Paula, thanks for the update on your dad. Janet's mom has probably not had SLED dialysis because it is used for persons who are very sick. It's just a slower way to do regular hemodialysis (where the blood is filtered through the machine to remove the toxins and wastes). Regular hemodialysis takes 3-4 hours, but SLED is done over 8-10 hours because people who are very ill can't tolerate the loss of fluid so quickly - so it is done slower.

Yes that is how they explained it Gayle. I also googled it and read that it is easier on the heart too.
I'm going back down today. They are planning on putting a shunt in his abdomen tomorrow for the paritineal (sp?) dialysis.
This has all been so crazy!!!

[Blueyes]

Paula, I have been keeping up with this thread but haven't posted lately. I just want you to know you are all in my prayers.

[Janet]

Hi Paula...sorry I haven't seen this thread for awhile. My Mom has never had the SLED dialysis, this is the first I've heard of it. My Mom is on peritoneal where she can do it at home at night while she sleeps. She usually hooks up at 8 PM and unhooks around 5 or 6 AM.

You'll probably find all the information overwhelming, but it really is very simple to do. The main thing is to keep the exit site clean and to ALWAYS maintain sanitary conditions while hooking up and unhooking. If he was to get an infection, it can be very painful. Mom had peritonitis and had to have her abdominal cath removed and go on hemodialysis for a little over a month. She hated it with a passion. After her peritonitis healed, they put a new cath back in and she has been doing great.

Please feel free to ask anything you like....If you would like my phone number just PM me.