@bosco17,
Here is what the National Kidney Foundation says about immunosuppressants

What are immunosuppressants used for?
When you get a kidney transplant, your body knows that the new kidney is foreign (that is, not originally part of your body). Your body will attack the new kidney and try to damage or destroy it. The immunosuppressant drugs suppress your body's ability to do this. The goal is to adjust these drugs to prevent rejection and to minimize any side effects of the drugs.
If you go to this link you will find some more information about immunosuppressant medications. https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/immuno#

Bosco17, You have mentioned GI problems recently. Are these problems new since your transplant? Do you think that the immunosuppressant meds are the cause? What are your doctors saying about it?

@bosco17,
I just realized that you are a liver transplant patient. However, do not worry because all of us with organ transplants take immunosuppressant medications for the same reason - to protect our organs from rejection and potential organ failure.

Here is what the UNOS Transplant website has to say:
"One of the most important aspects of protecting your transplant is the medications prescribed to you. By weakening or reducing your immune system’s responses to foreign material, anti-rejection medications reduce your immune system’s ability to reject a transplanted organ. These drugs also allow you to maintain enough immunity to prevent overwhelming infection."

I am sharing the link so you can read more about immunosuppressant medications. https://transplantliving.org/after-the-transplant/preventing-rejection/post-transplant-medications/

@bosco17 - There are strict laws in place in and outside the US with severe penalties that prevent drug companies from providing financial incentives to doctors. They have no reason to prescribe unnecessary medications. The studies I’ve seen so far indicate some can be weaned off, others can’t, and there isn’t data to determine who can without going into rejection. Basically it’s Russian roulette unless you are being closely monitored and they can (hopefully) reverse it before there’s permanent damage. I recommend you volunteer for a research study if you want to try. Otherwise there’s a good chance you will be denied a re-transplant due to noncompliance if it goes wrong.