Transplant anti-rejection medications. What's your advice?

@kidsmomof9, I am happy that you have joined this discussion. We are all patients and we are all learning together and supporting each other when we share our experiences. Thank you for sharing. I hope that the biotin will be something you can try. I was told 2500 would be okay for me to take after transplant and my hair and my nails improved (My finger and toe nails, suffered miserably during my months with critical liver failure.)

Did you know that on Connect there is an entire discussion group for Autoimmune Diseases? I invite you to take a look; to join in; and share with your family.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/autoimmune-diseases/

Thanks JK ! My youngest kids (twins) are 23 so I would have to say meds, but then I take a lot of other meds as well. I like the advice about the sunscreen and have found the neutrogena 100spf to be almost impossible to detect on my skin and the price is reasonable. As far as hair loss goes, I will have to try biotin. Does anyone have a dosage recommendation? I do not absorb many vitamins and such well if at all. I have to get thiamine & iron infused and B12 injections as well as my Benlysta infusions. It makes life kinda crazy! My family is an insane example of an autoimmune cluster. I would be happy to elaborate if anyone is interested! Thanks again for allowing me to jump in here!

@kidsmomof9 I guess if your incontinence didn't start until recently we can't blame giving birth!
I take 2500 mcg of Biotin, twice a day. I believe that amount was what my transplant team recommended, I always try to follow their recommendations.
The transplant dermatologist I go to has said that anything over 30 SPF is a waste, and if it costs more to not bother! I have seen this mentioned in other writings also. If it's not more costly of course, it can't hurt.
I don't know anything about autoimmune conditions but it must be troublesome to have it widespread in your family. So far, we have not had any of those situations.
JK

Thanks JK ! My youngest kids (twins) are 23 so I would have to say meds, but then I take a lot of other meds as well. I like the advice about the sunscreen and have found the neutrogena 100spf to be almost impossible to detect on my skin and the price is reasonable. As far as hair loss goes, I will have to try biotin. Does anyone have a dosage recommendation? I do not absorb many vitamins and such well if at all. I have to get thiamine & iron infused and B12 injections as well as my Benlysta infusions. It makes life kinda crazy! My family is an insane example of an autoimmune cluster. I would be happy to elaborate if anyone is interested! Thanks again for allowing me to jump in here!

@jerrynord You really learned the hard way that using sunscreen is imperative for us post-transplant patients on immunosuppressants. I really hate the feel of sunscreen on my skin so I just try to avoid the sun whenever possible, but do use sunscreen if I cannot avoid it. I'm glad you are now using sunscreen.
People often forget about their hands, but they are in the sun very frequently and there are hand creams with SPFs specifically for that reason. When we are driving our hands are in the sun, and in these days of frequent handwashing, it's more important than ever to reapply a hand cream with an SPF of at least 30. Supergoop and Eucerin both make good hand creams with SPFs of 40 and 30 respectively, and they do not have a feminine scent to them.

@kidsmomof9 I notice you have been on Connect for a while but I do not recall welcoming you before. If I didn't, please let me now.
I'm glad you are finding this discussion helpful. Do you think your incontinence is from childbirth or from your medications? Did you have it prior to being prescribed Cellcept and prednisone? That's one of the things I am trying to figure out, if the medications are contributing to my incontinence, or if it is just due to other factors.
JK

I was told to stay out of the sun as much as possible after my transplant and put on tacrolimus. Hard to do when you like to fish and disobey the suggestion. I year post transplant I developed skin cancer on my cheek that was surgically removed. Nothing in the 10 years after that but now wear a big brimmed hat, long sleeves and >30 sunblock. No other noticable effects.

I didn't have hair loss after my liver transplant or if I did I didn't notice it. My transplant was 4 years ago. I'm on 1mg tacrolimus twice a day and still no issues. I hope your hair loss issue subsides!!!

I was told to stay out of the sun as much as possible after my transplant and put on tacrolimus. Hard to do when you like to fish and disobey the suggestion. I year post transplant I developed skin cancer on my cheek that was surgically removed. Nothing in the 10 years after that but now wear a big brimmed hat, long sleeves and >30 sunblock. No other noticable effects.

Welcome to Connect, @gphetteplace
You have brought something up that I never knew but that may be affecting me also! I googled sirolimus and that too can cause nocturia. I take sirolimus as my immunosuppressant after a liver transplant and I also have nocturia. No one ever suggested that the immunosuppressant could cause that, I assumed it was just typical incontinence. I also find that even when I stop drinking early, the urine tends to come out during the night. One doctor offered an explanation for that -- when you are upright during the day the fluid goes down due to gravity but when you are prone it moves up within your body. Sounds plausible.
I have had Botox two times for incontinence and it has helped a little bit. Unfortunately having Botox for incontinence very often causes a UTI too and both times that has happened to me. The urogynecologist gave me an antibiotic to take for four days, starting with the day of the injections, to try to ward off a UTI but it didn't work, not too surprising since we are more prone to infections. I did not have any pain with the UTIs just a tingling. I wonder if that's because the Botox numbs the nerves, I plan to ask the urogynecologist about that.
I am 3.5 years beyond my transplant so if my incontinence is from sirolimus I would have to say it does not go away. It is possible though that mine is simple incontinence from other causes. I hope that yours will go away, I know too well how much getting up a lot at night affects you, it is very disruptive to your sleep. I often find I need a nap during the day.
JK