What You Need to Know Post-Transplant: Common Nutrient and Herbal Interactions (2024)

FAQs

What are the nutrition guidelines for post transplant patients? ›

Eat small frequent meals throughout the day and include protein with every meal. Good sources include poultry (chicken and turkey), fish, seafood, red meats and yogurt. Although high in cholesterol, eggs, nuts and dairy products such as milk and cheese are also good sources of protein.

Limit high-calorie foods such as fatty foods, sweets, pastries, and other foods high in fat or sugar. You can help control your calories by eating: Foods high in fiber, such as vegetables and fruits. Lean meat, skinned poultry and fish.

Transplant drugs can raise your risk for food-borne illness. You can lower your risk by handling food safely*: • Avoid raw and undercooked meats, seafood, and eggs. Avoid unpasteurized dairy products. Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables with cool, running water before eating.

Avoid raw or rare meat and fish and uncooked or undercooked eggs. Cook meat until it's well-done. Thoroughly cook eggs (no runny yolks) and avoid foods containing raw eggs such as raw cookie dough or homemade mayonnaise. Avoid unpasteurized beverages, such as fruit juice, milk and raw milk yogurt.

Most foods and drinks are completely safe for you to take after transplant. Please AVOID grapefruit, pomegranate, pomelo, blood orange, and black licorice, as these can increase the amount of anti- rejection medication in your body and this could harm you.

Does tacrolimus interact with any foods or beverages? Avoid excessive intake of high potassium foods (bananas, oranges, orange juice, potatoes, spinach, etc). Do not eat grapefruits, grapefruit juice or any soda (Fresca) or fruit juice blend that contains grapefruit juice.

With regard to patients on immunosuppressive therapy such as tacrolimus and cyclosporine A, herbal products such as turmeric and chamomile are likely to affect these medications, which both have narrow therapeutic indices.

“A lung transplant is second only to an intestinal transplant for having some of the most complicated outcomes,” says Jason Turowski, MD, Brian's pulmonologist. “We will find a way to solve what many others say is not solvable.”

Can transplant patients eat ice cream? ›

Limit high sugar foods and drinks. Avoid high calorie foods with low nutritional value such as doughnuts, candy, cookies, ice cream, and other junk food.

high-protein, high-calorie foods to speed healing of the sores such as peanut butter, pasteurized cottage cheese or yogurt. a liquid or blenderized diet, or a complete nutrition supplement such as Ensure®, Boost® or Carnation® Instant Breakfast.

You need more protein to help with healing after transplant surgery. Healing usually takes between 6-8 weeks. Good sources of protein include fish, poultry, egg whites, egg substitutes, lean meat, and low fat dairy (milk, yogurt and cottage cheese).

There is no longer a restriction on potassium, phosphorus, protein or dairy intake after a transplant. This applies to patients who were on a protein-restricted diet before the transplant as well.

Low vitamin D levels or "vitamin D deficiency" is defined as a total vitamin D level less than 20 ng/mL. This is very common after transplantation. Why is that? In an effort to prevent skin cancer, transplant recipients are advised to avoid or protect themselves from the sun – the body's major source of vitamin D.

Does tacrolimus interact with any foods or beverages? Avoid excessive intake of high potassium foods (bananas, oranges, orange juice, potatoes, spinach, etc). Do not eat grapefruits, grapefruit juice or any soda (Fresca) or fruit juice blend that contains grapefruit juice.

Some foods such as grapefruit are best avoided by patients taking ciclosporin as it may alter the drug's metabolism, meaning the drug's actions become unpredictable. You may wish to ask you doctor or nurse for advice about this.

Once you leave the hospital and your steroid dose decreases, your protein needs will go down to 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body. Then longer term, a few months to years after transplant, your protein needs are about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight.