Do the transplant drugs cause esophageal ulcers?

[bisley]

I'm 5 months post transplant and kidney function is doing well. However, I have developed severe GERD. Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone also developed severe bleeding esophageal ulcers? How much do the transplant drugs contribuimimte to this problem?

[OperationKidney]

Yes, they can cause ulcers. I have GERD also and empathize with you and the pain you're experiencing. I would suggest talking to your doctor to see what they say about perhaps lowering your dosage or adding in a PPI. Hope you get some relief soon!

[Hidden]

Yes. There are so many that can contribute. If prednisone gets stuck in my throat, it triggers GERD. After 39 years it still happens, but not horrible. I take a PPI and it really helps.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

Yes your immunosuppressant meds can cause or at least contribute to ulcers. Soon after my transplant I developed GERD. I take omeprazole twice a day to help with this.

[bisley]

Thanks for all the replies. BI had GERD before the transplant and now it is so much worse.. i just had an endoscopy and i have more bleeding ulcers than I can count. The pain is terrible. Whenever I lie down I end up coughing up stomach acid. Burns my throat and nose. I have to keep a cup on my night stand to catch all the yellow stomach acid. I was on 40 mg of omeprazole twice a day before the transplant. My gastroenterologist switched me to Dexilant once a day. Works much better than the omeprazole but stilll not enough. I added one dose of omeprazole at night which helps with the coughing up. I still have an issue with swallowing as even soft food and water get stuck. Sorry for the long post, I'm just venting.

[Dara3351 in reply to bisley]

I just make sure I drink plenty of water when I take my meds which now are at 10 in the am and 10 at night. My anti rejection meds are 4 and 4. The rest are for my thyroid, parathyroid, high blood pressure, vitamin D, magnesium, cholesterol, blood sugar, antacid.