What medication can a dialysis patient use to ease arm pain?My mom goes through dialysis three days a week. she has a graph in her arm. she complains of how the needles hurt everytime they start dialysis. she was given an ointment to use 45 minutes prior to her appointments - but it only helps a little. is there something else she can use to assist in easing the pain a little more?
Posted by Liza
In the first 3 months of commencing haemodialysis (HD), the injection site is "not seasoned", and patient experience a lot of pain. After sometime on HD, the deegree of pain will be lesser.
However some abnormalities may cause more pain and make sure your mom is not having any of this such as infection, Steal syndrome, ischaemia.
Maybe you can try the following on your mom.
1. Request the nurse to use a smaller needle eg size 17G
2. Apply the cream CORRECTLY. If the cream is not properly applied, it can't stop pain. Make sure you apply adequate amount. The cream should still appear white on the site after 45 mins. MAke sure it's not accidentally rub off with clothing etc. If you can put the cream 1 hr beforehand, it's even better.
3. On top of using the cream, add on Ethylene Oxide spray available from pharmacy. It works by numbing the area by very cold temperature.
4. Suck a candy 5min before needling (insertion of the fistula needle). Research shows that it improve pain tolerance.
5. Request some local injectable anaesthesia when the nurse is about to insert the needle.
6. Do not tie tourniquet / restrictive material during needling. The increase pressure cause more pain and may cause aneurysm in the long run.
Hope helps.
Posted by Allison
Liza did a nice job of explaining. I used the cream while I was on dialysis, and it did help; does your mother also wrap it with plastic or other material recommended by the cream's instructions? Mine required that to be done in order to work.
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