Transplant Meds Side Effects?

[greco02]

I already live with someone who has anger issues.   Add the meds and hope for the best?  Is that how it works?  When all this finally happens I will be on this web site a lot...I can just feel it.   

[rookiegirl]

I must say...Kudos to my husband who has to tolerate my mood swings 24/7.  But, I feel I'm getting better now that I'm more aware of my situation.  Mind of matter.  Guess if I don't mind...it won't matter.  LOL!

[kellyt]

Oh yeah, anger, weepy, you name it.  Prednisone is the worst!   

[Wattle]

I am down to 5mg which will stay for the life of the transplant.

I don't have mood swings.......  everyone and thing just annoys the crap out of me!   

[monrein]

I am down to 5mg which will stay for the life of the transplant.

I don't have mood swings.......  everyone and thing just annoys that crap out of me!   

[kellyt]

Exactly!  There is no "swing" if everything and everyone pisses you off!   

[Romona]

Exactly!  There is no "swing" if everything and everyone pisses you off!   

I knew I didn't have a problem. It is the rest of the world that is screwed up.

[rookiegirl]

Exactly!  There is no "swing" if everything and everyone pisses you off!   

I knew I didn't have a problem. It is the rest of the world that is screwed up.

Totally makes since now.  Wow! all along it was the rest of the world...mostly co-workers. Mmmm!

[rookiegirl]

Well, it's been almost 4 months since I posted this topic.  My current Meds now are:

Prograf 2/2
Myfortic 3/3
Prednisone 5mg
Baby Aspirin
Blood Pressure - was off now I'm back on
Vitamin D 1/month

I've gained a total of 45lbs of weight since my transplant, which by the way I celebrated my 1 year kidney anniversary this past March 20th.  Saw my Neph last week and she has challenged me to loose 10lbs by my next visit which is 3 months from now.  I don't know if I can do it.  I've tried walking on the threadmill, but I'm not consistant.  So hard to watch what I eat because my appetite is so much larger and I just want sweet.  I need to get a hold of myself and really take control of my weight before I damage my new kidney.  I just don't have the will power to do it.  I know...push myself.

Not only do I have problems with my weight...I have problem sleeping.  It's now 2:49 AM here and I'm up posting on IHD.  I go about 2-3 days like this and on the 4th day I finally catch up my sleep.  Just to start all over again.  My Neph has prescribed me Ambien again which I only take if I really have to, but I don't want to depend on this.

Just really disappointed with myself for not taking better care of my body.

[jbeany]

I'm fighting the prednisone weight too.     I'm back to the weight I was when I got the transplant.  Sounds great, but I dropped over 20 pounds with the complications, so I've gained that much since I've been allowed solid food again.  It's not what I'm eating - I'm buying the same foods I bought before the transplant.  It's how much of it I'm eating - too much cheese and chocolate, mostly.  Before the transplant, I was losing a nice steady pound a week on average.  I could stop at my 1 oz serving each of the cheese and chocolate a day, and be satisfied.  Not with prednisone!  I'm hungry, hungry, hungry!  I'm trying to eat more fruit and veggies, but it seems like I can't get full without that high calorie dose of fat.  Exercise has helped slow the rate of gain - I'm pretty consistent on my treadmill.  I can't jog yet, though, thanks to the open wound left from the surgery complications.  It hurts too much to have the dressing scraping around when I start moving fast.  I'm hoping after the skin graft next week that I can start picking up speed, so the intensity will burn more calories.

Hang in there, rookie - and drag yourself to that treadmill every day!

[kellyt]

rookie and jbeany, give Weight Watchers a try.  I rejoined about three weeks ago.  I lost 3.8 lbs week 1 and 1.6 week 2.  However, Easter came and I gained back 2.6, but I think some of that was water due to "Aunt Flo".  I weight in every Tuesday night at 6 p.m.  I'm hoping all that 2.6 will come off, but we'll see.   Weight Watchers works and it's the best cause you truly can eat anything as long as you keep within your points and get your veggies and such in.  Once you start exercising it goes a little faster.
Let me know if you join.  We'll all buddy up and keep each other going.   

