There may be times when you need to take a medicine for a non-serious condition such as:
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are medications that you can buy without a prescription.
In general, we ask that you talk with your transplant team before you take any of these medications. This is because:
- many medications can change the way that immunosuppressants work in your body – some raise the blood levels of tacrolimus, sirolimus or cyclosporine, which can lead to more side effects, and others lower the levels, which could lead to a rejection
- some medications have side effects that may be a problem for patients who have certain conditions (such as high blood pressure or diabetes)
- some medications may act as immune stimulants – they can actually rev up your immune system and cause a rejection!
Remember, OTC medicines include vitamins and herbal or natural medications!
This chart gives you information on some OTC medications. There are many others, so ask your transplant team for advice if there is a product you would like to use.
