Hi, welcome to our Kidney Patients' Club. It is intended for all kidney patients, carers, family & friends, to communicate information, problems, stories etc. You are not alone out there ! John Owens WKPA Webmaster.  

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Hi there, my names's Wyn and I'm new to the Club. I'm a 58 transplant patient living in Llanelli. I wonder whether any other transplant patients out there are having side effects from their medication?

Hi Wyn – welcome to the club!

I’ve had 2 transplants, the last one being 4 years ago.
As you know, to keep our transplants going, it is necessary to take all medication as prescribed by the doctors in clinic.

There are well-known common side effects with each of the main immunosuppressant drugs. You do not mention what particular ones you are taking, but there is a considerable section on the side effects of these drugs on the NKF patient website (www.kidney.org.uk) which you may find useful (Medical information -home page /Transplantation/What drugs are needed? –‘more detail’).

There are side effects with any prescription and/or over the counter drugs, which you can read in the patient information leaflets that accompany them.
Although the list can seem long, don’t get too anxious as patients won’t experience all of these side-effects. They may not have any. Everyone is individual, with individual characteristics, each patient will react differently to the same drugs - for instance, many patients will be on additional medication for other conditions.

If you are experiencing certain problems that you think may be related to the drugs you’re taking, then make sure that you tell your doctor at your next clinic appointment (make a list of your symptoms and questions beforehand). If you feel that it is too long to wait, and/or you have a small query that is worrying you, you can ring the Transplant Nurse Specialists (Eiddwen & Sharon at UHW and Cathy at Morriston) who have access to your blood results (on computer) and can advise you accordingly.
Alternatively, make an appointment with your GP.

Hope this has been of help to you.