Cellcept and increased creatinine

@webiondev, I am a liver and kidney recipient. I take both cellcept and tacrolimus. I have routine labs drawn so that my transplant team can monitor whether these medications are working for me. My dosages have been changed on occasion by my team. I have not experienced an increase in creatinine level.
In my Routine blood lab notes, I read that the Normal range for Women = 0.7 - 1.2 mg/dL; for Men = 0.9 - 1.4 mg/dL. And included is a note: In kidney transplant patients, the normal range may be slightly higher.

I am a patient, like you and here are a few things that I have learned over my years with my transplant -
-Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor.
-The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.
-Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label
-Your doctor will do blood tests to make sure that mycophenolate (cellcept) is working properly and to check for unwanted effects.

rahman, If you are concerned that your level might have risen unexpectedly higher than your own normal, why don't you give him a call. My belief is that it is best to be sure that this is an okay effect.
When are your next labs due?

Hello @webiondev. In addition to Rosemary's reply, I'd like to invite @gaylea1 and @garyandrade to this discussion as well as they have discussed cellcept post transplant as well. As Rosemary mentioned, when are your next labs due?

I was on cellcept for a very short time. I don't believe that it was affecting my creatine levels but I had a very low magnesium level and low white blood cell count. I never had any issues with my kidneys while on cellcept. If I remember correctly I was prescribed cellcept immediately after surgery and for the next few months. After that I was only on 2mg prograf (tacrolimus) and then lowered to 1mg prograf. That's all I take now.

Thanks @rosemarya my next ab 18th. I am hoping things setlle down. I dont tolerate cellcept good. I always get ithcing with cellcept specially on higher doses

Here is a discussion that might interest you.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/liver-disease-itching/
If you are comfortable to share, would you let me know what you find out after yout labs?

@webiondev Do you also take tacrolimus? I was initially on both CellCept and tacrolimus then the CellCept was dropped. My creatinine increased from tacrolimus (to the low 140s) so they had me drinking 80 - 100 ounces of water/fluid a day. That didn't bring it down as much as they wanted so they switched me to sirolimus and it has been better since then. I am still making sure I drink at least 60 - 70 ounces of water a day.
How often does your transplant center do lab work? Initially, I had lab work done weekly and then it gradually decreased. I am three years out now and have lab work done bi-monthly. They monitor everything very carefully.
JK

Just sharing, I take cellcept, tacrolimus and .5 mg's of prednizone. daily. My last creatinine was .99 and last 3 gfr's were 57,58,54. At my one year checkup at Mayo in April,2019, I was told that I only need to have labs done every 3 mos. I think everything has been going well.

I was taking Cellcept and tacrolimus and having both kidney and white count issues. I don't believe that Cellcept is used alone, so it's possible something else is causing the kidney issue. In my case the Cellcept was thought to be causing white count drop and changed to prednisone. The tacrolimus was changed to Cyclosporine due to tremors (also kidney issues). My understanding is that in the early stage there are many adjustments until the right balance is met for each of us. My team is responsive and I always ask questions and report concerns. It is always good to touch base with your nurse-coordinator with questions.

Thanks @rosemarya After reducing cellcept dose from 2g to 1g my creatinine came down. I read that evelvated creatinine is a side effect of cellcept.

Yes I am taking tacrolimus. Tac is around 3 to 6 always.