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After a kidney transplant, it is important to return to normal life, taking care to ensure the success of the transplant.
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This article provides specific recommendations for kidney transplant recipients to promote a healthy lifestyle and reduce the risk of damage to the transplanted organ.
emergency medical identification card
It is recommended that organ transplant recipients wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace at all times. For people who have received a kidney transplant, it is important that this form of medical identification includes “immunosuppression.”
Take the medicine according to the instructions
Patients who have received a kidney transplant must take certain medications regularly to ensure that their new kidney functions properly. Some medications need to be taken indefinitely, while others are only needed for a specific period of time. These drugs include:
- Immunosuppressants (anti-rejection drugs)
- Antibiotics/Antivirals
- Allopathic medicine
The following symptomatic medications are used to reduce common side effects after kidney transplant:
- constipation
- stomach ulcer
- diarrhea
- pain
- Malnutrition
We also strongly encourage patients to always consult their transplant team before taking any new medications, such as over-the-counter or herbal medicines, as many medications can interact with immunosuppressants.
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smoking
Kidney transplant recipients who have been smokers are strongly encouraged to quit smoking as soon as possible. In general, tobacco is associated with a significantly increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and lung disease. Patients who continue to smoke after receiving a kidney transplant are twice as likely to suffer from kidney failure compared to nonsmokers.
avoid alcohol and drugs
Excessive drinking can be dangerous for kidney transplant patients because it increases blood pressure. In addition, alcohol is high in calories, so drinking regularly can cause patients to gain weight.
The recommended alcohol limit for kidney transplant patients is 3 to 4 units per day for men and 2 to 3 units per day for women. It is recommended for both male and female kidney transplant recipients to have at least several abstinent days each week and to limit alcohol intake to 14 units or less.
Abuse of illegal drugs should be avoided. These drugs can potentially damage the kidneys, cause rapid and long-term increases in blood pressure, and interact negatively with immunosuppressants.
Is diet important?
It is recommended that kidney transplant recipients consume a generally healthy diet, including at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, it is recommended that a large part of the patient’s healthy diet include starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta.
Intake of some dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, beans, and other non-dairy protein sources is also important. Fat and sugar should be consumed in moderation, while salt can increase blood pressure and should be avoided as much as possible.
weight loss and exercise
Once patients recover from surgery, regular physical activity is recommended. Ideally, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity physical activity or aerobic exercise each week.
Moderately intense exercise includes any type of exercise that increases your heart rate and breathing rate and can make you sweat. Examples of this type of exercise include jogging, swimming, brisk walking, tennis, etc.
Overweight or obese kidney transplant recipients are strongly encouraged to incorporate both regular exercise and a healthy, calorie-controlled diet into their lives to reach a healthy weight.
How to avoid infection
Patients taking immunosuppressants have a weakened immune system and are therefore at higher risk of contracting infections than healthy people. To prevent infection, people should maintain good personal hygiene, including washing their hands regularly before eating and after using the toilet. Additionally, you should avoid contact with people who have contagious infections such as influenza or chickenpox as much as possible.
Care should be taken not to cut or scrape the skin to avoid potential infections. Vaccination against infectious diseases is important. However, some vaccines that contain live viruses, such as the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, cannot be given after a patient has undergone a kidney transplant.
sexual act
Sexual intercourse should be avoided until the abdominal incision from the transplant surgery has completely healed. Healing takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
It is also important to realize that a person’s sexual orientation may also be affected after a kidney transplant. For example, kidney failure can cause a range of problems with a person’s sexuality, including impotence and decreased sexual desire in men and irregular menstrual cycles in women. Alternatively, patients who have previously experienced these effects may notice improved sexual function.
Kidney transplant recipients often need to take blood pressure medications after surgery, and these medications can interfere with sexual function. Effects of these drugs include drowsiness, fatigue, decreased sexual desire, irregular menstrual cycles, and/or decreased vaginal lubrication.
Additionally, transplant recipients may not enjoy sexual experiences as much as they did before taking this class of drugs. The patient’s transplant team and/or counselor can provide guidance to patients experiencing these effects on sexual function after kidney transplantation.
How soon can I get pregnant?
Women who have undergone a kidney transplant are recommended to avoid pregnancy for at least 1 year after surgery. Kidney transplants involve many risks to the health of both the mother and the fetus, so women planning future pregnancies should discuss these risks with their doctors.
Kidney transplant – surgery
