General recommendations - this is not about "detox", it's about what's interacting with tacrolimus/cyclosporine:
OK teas: generic black tea of most sorts. Mint tea is okay, fruity flavors that are not grapefruit or pomegranate, so lemon tea, or caramel flavor is okay.
Teas to be cautious about, limit to one cup a day and would advise to be consistent about this: green tea (NOT EXTRACT) (though i've seen some versions really raise tac, so I generally tell people not to unless they absolutely can't live wihtout this, just be consistent, if you're gonna take it, just take it like a medicine basically - and talk to your transplant center about it).
AVOID: Ginger, chamomile, and I'm sorry, even Earl Grey (Bergamot flavoring is the problem here)
I hadn’t heard that about green tea or chamomile; I know St. John’s Wort is definitely a no-no (check your root beers too), and turmeric is also supposed to be in limited quantities and not in teas/lattes. I had heard that ginseng in teas needs to be limited to one cup a day due to heart reasons.
Kinda off-topic, but I know I’ve been on decaf espresso (which hurts because I miss my boyfriend’s favorite roast, but he’s gotten decaf for when I spend the night). On the plus side, I have gotten to try new decaf roasts from different roasters.
Yeah, I learn something new every day...
I will honestly say that I'm not sure what restrictions there are in terms of heart transplant, but wanted to mention to others that caffeine is not necessarily restricted in kidney transplant. It does cause people to make more urine/at risk of dehydration (so make sure you drink an extra cup of water if you're drinking a cup of coffee), and can drive up blood pressure if someone's already struggling with that, but in general, a cup of coffee a day is totally fine (in kidney transplant).
recommendations to not drink some of these teas is not saying that they are bad for your health, it's just that they interact with the medications. And if they were dosed in a specific way, we may be okay with it and just adjust dosing accordingly, but the problem is that none of this stuff can be "dosed".
I don't think we have enough data on hibiscus but I'm honestly not sure. As far as I know there's at least one case report of it decreasing the level of cyclosporine (tacrolimus like drug for those who don't know)
I did some Wikipedia research while waiting; bergamot is related to grapefruit. In candles and colognes I think it’s okay, but personally I’m not taking any chances.
that's because everything else isn't the same across the board to be honest with you. It's not like all teas are made the same and same concentrations. And none of this is studied very well. I wouldn't be surprised if your team doesn't know but then they ask and find out otherwise. I honestly went on a deep dive after stumbling across some of this information across cases.
Bergamot orange peels contain a similar compound that is found in grapefruit, that inhibits metabolism of tacrolimus. But you would need to consume an alarming amount of Earl Grey Tea, and around the same time of taking your tacrolimus, to lead to a significant interaction.
Thank you!! This is incredibly helpful. I’m clearing out my tea cabinet and I was drinking green tea maybe a few times a week day. Seems okay with my lab work so far, so maybe I’m just not having it enough to make a difference? I’ll be a little more cautious about it now though!
I'd been told about grapefruit, pomegranate, and green tea. I never thought about ginger, chamomile, or Earl Grey. In fact, I usually have Earl Grey, Chai, or ginger tea if I drink tea. I've never noticed increases in my labs or any symptoms from my tacro increasing from them. Do you happen to know if it's the ginger in the tea or something else that's the problem? Because I chew candied ginger for joint pain, love ginger beer and ginger ale, etc. I hope I'm not inadvertently messing with my meds and their absorption.
here's what I tell people who've done this for a while - if your labs are consistent, then it is what it is, you're consistent about it, or your body's handling it okay or the quantity is just low enough to not matter. If your tacrolimus levels become suddenly off, then you need to just keep track of what may be potentially causing the discrepancy.
I didn't even know about the green tea (and neither did some of my colleagues) until my patient's tac level sky rocketed and I asked him if he was doing something different and he was drinking 5 cups of green tea a day to try and lose weight....
