Korean J Transplant.  2021 Jun;35(2):108-111. 10.4285/kjt.20.0058.

Severe anorexia and weight loss induced by tacrolimus in kidney transplant recipients

• Hwang HP
• Yu HC
• Chung BH
• Kang KP
• Kim W
• Park SK
• Lee S

• KMID: 2517293
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4285/kjt.20.0058

Abstract

Common neuropsychiatric complications of tacrolimus include tremors, fatigue, headache, sleep disorders, paranoid reactions, and anxiety. Other, more serious complications include encephalopathy, convulsions, confusion, and coma. To our knowledge, however, severe weight loss by anorexia has not been reported as a neuropsychiatric adverse effect of tacrolimus given to adult kidney transplant recipients. In this article we present two cases of severe anorexia and weight loss associated with tacrolimus that appeared to reverse with cyclosporine.

Keyword

Anorexia; Weight loss; Tacrolimus; Kidney transplantation

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Conversion of immunosuppressant and change of body weight in case 1. Tac, tacrolimus; MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; PD, prednisolone; MMS, enteric coated mycophenolate sodium; CsA, cyclosporine.

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  Fig. 2 Conversion of immunosuppressant and change of body weight in case 2. Tac, tacrolimus; MMF, mycophenolate mofetil; PD, prednisolone; MMS, enteric coated mycophenolate sodium; CsA, cyclosporine.

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