Full Prescribing Information Important Safety Information
History of Prograf
Why Prograf?
Long-term Health?
Transplant Experience

Always Check Your Medication
The capsule size, shape, color, and printing should match what your doctor has prescribed and what you've been taking.

Prograf® (tacrolimus) capsules should
look like this:
Click here to enlarge
 
Call your doctor immediately if your capsules look different. Receiving a different drug may increase your risk for rejection or cause serious side effects.
Transplant Experience
 My life is my evidence
Patients & Caregivers

The Prograf Choice

Why Prograf® (tacrolimus)? Prograf is an important medication that has been proven to protect transplant recipients from organ rejection following kidney, liver, or heart transplantation. In fact, doctors have been prescribing Prograf for over 14 years, making it one of the most prescribed anti-rejection medications available today.

Here are some items about your treatment with Prograf that you may want to discuss with your transplant team. Remember, only physicians and facilities specializing in transplantation should manage people taking Prograf.

  • Prograf is effective in preventing organ rejection in kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients
  • Prograf comes in three strengths to meet your individual 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

To get the most benefit from your therapy, be sure to take Prograf—and all medications—exactly as prescribed. It is very important that you don’t skip a dose, even if you’re feeling good. If you’re feeling good, your medicine is doing its job.

If you have any questions about Prograf, please speak with your transplant team, and visit www.TransplantExperience.com to learn more about how to maximize the benefits of your therapy.
The information provided on this website is intended for residents of the United States
Important Safety Information
  • Only physicians and facilities specializing in transplantation should manage patients taking Prograf. Anti-rejection medications may result in an increased possibility of developing an infection or lymphoma, a type of cancer.
  • In clinical studies, up to 20% of patients taking Prograf developed insulin-dependent diabetes after transplant, but in some patients, after one to two years, insulin was no longer required. Black 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, constipation, stomach pain, changes in kidney function, high blood sugar, low white cell count, infection, and high cholesterol/lipid levels.
  • Some people should not take Prograf. If you are allergic to Prograf or any of its components, you should not take Prograf.
  • 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.
  • 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.