HELP! ANY DOCTORS???

Question

THANKS SO MUCH for even opening this! I LOVE YOU FORVER!

My mom has been suffering from balance disorders for about a year. She take a drug called Prograf for a lung transplant she had about 7 years ago. She is so off balance to the point she has to hold my shoulder to walk from her room to the couch. She has seen a lot of doctors, such as Ear, Nose and Throat specialists and Neuroligists. She has had a lot of MRIs that have shown nothing. I am beginning to get worried as she is getting worse and spending a lot of money on doctors and medicines that do not work. Do you think Prograf could cause all this. If not what do you think it is? Answers are greatly apreciated. THANKS SO MUCH! Oh, if it's worth anything she's in her early 50's!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Anti-rejection drugs have been looked into as causing various types of cancer, but I'm unaware of any balance problem.  There's definitely something amiss, the doctors just haven't found it yet.  She can either keep going to different doctors (University Hospitals are usually good) until she finds one who can discover what's wrong, or you could do hours of research on line plugging in her symptoms until something pops up.  My best guess is something wrong in her inner ear... an infection, a tumor, a nerve that's become demylinated...

Good luck!

Answer 2

Are her doctors idiots?  Directly from the manufacturer of the drug.  And I quote:

"Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); confusion; dark urine; decreased coordination; chest pain; diabetes (frequent urination, increased thirst or hunger); fast or irregular heartbeat; mental or mood changes (eg, anxiety, confusion) one-sided weakness; painful urination or changes in the amount of urine; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; seizures; severe or persistent dizziness or headache; shortness of breath; swelling of the hands, feet, or legs; tingling or numbness in the hands or feet; tremor; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual lumps or skin lesions; unusual weakness or tiredness; vision changes; yellowing of the skin or eyes."

As you can plainly see, severe or persistent dizziness is a side effect and one of great concern.  Call them immediately and see if she can either change the drug, or get something to help with her dizziness.  Good luck.

Answer 3

I am not a doctor, but i know that neurotoxicity is a common side effect reported for Prograf, and the cause of dizziness is often neurological.   Since conventional causes have been ruled out, that makes the medication a likely suspect.  Your mom could talk to her doc about trying a different rejection drug.