However, being overweight is a major contributor to high blood pressure. Patients whose blood pressure is high should try to get their weight down. For patients who don't need dialysis, we have medicines called diuretics that help patients get rid of extra fluid. In addition, patients with kidney disease should generally avoid a lot of salt in their diet. Too much salt in the body is the major cause for edema, or swelling.
People say it is horrible.
I have had some patients who work full time in addition to having time to dialyze themselves three times a week. One of my friends is a doctor and another a radiation physicist. People on dialysis can do quite well. On the other hand, it is troublesome to do dialysis three times a week. Some patients have real problems with the dialysis treatments.