Living With an Organ Transplant
Dealing With Side Effects After an Organ Transplant
After an organ transplant, drugs are taken that suppress your immune system. Unfortunately, they are powerful and can affect your entire body. That means they affect your whole body instead of just the immune response to your transplanted organ.
So the bad news is that you may have some side effects. The good news is that side effects are much easier to cope with than they once were.
Tips for Parents of Children With Organ Transplants
If your child has just had an organ transplant, the last few months -- maybe many more -- have probably been scary and exhausting for your whole family. But things are probably getting a lot better. As your child recovers, you're likely to see a big improvement. You may have noticed it already. And the long-term prospects are good too. Most children who have transplants go on to live pretty normal, healthy lives. Still, many parents in your position feel overwhelmed by their new responsibilities...
Read the Tips for Parents of Children With Organ Transplants article > >
The specific side effects vary. It depends on the combination of post-transplant medicines you use. Here's a general list of some of the side effects you might have.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Puffy face
- Anemia
- Arthritis
- Weakened bones
- Increased appetite
- Weight gain
- Trouble sleeping
- Mood swings
- Swelling and tingling of the hands and feet
- Acne and other skin problems
- Tremors
- Hair loss or unwanted hair growth
Yes, it's a long list. But don't worry too much. Not everyone gets side effects like these. One transplant recipient's response can be very different from another's.
Make sure to tell your health care provider about any side effects. He or she may be able to change your medication. Or he or she may have other ways of treating these problems. Don't suffer needlessly.
Other Drugs Taken After an Organ Transplant
In some cases after an organ transplant, you may need more drugs to cope with the side effects of immunosuppresants. For instance you might take:
- Antibiotics and antifungal medications. They treat infections that result from your suppressed immune system.
- Anti-ulcer medications. They treat gastrointestinal side effects.
- Diuretics. They help with kidney problems or high blood pressure.
Many people only need extra medications during the early part of their treatment. When your doctor lowers your dose of immunosuppressants, the side effects may bother you less or go away.
Since people with transplants need so many drugs, they need to be very careful of drug interactions. Make sure that your health care provider knows all of the other medications that you use. This includes any over-the-counter or herbal medicines. Even some foods like grapefruit juice can interact with some medications.
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