Medications after Transplant
Medications after transplant are very important.
Always take your medications as prescribed by
your transplant team. Do not take any medications
-- including over-the-counter ones -- that haven't
been prescribed by the transplant physicians or
nurse practitioners. If you were taking any other
medications prior to transplant, ask your transplant
nurse or physician before taking them again. Contact
your transplant coordinator if you have any questions
about your medications.
You will begin taking immunosuppressant medications
the day of your transplant and you will continue
to take them for the rest of your life. There
are different combinations of immunosuppressant
medications. You will only be taking 2 or 3 of
them. Common immunosuppressants include prednisone,
Prograf®, Cyclosporine/Neoral®, Imuran®
and Cellcept®.
The most common side effects of immunosuppressant
medications are:
- headaches
- muscle cramps
- trouble sleeping
- vomiting
- decrease in appetite
- high blood pressure
- nausea
- bruising
- diarhrea
- tremors
Notify your transplant nurse or doctor if you
experience any of these symptoms.
Because your immune system is suppressed to prevent
rejection of your transplanted organ, you are
at an increased risk of contracting some infections.
To minimize this risk, doctors routinely prescribe
certain medications for transplant patients, including
antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial medications.
Your transplant team will decide which ones you
need.
A tooth or mouth infection is especially dangerous.
After your transplant, have your teeth cleaned
every 6 months. Before a visit to the dentist,
check with your transplant nurse to see if you
need antibiotics.
You also may need to take some of the following
medications after your transplant:
- Antiulcer medication, to prevent stomach irritation
caused by immunosuppressants
- Antihypertensives, to control high blood
pressure
- Cholesterol-lowering agents
Remember, it is important to take only those
medications your transplant team has approved.
If you have any questions about what medications
are OK to take, contact your transplant nurse
or physician.
Reviewed by Robert
Kotloff, MD
Last updated September 2004
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