| Heart transplants: Medications | 1678.00000000000 | Heart transplants: Medications | Heart transplants: Medications | H | English | Cardiology | Child (0-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | Heart | Cardiovascular system | Procedures;Drug treatment | Adult (19+) | NA | | 2009-12-11T05:00:00Z | | | | | | 9.80000000000000 | 50.6000000000000 | 349.000000000000 | | Flat Content | Health A-Z | <p>After a heart transplant, your child will need a variety of medications, including immunosuppressants, drugs to prevent infection, and drugs to lower blood pressure.<br></p> | <p>Your child will need a variety of different medications after a heart transplant. They can be grouped in the following categories:</p> | | <h2> Key points </h2>
<ul><li>Your child must take immunosuppressants for the rest of their life to prevent and treat rejection.</li>
<li>Your child will take medicines to prevent infection as immunosuppressants increase their risk of contracting infection.</li>
<li> Since immunosuppressants can cause high blood pressure, most children will be on blood pressure medication for the first 6 months after transplant.</li></ul> | <h2>Immunosuppressants</h2>
<p>Your child will need to take immunosuppressants for the rest of his life. These drugs are used to prevent and treat rejection. Immunosuppressants include the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=244&language=English">tacrolimus</a></li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=115&language=English">cyclosporine</a></li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=195&language=English">mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)</a></li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=221&language=English">prednisone</a></li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=237&language=English">sirolimus</a></li></ul>
<h2>Medications to prevent infection</h2>
<p>Heart transplants and immunosuppressants can make your child more likely to develop some infections. Your child may be prescribed one or more of the following medications to prevent infection:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=202&language=English">nystatin</a>, which helps prevent an infection in the mouth called thrush</li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=112&language=English">cotrimoxazole</a>, which helps prevent a lung infection called pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP)</li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=146&language=English">ganciclovir</a> or cytogam, which help prevent and treat viral infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)</li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=65&language=English">acyclovir</a>, which helps prevent and treat viral infections such as chickenpox, shingles, herpes simplex, and CMV</li>
<li>valganciclovir, which helps prevent and treat CMV</li></ul>
<h2>Blood pressure medications</h2>
<p>Immunosuppressants can cause high blood pressure as a side effect. Most children will be on medication to control their blood pressure for the first six months after transplant. These medications may include the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>a diuretic, which increases the flow of urine and reduces the amount of water and salt in the body, such as <a href="/Article?contentid=144&language=English">furosemide</a> or <a href="/Article?contentid=241&language=English">spironolactone-hydrochlorothiazide</a></li>
<li><a href="/Article?contentid=72&language=English">amlodipine</a></li>
<li>short-acting <a href="/Article?contentid=199&language=English">nifedipine</a>, which lowers the blood pressure quickly if it is too high</li></ul>
<h2>Magnesium supplements</h2>
<p>Immunosuppressants can lower the level of <a href="/Article?contentid=179&language=English">magnesium</a> in your child's blood. Magnesium supplements replace the lost magnesium.</p>
<h2>Ranitidine</h2>
<p><a href="/Article?contentid=229&language=English">Ranitidine</a> helps to prevent your child from getting an upset stomach when they are taking high doses of immunosuppressants.</p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Heart transplants: Medications | | False | | | | | | | | |
