Immuno-Suppressant Drugs are medicines that reduce the body's natural
defenses against foreign invaders or materials. Used in transplant patients,
these drugs help prevent their bodies from rejecting transplanted organs.
Purpose
When an organ, such as a liver, a heart or a kidney, is transplanted from
one person (the donor) into another (the recipient), the recipient's immune
system has the same response it has to any foreign material. It attacks and
tries to destroy the organ. Immuno-suppressant drugs help prevent this from
happening by subduing the natural immune response. The problem is that the
drugs' action also makes the body more vulnerable to infection. For that
reason, people who take this medicine need to be especially careful to avoid
infections.
In addition to being used to prevent organ rejection, Immuno-suppressant
Drugs sometimes are used to treat severe skin disorders such as Psoriasis
and other diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn's Disease (chronic
inflammation of the digestive tract) and patchy hair loss (Alopecia Areata).
Description
Immuno-Suppressant Drugs are available only with a physician's prescription
and come in tablet, capsule, liquid and injectable forms. Commonly used
Immuno-Suppressant Drugs include Azathioprine, Cyclosporine and Tacrolimus.