Kidney transplant medication education
You can watch the full kidney video series on YouTube.
All patients who get a kidney transplant need to take medicine each day for the rest of their life. This change may seem challenging, but it gets easier and becomes part of your daily routine through three key ideas: consistency, compliance, and communication.
Kidney rejection and medicine
As a kidney transplant patient, your immune system sees your new kidney as a foreign object and will try to get rid of it, also called organ rejection. To prevent organ rejection, you must take immunosuppressants (anti-rejection medicine) to lower your immune system.
A lower immune system means you will also be at higher risk for infections. It is a balance between lowering your immune system to avoid rejection and minimizing the risk for infections.
Consistency
Being consistent with your medicine is key to a successful kidney transplant. Here are a few tips to help make this easier.
Find a schedule that works for you. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Never take two doses at the same time.
You will be given a pill box to help. You should also keep an up-to-date list of all your medicines with you. If your medicine changes, update your list and pill box right away.
Fill your prescriptions using one consistent pharmacy. Upon discharge, your best option is the UI Health Care Discharge Pharmacy, if insurance allows.
Medication compliance
Your anti-rejection medicine plan will likely change over time, but compliance is key. This includes your medicines, immunizations, and regular appointments.
Other medicines can interfere with your anti-rejection medicine, including over-the-counter drugs, foods, supplements, and teas. Check your medication teaching sheet for specific dosages, special instructions, and possible side effects or all your medicines.
Most common anti-rejection medicines
These are generic names of medicines. They may be called by a different brand name.
- Tacrolimus (Prograf)
- Tacrolimus long acting (Envarsus XR)
- Mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept)
- Mycophenolate sodium (Myfortic)
- Prednisone (Deltasone)
Common side effects
- Shaking and tremors (tacrolimus)
- Diarrhea (mycophenolate)
- Impacts to your mood, blood pressure, or appetite (prednisone)
Immunization compliance
Immunizations are key for your health, but kidney transplant patients need to make some changes to how and when they get immunizations.
- Do not get immunizations for at least three to six months post-transplant.
- Avoid all live virus immunizations (i.e., chicken pox vaccine) for as long as you are on anti-rejection medicine.
Communication
Common issues to discuss with your care team
- Side effects from medicines.
- Struggling to get medicine for any reason (cost, change in insurance coverage, drug shortage, etc.).
- Changes or questions around medicines, immunizations, or changes to your overall health.