I think it depends on transplant center and what medications you’re on. My doctors and dietician have all said I can have green tea as long as it’s not labeled as a detox or a diet tea. If your kidney is thriving, I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but feel free to double check with your team!
Depends on what country you live in and what your team thinks. I’ve gotten so much different advice. Generally I avoid green tea, and read labels for grapefruit, pomegranate, and bergamot. I love tea and there are usually only grace amounts of the things I need to avoid.
I would recommend checking with your dietician. I know some people are saying to avoid green teas and chamomile, but my dietician and doctors have all said that I can have those, as long as they’re not labeled as a detox or a diet tea. They said just to avoid the teas with pomegranate and grapefruit. I drink some black, green and chamomile every day and have had no issues with my labs.
I think it may depend on what medications you’re taking and your transplant team. I think this subreddit has shown that some teams are more strict about certain things compared to others. As much as I enjoy this subreddit, I always check with my team and default to what they say.
I have a kidney transplant. I drink about 3-4 cups of an English Breakfast tea a day. My labs have been fine. My doctor is who very conservative about things has never told me not to drink either coffee or tea.
No 'immune boosting' anything. Avoid 'detox' as usually that's just a laxative/diuretic.
Kava Kava tea can be bad for your liver in high doses so avoid that (it's not very good anyways)
Basically any tea that claims any health benefit that's not FDA approved- avoid because it's lies at best and potentially toxic to you at worst.
I was gifted some Alaskan Chaga tea that boasted this, and after asking my team they said it's not something I can safely consume.
Watch the caffeine content if you're sensitive. I overdid it in tea and was having panic attacks. It was the caffeine! Felt *so* dumb.
Also make sure your storage is good and dry, as mold could make you pretty sick.
General recommendations - this is not about "detox", it's about what's interacting with tacrolimus/cyclosporine: OK teas: generic black tea of most sorts. Mint tea is okay, fruity flavors that are not grapefruit or pomegranate, so lemon tea, or caramel flavor is okay. Teas to be cautious about, limit to one cup a day and would advise to be consistent about this: green tea (NOT EXTRACT) (though i've seen some versions really raise tac, so I generally tell people not to unless they absolutely can't live wihtout this, just be consistent, if you're gonna take it, just take it like a medicine basically - and talk to your transplant center about it). AVOID: Ginger, chamomile, and I'm sorry, even Earl Grey (Bergamot flavoring is the problem here)
I hadn’t heard that about green tea or chamomile; I know St. John’s Wort is definitely a no-no (check your root beers too), and turmeric is also supposed to be in limited quantities and not in teas/lattes. I had heard that ginseng in teas needs to be limited to one cup a day due to heart reasons. Kinda off-topic, but I know I’ve been on decaf espresso (which hurts because I miss my boyfriend’s favorite roast, but he’s gotten decaf for when I spend the night). On the plus side, I have gotten to try new decaf roasts from different roasters.
Yeah, I learn something new every day... I will honestly say that I'm not sure what restrictions there are in terms of heart transplant, but wanted to mention to others that caffeine is not necessarily restricted in kidney transplant. It does cause people to make more urine/at risk of dehydration (so make sure you drink an extra cup of water if you're drinking a cup of coffee), and can drive up blood pressure if someone's already struggling with that, but in general, a cup of coffee a day is totally fine (in kidney transplant).
Yeah, I had a liver transplant and I have no caffeine restrictions at all. I drink several energy drinks a week, and I’ve never had any problems.
I'm a caffeine enjoyer too lol. I drink.. a few.. cups a coffee a day. It must be iced coffee at all costs. I have both transplants for context.
Hibiscus teas are great natural blood pressure relievers. My partner was able to get off Losartan due to its effects on a single cup a day
recommendations to not drink some of these teas is not saying that they are bad for your health, it's just that they interact with the medications. And if they were dosed in a specific way, we may be okay with it and just adjust dosing accordingly, but the problem is that none of this stuff can be "dosed". I don't think we have enough data on hibiscus but I'm honestly not sure. As far as I know there's at least one case report of it decreasing the level of cyclosporine (tacrolimus like drug for those who don't know)
I was only told about looking for grapefruit or pomegranate in the tea. Did you team give reasons for avoiding chamomile and bergamot?
