Preventing Rejection With Prograf® (tacrolimus capsules and injection) Prograf is an immunosuppressant approved for the prevention of rejection in people who have received a liver or kidney transplant. Anti-rejection medications like Prograf are essential to the success of transplantation. In fact, since approval for rejection prevention for liver transplantation in 1994, and for kidney transplant in 1997, Prograf has helped more than 100,000 people.
Here are some of the medication considerations you may want to discuss with your transplant team. Only physicians and facilities specializing in transplantation should manage patients taking Prograf.
- Prograf is highly effective in preventing organ rejection in kidney and liver transplant recipients and comes in three strengths to meet individual patient needs.
- Prograf is easy to take. The capsules are small and have no odor or unpleasant taste.
- Physical side effects: Prograf has a low potential to cause the gums to grow around your teeth or to cause unwanted hair on your face or body; however, it has been linked to unwanted hair loss.
- Steroid doses: Doctors may be able to reduce the dose of steroids in people taking Prograf.
- Hypertension: High blood pressure can be effectively managed in people taking Prograf
- New-onset diabetes: Prograf has been linked to high blood sugar; however it can be effectively managed by your doctor
- Cholesterol: Prograf is not generally associated with significant increases in cholesterol levels following transplant
In clinical studies, up to 20% of patients taking Prograf developed insulin-dependent diabetes after transplant, but in some patients, after two years, insulin was no longer required. African American and Hispanic kidney transplant patients were at an increased risk.
Prograf has been associated with toxicity to the kidneys and nervous system. Common side effects are tremor, headache, high blood pressure, diarrhea, nausea, and changes in kidney function.
Be sure to tell your doctor right away if you notice that you are thirstier than usual, have to urinate more often, have blurred vision, or seem to get confused. These may be the early signs of high blood sugar or diabetes. Additionally, tell your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to have a baby, or breastfeeding.
Anti-rejection medications may result in an increased possibility of developing an infection or lymphoma, a type of cancer.
Some people should not take Prograf. If you are allergic to Prograf or any of its components, you should not take Prograf .
You will need to take Prograf exactly the way your doctor tells you to. Make sure you take it before or after you eat at the same times each day. Do not eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice in combination with Prograf.
Some medicines, such as certain antibiotics, will affect your body's ability to use Prograf. Always make sure your doctor knows you are taking Prograf when you receive a new medicine, including any over-the-counter medicines or herbal supplements.
Medication regimens will vary between transplant recipients. Talk to your transplant team to find the combination of medicines that is right for you.
Prograf Prescribing Information 
Prograf Patient Information
Prograf Safety Information
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