Did you meet cardiovascular team during kidney transplant evaluation?

Hello @ziggy1985 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I understand you are interested in learning if other members in the community have had to meet with the Cardiovascular team when going through a kidney evaluation.

I did find a previous conversation where @caretakermom shares a similar experience during a pre-evaluation kidney transplant and thinking the pair of you might be able to share and learn from one another.

Did the transplant team give you any indication if this collaboration with cardio was due to something of concern or part of the typical evaluation?

@ziggy1985 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. We are a wide ranging group of people, patients/family members/caregivers who share experiences and answer questions based on our own knowledge, to help others on their health journeys.

It sounds like you are are being evaluated for a kidney transplant? This can be daunting, as so many tests are performed to determine your qualifications to be a successful candidate. There are a number of specialists involved to gather all the information needed. But, that said, each case is different! Needing a cardiac evaluation may be due to underlying health issues, or past history. Here is an article from Mayo Clinic about kidney transplant that you may find a good source of information: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/kidney-transplant/about/pac-20384777

If you would care to share, may I ask what led you to Mayo Connect, and what kidney issues are you experiencing that are pointing towards a translplant for you? My husband had a kidney transplant 1 October 2016, and his issues were caused by uncontrolled/untreated high blood pressure. He was on dialysis 5.5 years before his transplant.
Ginger

They didn't really say. We have an appointment with them tomorrow.

Hello,
Dad is going through the Kidney Evaluation process. He has been on dialysis 4 years. High blood pressure and Diabetes.

Thanks Ginger!!!!

@ziggy1985 There may be a lot of questions for you to ask the evaluation team. Write them down, so you won't get sidetracked. Ask for expanded explanations if need be. Transplant evaluations normally have several steps to them, and you may not get an answer the same day.

Come back and let me know what happens, please!
Ginger

@ziggy1985, I have a liver and a kidney transplant. Was on dialysis for a short period before transplant due to acute kidney failure.
During the evaluation process, the transplant experts want to learn as much as they can to be sure that they can safely perform a transplant surgery.
I hope that all goes well for your dad tomorrow.
Has your dad had any other evaluation appointments yet?

does anyone know how to combat the symptoms of heartburn, digestive issues, and diarrhea from the immunosuppressant drugs?

@jar3dm when I had a pancreas transplant 18 years ago I was put on Omeprazole. That may have helped with heartburn & digestive issues. Years later the Dr. helped me wean off of it and now I’m allowed to use Tums when needed. Tums and other antacids are basically calcium which can be difficult to regulate for some kidney disease patients. I recommend a doctor’s advice on this. My provider also said I could take a 1/2 tab of loperamide daily (1 mg generic Imodium) to help with diarrhea. Immunosuppressants can be hard to adjust to. What ones are you on? It does get better with time. How long ago was your transplant?

@jar3dm, You are experiencing some of the side effects that we all share. I encourage you to discuss this with your transplant team because each of us is on smen different medications and has different reactions and interactions. As you must have already read in @cehunt57 reply, adjustments might be appropriate as time passes.
One thing that I recall members have shared in the past is that they have altered the timing their meals and their medicine doses. Another thing is to modify your diet to avoid fatty foods or heavy spices.
This is something that your doctor can help you with. When do you see your doctor again?