- Over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements are consumed by millions of American for common illnesses such as aches and pains, stomach upset, diarrhea, the common cold, and others.
- Many over-the-counter medications are safe for transplant recipients to take, but several are not.
- If, at any time after the transplant, you want to use an over-the-counter medication, please call your transplant team to make sure that it is OK to take these medications.
- Some over-the-counter medications are not good to use in kidney transplant patients because they can harm the kidney, raise the blood pressure, or have interactions with some of the transplant medications.
Return to Medication Information
Some common over-the-counter medications that should be avoided by kidney transplant patients include:
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Aches and Pains:
- Ibuprofen (also called – Motrin, Advil, Haltran, Ultraprin, I-Prin, Menadol, Proprinal)
- Naproxen (also called – Aleve)
- Ketoprofen (also called – Orudis KT)
- Choline salicylate (also called – Arthropan)
- Magnesium salicylate (also called – Doan’s, Keygesic, Momentum)
- Sodium salicylate
Cough and Cold:
- Pseudoephedrine (also called – Sudafed)
Laxatives:
- Sodium Phosphates (also called – Fleets Enema, Fleets Phospho-Soda)
Anti-Diarrheals
- Kaolin and Pectin (also called – Kaodene, KaoSpen, Kapectolin)
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- It is important for you to know that many over-the-counter medications contain several different drug combinations. For example, Tylenol Allergy Sinus contains acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine and pseudoephedrine. Because this product contains pseudoephedrine, transplant patients should not use it.
- Please read over-the-counter medications boxes very carefully, looking specifically for the active ingredients.
- Call one of your transplant team members if you are confused about what over-the-counter products you can or cannot take.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not approve dietary supplements for use in the United States; therefore, we cannot safely advise our patients to take them.
- Several dietary supplements have been shown to have severe interactions with transplant medications. For example, St John’s Wort has been show to decrease the blood levels of FK506, which may cause rejection.
Please avoid the use of any dietary supplements, unless it is specifically discussed with one of the transplant team members.
This site is not an attempt to practice medicine or provide specific medical advice, and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to replace or overrule a qualified health care provider's judgment. Nor should users rely upon the BWH web site if they might need emergency medical treatment. We strongly encourage users to consult with a qualified health care professional for answers to personal questions.
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