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TransplantBuddies.org Forums » Nutritious Food & Wellness » Herbal teas. « Previous Next »
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Blake G
Member
Username: Blake_g

Post Number: 1
Registered: 04-2010
Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 11:39 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hello everyone! My name is Blake and I'm rather new to this site. I received my kidney from an amazing friend on August 12, 2009. I was on PD for about two years and achieved great results, but I won't say that I didn't cheat and received the "potassium chats". I'm writing this "thread" so I can gain some insight on herbal teas. I've learned about the black, white, green and oolong but the only contraindications that I see with herbal teas involves cyclosporine, which I'm not taking. I'm taking prograf 2.5mg 2x daily; myfortic 360mg 2x daily and prednisone 5mg once daily. If anyone has any knowledge and is prescribed the meds it would be very helpful to hear your opinion(s).

Cheers,
Blake

p.s. I only drink tea maybe once or twice a week and nothing excessive.
ed
Member
Username: Ed2001

Post Number: 40
Registered: 03-2010
Posted on Monday, May 24, 2010 - 02:10 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blake,

Welcome and congratulation on your transplant.

I don't really drink tea so I can't really be definitely sure about how good or bad it is.

What I can tell you is what I've learned and come across over the years.

Tea, in general is good. However, as you mentioned there are some contraindications for us because of the drugs we take. Cyclosporine does seem to have the most. Prograf although different from cyclosporine, works quite similarly, such that the same foods, like grapefruit, do spike their levels, and that both drugs are toxic to the kidney and can make our liver enzymes go up. They have a lot more other similarities, but you get the point... so chances are what affects cyclosporine also affects prograf, but not always.

The other think about teas is that they are mostly made from herbs. I have learned over the 9 years post transplant to be very careful with herbs. Because a lot of them can really mess up your drug levels. Things like st. john wort, ginko biloba, ginseng, and a whole lot of other things that should be healthy have been shown to have caused rejection (by lowering drug levels) or kidney toxicity (increasing drug levels too much). So it is very important to know what is in the tea you drink.

The last thing about tea is that they are diuretic, so make sure that you drink extra fluids when you consume them to avoid dehydration.

With that said, teas are ok in moderation. I do drink teas when we are at chinese restaurants, which does happen every now and then because my relatives are chinese. So there shouldn't be any problems.

As you mentioned, you drink once or twice a week. And at a cup or two each time shouldn't really be much of a worry.
Kidney Transplant
April 2001
Hostess Rise'
Board Administrator
Username: Rise

Post Number: 13205
Registered: 05-2003
Posted on Monday, May 24, 2010 - 07:44 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Welcome Mike

There are a few teas that I have read about that will interact with transplant medications. If you must have a special tea, talk to your transplant team .
Cystic Fibrosis- dx at 2yrs. -2nd double lung tx-05 JMH

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Questions or Suggestions- Email Hostess Rise'
Karen R.
Forum Leader
Username: Relivkaren

Post Number: 4502
Registered: 07-2007
Posted on Friday, May 28, 2010 - 10:17 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blake:

Welcome to Transplant Buddies! Congratulations on your successful kidney transplant.

I don't know much about tea other than it has been discussed on here that green tea is known to be contraindicated with anti rejection meds. I am not sure which ones, but I just stay away from it.

I have been drinking a lot of black tea as iced tea lately - since it's been warm. I haven't had any med changes, so I guess it has not affected my med levels. That's all I know about tea.

I am so glad that you have joined us. I hope you continue to visit!

God Bless!
Karen
Dx: BOOP - May 2006. Rediagnosed with Bronchiolitis Obliterans Nov. 2006
Double lung transplant on Dec. 1st, 2009
Cleveland Clinic

Ohio, USA

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
CiscoKidney07
Forum Leader
Username: Gregg

Post Number: 3566
Registered: 03-2008
Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2010 - 05:45 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blake, I take prograf and I was told that green tea was not a good idea when my wife and I were at a transplant seminar by a transplant nurse as it interferes with the effectiveness of the medication. (strengthens or weakens, not sure which)
There are not too many things in life worth working my butt off for, but my health is one of them
regscott
Member
Username: Regscott

Post Number: 11
Registered: 04-2010
Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 01:47 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blake,
You'll want to citrus-based herbal teas as they usually have grapefruit in them (use caution unless you can read the full label with all ingredients). Although the level of grapefruit isn't going to be high, grapefruit is contraindicated with most medications (can cause toxic levels of Prograf and statin, lower than normal levels of some other medications).

Also avoid anything with real licorice, ginseng and hawthorne; all can increase your blood pressure (that includes any REAL licorice, not the artificial flavor).

No kava kava or valerian; they act as drugs in your system (kava kava is a sedative and interacts with a lot of medications as well as can cause liver failure; valerian not only stinks to high heaven but can act as a sedative in most people, can cause hyperactivity in some people and is often found in sleepy time teas).

Those are the only ones I know of. When in doubt, talk with your transplant team. You may want to check the NIH herbal database for know herbal interactions with medications; they dont' have all herbs listed, but include the most commonly used/drunk. I believe the Canadians also have an extensive herbal database that will help with interactions, etc.

Hope this helps!
Ruth
Pre-dual liver and kidney
Polycystic Kidney Disease and Polycystic Liver Disease (PKD/PLD)
Mohan
Forum Leader
Username: Mraghavan

Post Number: 108
Registered: 12-2009
Posted on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 - 12:08 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blake

I concur with everyone else. Stick to black tea; it is the safest. Herbal teas may contain herbs that interfere with meds. I think that red tea is okay, but definitely stay away from green tea.

Ginger, Lemon, Tulsi, Neem are good for you.
Mohan
Liver Transplant 04/18/2009
University of Colorado Hospital
Blake G
Member
Username: Blake_g

Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2010
Posted on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - 02:02 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thank you so much!!! I'm so blessed for a wide network of "transplant buddies"!! It's one thing to have to have a transplant but a whole other situation to keep the transplant running smooth. I've always thought that my circumstances calls for a "spidey-sense" of common sense (I hope that sounds right) and that I try to absorb as much knowledge as I can but at the same time, live my damn life! Anyways. I really appreciate everyones information on my subject, it really means a lot to me that there is so much greatness from a small population.

Cheers,
Blake

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