Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule

What is Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule?

Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule contains a drug called Tacrolimus. It belongs to the group of medicines which is known as immunosuppressants. It lowers your body’s immune system. The immune system helps your body fight infections. The immune system can also fight or “reject” a transplanted organ. This is because the immune system treats the new organ as an invader. This medicine is used together with other medications to prevent your body from rejecting a heart, liver, or kidney transplant.

What Tacrolimus drug is used for?

Tacrolimus is sold under the brand name Prograf. It is manufactured in India by Akognos Life Sciences. Tacrolimus is used along with other medications to prevent rejection ( attack of a transplanted organ by the immune system of a person receiving the organ) in people who have a kidney transplant. It is used along with other medicines to prevent rejection in people who have received a liver or heart transplant. It is in a class of medications called immunosuppressants. It works to decrease the activity of the immune system to prevent it from attacking the transplanted organ.

What is transplant rejection?

Rejection is a very fearful word, but it doesn’t always mean you are losing your transplanted organ. Rejection is when the organ recipient’s immune system recognizes the donor organ as foreign and attempts to eliminate it. It occurs when your immune system detects things like bacteria or a virus. Rejection occurs with every transplant. 

Despite the use of immunosuppressant therapy, acute rejection can occur and often lead to chronic rejection. Chronic rejection is characterized by gradual loss of organ function. It can occur weeks, months, or years after transplantation. 

What is Kidney transplant?

The main role of the kidneys is to filter waste products from the blood and convert them to waste. If the kidneys lose this ability, waste products build-up, which is life-threatening.

• What are the requirements of a kidney transplant?

Each hospital has its criteria but in general, candidates should have:

End-stage renal failure an be on dialysis

Late-stage chronic kidney disease

A life expectancy of at least five years

A full understanding of postoperative instructions and care.

What is a Liver transplant?

The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is located in the upper right portion of the abdomen, on the top of the stomach. Its main functions include processing proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, breaking down toxic substances, making chemical components, and secreting a yellow digestive juice called bile. 

Liver transplantation can be performed using a portion of the liver taken from either a deceased or a living donor. After a living donor liver transplant, both the donor’s remaining liver lobe and the transplanted lobe grow to full size. 

• What are the requirements of a liver transplant?

The minimum requirements for liver transplant are:

Signs of liver failure

Surgery and recovery

Risk of alcohol or drug abuse

Liver cancer 

Cirrhosis

What is a heart transplant?

A heart transplant is surgical transplantation that is performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease. The patient’s heart is replaced with a donor’s healthy heart and is performed as a life-saving measure.

A heart transplant is the last option and is performed when other heart transplant treatments have failed. It is done in cases of severe heart failure.

• What are the requirements of a heart transplant?

Some causes of heart transplant include:

Heart attack

Viral infection

High blood pressure

Heart valve disease

Irregular heartbeats

Heart defects

Alcoholism or drugs abuse

Chronic lung disease

Low red blood cell count

Heart muscle is enlarged

Take Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule on an empty stomach or 2 to 3 hours after a meal or as directed by your healthcare provider. Take this medicine as long as your doctor tells you to do so. Before taking medicine consult your doctor. Dose and duration will be decided by the necessity and need of the patient. It depends on the treatment and may change from time to time. You should take medicine as per your doctor’s advice. This medicine is strictly not recommended for children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. It takes some weeks and months to get a better result. Do not stop taking the medicine before your doctor’s advice.

Common side effects of this medicine include nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, and difficulty sleeping. It lowers your immune system so you are more prone to infections. if these side effects become serious. Your doctor can prevent and give you relief from the side effects during the treatment. It makes you feel better.

The benefit of Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule

• In the treatment of prevention of transplantation rejection

This medicine belongs to a class of drugs known as immunosuppressants and is used to prevent organ rejection in transplant recipients. When the immune system sees a new organ as an invader and attacks it. It is called organ rejection. This medication minimizes the likelihood of your body attacking the donated organ by weakening your immune system. It is used in combination with other medications to increase your chances of a successful transplant. 

Side effects of Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule

Here are Some major and minor side effects of this medicine. But not all side effects need a doctor’s attention. If you observe any side effects become serious, You may consult your doctor.

Some of the common side effects of this medicine include:

Headache

Diarrhea

Dizziness

Nausea or vomiting

Swelling of feet or lower legs

Blurred vision

Sweating

Weight loss 

Back pain

Joint pain

Scaly skin

Loss of appetite

How is the Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule taken?

Take Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule on an empty stomach or 2 to 3 hours after a meal or as directed by your healthcare provider. Take this medicine as long as your doctor tells you to do so. Always take this medicine as per your doctor’s consultation. Dose and duration will decide your doctor. You are not allowed to crush, chew and break the medicine. Swallow it as a whole. Drink plenty of water. Do not miss the dose. If you miss a dose skip the missed dose and follow your schedule regularly on the next day. Do not double the dose. Take medicine every day on time as prescribed by your doctor. Much other medicine can affect this medicine so let your doctor know all medication you are using during the treatment.

How does the Grafnos 0.5mg Capsule work?

This Capsule is an immunosuppressant. It works to suppress your body’s immune response following the transplant of an organ such as the liver, kidney, or heart. This helps your body to accept the new organ as if it were your own.