[chris73]

rookiegirl...I'm 2yr post tx(Going next week for my 2yr checkup) and i cant sleep without  taking ambien and no i didn't want to be dependent on them either..but we need to sleep..also tx clinic told me i could take a benedyrl or tylenol pm if i didn't want ambien...and the weight gain same here i get so hungry esp sweets!! Glad everything is going well for you.....   KellyT ...seems like you are doing much better now.That is great that someone gets off prednisone...wish i could get off of it, the mood swings are embarrassing when I'm at work and start crying uncontrollable then fine in a hour or so.No one(at work)understands what is happening but i will take all that than dialysis...God Bless!! Chris

[kellyt]

You are so right about the mood swings, Chris.  Just today my husband and I were eating lunch and a blind gentleman came in.  My husband and I started discussing blind vs. deaf and I started crying.  I have no idea why.  I was able to pull it together quite quickly, but was dumbfounded on why I started crying in the first place.  Had I been alone and not in a public place I would have had a real good cry.     And keep in mind I'm only on 1 mg of Prednisone!

[sparty83]

I got my transplant last July and so far the only change I've noticed is that I feel a whole lot better.  I was fortunate in that I didn't get stuck on prednisone.  I had been on that about five years ago during the treatment of my IgA Nephropathy, and the only thing it did was to make me gain weight and screw up my hip (I ended up getting a hip replacement because of it).  After my transplant I've been on Prograf and Cellcept and both have been great.  My wife hasn't noticed any particular changes, other than me now being in a great mood most of the time.  I have put on some weight, about 15 pounds or so, but I can live with that over going to dialysis.  I was fortunate that the transplant clinic I went through stopped using prednisone awhile back and now only use it if the Prograf or Cellcept don't work.

I do hope all of you stuck on that drug get off of it as soon as possible.  I hate the thought of that stuff ever going in my body again.

[rookiegirl]

rookie and jbeany, give Weight Watchers a try.  I rejoined about three weeks ago.  I lost 3.8 lbs week 1 and 1.6 week 2.  However, Easter came and I gained back 2.6, but I think some of that was water due to "Aunt Flo".  I weight in every Tuesday night at 6 p.m.  I'm hoping all that 2.6 will come off, but we'll see.   Weight Watchers works and it's the best cause you truly can eat anything as long as you keep within your points and get your veggies and such in.  Once you start exercising it goes a little faster.
Let me know if you join.  We'll all buddy up and keep each other going.   

So, this maybe a stupid question...How do I join Weight Watchers?
Are the foods high in sodium?  I know many of the frozen meals in the stores are full of sodium.
I really need to loose some weight.  This is the heaviest I've ever been and I can tell a huge difference in my breathing, my back and hip.
I want to enjoy my new kidney and not destroy it. I want to keep my kidney for as long as I can.

[kellyt]

You don't have to eat the frozen dinners.   Not required!  I have a few of them in my freezer that I eat only if I have to, but that's rare.

Go to www.weightwatchers.com  and read about the plans.  You can either join on-line or you can attend meetings.  For me, meetings are what keeps me honest and working the program.  I'm not motivated enough to do it on my own.  Look into it and let me know.  I go weekly - every Tuesday night - for the meeting and weigh-in.  I did great the first two weeks, then I had a 2.6 lb gain after Easter (but it was also that time of the month).  I'm sure it's gone now.  I wasn't able to go this week, but I'll be back next week.  I paid for 17 weeks in advance.  Just know that if you join and go to a meeting, if you miss a meeting, you will have to pay for that missed meeting at your next meeting.  It's set up that way so you will go every week whether you were good or not with your eating.    Let me know what you decide.