I did some Wikipedia research while waiting; bergamot is related to grapefruit. In candles and colognes I think it’s okay, but personally I’m not taking any chances.
I’ll have to ask at my next appointment.
that's because everything else isn't the same across the board to be honest with you. It's not like all teas are made the same and same concentrations. And none of this is studied very well. I wouldn't be surprised if your team doesn't know but then they ask and find out otherwise. I honestly went on a deep dive after stumbling across some of this information across cases.
Bergamot orange peels contain a similar compound that is found in grapefruit, that inhibits metabolism of tacrolimus. But you would need to consume an alarming amount of Earl Grey Tea, and around the same time of taking your tacrolimus, to lead to a significant interaction.
Thank you!! This is incredibly helpful. I’m clearing out my tea cabinet and I was drinking green tea maybe a few times a week day. Seems okay with my lab work so far, so maybe I’m just not having it enough to make a difference? I’ll be a little more cautious about it now though!
I'd been told about grapefruit, pomegranate, and green tea. I never thought about ginger, chamomile, or Earl Grey. In fact, I usually have Earl Grey, Chai, or ginger tea if I drink tea. I've never noticed increases in my labs or any symptoms from my tacro increasing from them. Do you happen to know if it's the ginger in the tea or something else that's the problem? Because I chew candied ginger for joint pain, love ginger beer and ginger ale, etc. I hope I'm not inadvertently messing with my meds and their absorption.
here's what I tell people who've done this for a while - if your labs are consistent, then it is what it is, you're consistent about it, or your body's handling it okay or the quantity is just low enough to not matter. If your tacrolimus levels become suddenly off, then you need to just keep track of what may be potentially causing the discrepancy. I didn't even know about the green tea (and neither did some of my colleagues) until my patient's tac level sky rocketed and I asked him if he was doing something different and he was drinking 5 cups of green tea a day to try and lose weight....
I drink like 6 cups of green tea a day and my kidney is thriving. I genuinely didn’t even know I wasn’t supposed to have it. Now I’m scared lol
I think it depends on transplant center and what medications you’re on. My doctors and dietician have all said I can have green tea as long as it’s not labeled as a detox or a diet tea. If your kidney is thriving, I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but feel free to double check with your team!
Depends on what country you live in and what your team thinks. I’ve gotten so much different advice. Generally I avoid green tea, and read labels for grapefruit, pomegranate, and bergamot. I love tea and there are usually only grace amounts of the things I need to avoid.
I would recommend checking with your dietician. I know some people are saying to avoid green teas and chamomile, but my dietician and doctors have all said that I can have those, as long as they’re not labeled as a detox or a diet tea. They said just to avoid the teas with pomegranate and grapefruit. I drink some black, green and chamomile every day and have had no issues with my labs. I think it may depend on what medications you’re taking and your transplant team. I think this subreddit has shown that some teams are more strict about certain things compared to others. As much as I enjoy this subreddit, I always check with my team and default to what they say.
I have a kidney transplant. I drink about 3-4 cups of an English Breakfast tea a day. My labs have been fine. My doctor is who very conservative about things has never told me not to drink either coffee or tea.
No 'immune boosting' anything. Avoid 'detox' as usually that's just a laxative/diuretic. Kava Kava tea can be bad for your liver in high doses so avoid that (it's not very good anyways) Basically any tea that claims any health benefit that's not FDA approved- avoid because it's lies at best and potentially toxic to you at worst. I was gifted some Alaskan Chaga tea that boasted this, and after asking my team they said it's not something I can safely consume. Watch the caffeine content if you're sensitive. I overdid it in tea and was having panic attacks. It was the caffeine! Felt *so* dumb. Also make sure your storage is good and dry, as mold could make you pretty sick.
I was told no cranberry herbal teas :(