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Low Drain Volume

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:31 pm
by SKM23435
I'm 2 1/2 weeks into home APD.. Things are generally going well and I feel much better (didn't realise just how grotty I felt before). I can now sleep at night without feeling I have to stay awake and watch the machine all night.
The problem is I haven't yet had a night without the "low drain volume" alarm going off, often more than once.
I'm not constipated (quite the opposite as a result of the laxatives), the machine was a few inches above bed height so I've lowered it to bed height. Has anyone any suggestions? As a result of this I have a nightly lost dwell of between 4-100 minutes. (The 100 minutes was a one off).
How often do other people get this alarm? Should I just accept it's a nightly occurrence?
Any suggestions?

Sue

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:35 pm
by SKM23435
Ps. My husband says he's desperate for a solution too. The alarm is so piercing it wakes him up too. To make matters worse when it goes off I leap out of bed like a catapult into an upright position throwing off the bed clothes and doing a wriggle. He complains this is rather chilly - just wait until winter! I have suggested the spare room!

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 5:06 pm
by yachtman
Determine which side you lie on gives the better drain, then try to sleep on that one.

otherwise try not to get the pipe squashed / kinked.

strangely the flow got better after about a month in Js case.

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 7:56 pm
by SKM23435
Yachtman thanks for that. It has helped. If I lie on my right side I get no problems. I've also taken off the patient line extension which I think is helping. I find it uncomfortable lying in the same position all night. I think I must fidget a lot. My husband on the other hand has perfected the technique of sleeping through the alarm!! I have no idea how he does it. It still makes me jump out of my skin every time it goes off.

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 10:26 am
by wagolynn
Have you contacted your PD nurse and possibly Baxters help line (if the machine is a Baxters) both should be able to help you.

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 8:39 am
by Grey
I have recently found after months of fighting laxatives, that for my final drain rather than stand up I lie on my back and sort of do leg in the air bike riding. The stuff pours out. especially after doing that and then sitting or standing. I regularly get drains reaching 2060 etc with UF of 100 to 140 or whatever. It makes sense as if you look at a pic of what is in that space, there are miles of intestine and the fluid gets trapped in the creases etc. I also arc my back lifting my but off the bed. All works wonders. Give it a fair try I am sure it can only improve.

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:55 pm
by SKM23435
Grey,

What a wonderful mental image that conjures up of you lying in bed cycling on your back. I can only think your final drain is later than mine (6am) and that there is not a Mrs Grey sharing your bed. Mr M would have a fit if I tried it. He's developed a very tight grasp on his side of the duvet to stop me throwing it off.

Sue

Re: Low Drain Volume

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 9:15 pm
by Epgibbons
Hi all, this is obviously a problem for many of us on APD. The measures I have taken are:


1. Turn Smart dwell off. This means that each dwell is exactly the length of time in the therapy, One result is that the whole therapy can take much longer.
2. As I do not drain well and I have no job to do, being retired, I stop the drain at ~0UF,fit and Opticap on the patient line and a drain bag to me. This allows me to getup, get dressed and washed away from the machine. After about 1 hour I have ~1000ml in the bag which is enough for me. I then reconnect, bypass the drain and do the Last Fill.