by Dr Pandula Siribaddana

Created on: September 07, 2010

What is Prograf?

Prograf is a medicine that is used to suppress the immune system in patients who have received organ transplants such as transplanted kidney, liver, heart…etc. It is not a first line immune suppression drug but would be used in conjunction with other immune suppressive agents such as corticosteroids, azathioprin and MMF. The active ingredient in Prograf is known as ‘tacrolimus’ and it acts by inhibiting the action of T lymphocytes and thereby the production and functioning of B lymphocytes as well. The medicine is available in both capsule form as well as in the injection form and there use would depend on the indication it is used for and the expected level of immune suppression required at that particular state.

How is Prograf used?

The drug can be used as a preventive medicine as well as a treatment option. But, its use would be restricted in instances where other immune suppressive agents fail to achieve what was expected or in cases where the patient is highly susceptible for allograft rejection. In any event, the initial dose of the Prograf is usually given as an injection whereas the maintenance can be done using oral medications.

What are the possible side effects of Prograf?

When considering the side effects of Prograf, these will most likely to be due to immune changes, reactions or consequences following immune depletion. Thus, these patients are susceptible to develop infections more often than the others and symptoms such as fever, cough, cold..etc should be considered serious as it can become complicated and might influence the transplanted organ as well.

Furthermore, use of Prograf can give rise to serious allergic reactions and this is more so when the injection form is used than when the oral medication is used. Thus, appearance of hives, itching of the skin, swelling of the lips, face, tongue and the throat, breathing difficulties…etc should be considered dangerous and immediate medical treatment should be given.

Among the other serious side effects, signs related to liver failure such as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eye, weakness of one side of the body, numbness or feeling of pins and needles, vision changes, difficulty in speaking, dark urine, reduced amount of urine and difficulty to pass urine, irregular heartbeat, seizures and persistent dizziness can be considered rather important among some of the other possible manifestations.

When considering the more common side effects, mild headaches, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and stomach pain can be seen relatively more often than the rest of the side effects mentioned before.

In any event, one should realize that, this article does not provide a complete list of side effects possible with Prograf and therefore the readers are advised to look into manufacturer literature in order to obtain more information.

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