A drop in blood pressure during dialysis — intradialytic hypotension — is the most common complication, and it has a clear first response.
What to know
- Early signs: dizziness, nausea, yawning, blurred vision, cramping or sudden anxiety.
- First response: lie flat, raise your legs, reduce or stop ultrafiltration, and recheck blood pressure.
- Give saline as prescribed by your care team if the measures above do not resolve it.
- Do not take blood pressure medication immediately before a session unless your doctor has told you to.
- Recurrent hypotension means the prescription or dry weight needs review — report a pattern, not just an episode.
Talk to your care team
This topic is part of The Treatment Session, one of ten modules in the Trivita Learning Hub. If anything here contradicts what your own nephrologist or dialysis nurse has told you, follow your care team — they know your prescription, your access and your history.
Trivita's dialysis nurses answer our care line 24 hours a day on 055 242 1070, including for people who are not yet our patients.
Education, not medical advice. This page explains home hemodialysis in general terms for patients and care partners in the UAE. It is reviewed by Trivita's Medical Director but cannot account for your individual circumstances. Never change a prescription, medication or technique based on this page alone.