Diabetes risk for transplantees

[Isabelle2]

Hi

Just been to see my Dr today. All ok Ggt etc. However I have put on weight. 19 mths post t/p I have put on 12 kg - which means I have 26 pounds to lose. I knew I had not been very careful and family said I look better even last week, even though I have probs getting into some of my clothes! So it’s now a steady slow routine of cutting down.

The other prob is that I have a prob with my myfortic which shows too high a reading on my bloods. I will take another test tomorrow to check.

However the one thing I learned from my very good French Dr is that one in two post liver transplantees end up with diabetes. I’m not sure if that is all transplantees to simply those overweight. A useful reminder for all of us.

Isabelle xx

[Hidden]

Hello Isabelle,

In a post transplant patients the medications used to prevent rejection can alter the way hepatocytes handle sugars and drive overproduction and release of glucose into the blood.

Also patients with diabetic risks before transplant are more likely to experience it after transplant.

I have recently questioned this with my liver consultant up at the QE. I wanted to try and understand my particular cause of diabetes as mine started about three months after my variceal bleed. It was agreed that my liver which was in a very poorly state had become insulin resistant, so the insulin wasn't getting through to the liver, or to the CRTC2 switch genes to tell the liver to stop dumping sugar.

Post transplant, it has been agreed that maybe the anti-rejection medication was now driving the diabetes, so my tacrolimus had been reduced. I'm awaiting to see what impact this has on my over all sugar control. What I'm effectively trying to do is to reduce the amount of medication I need to take.

I hope this helps.

Richard.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi

I was Diabetic before transplant, but post the insulin requirement has reduced considerably and my bloods are solidly between 6 and 8.

Talking about putting me on pills instead of injection.

At 12 month they are talking about reducing the anti rejection drugs, so I will after your comments will see if that helps.

Of course the steroids played havoc with my sugar levels, not reducing until they stopped

David

[h0b0]

My partner developed type 2 diabetes a couple of years post transplant. He isn't overweight ( in fact slimmer now than for many years). The medication seems to be the contributing factor. Still better than the alternatives pre transplant.