Depression after kidney transplant.

My wonderful husband gave me a kidney Oct. 7, 2011.  We are both doing great, yet I have a new problem...hair loss!  I had beautiful long blond hair and have just made an appointment with my hairdresser to have it all chopped off.  It's very depressing, but let's face it, it's only hair.  I am no longer on dialysis and I feel good.  I'm glad to hear that we all get depressed.  But for now I am going to put on my smily face and fake it til I make it.

Hey Debbie. I'm sorry to hear about your hair. I also faced that a while back. I now where a short angled bob. Seems to help with looking thicker. That last quote you said is so true. "fake it till' ya make it" couldn't say it better myself. But, we always seem to make it somehow. :)

hi 'am hot a kidney transplant on 5 nov 2009 it was so beautiful in the first year even with a deadly pain but now I am totally deppressed all time I have lost intrest in all almost all things. Always feel low

My mum recieved a kidney transplant after living with kidney failure and dialysis for almost 10 years.  Her recovery after the transplant wasn't the easiest and the side effects of the drugs have been quite harsh at times.  Despite all this she never forgets how lucky she was receiving the gift of her freedom back.  Living with kidney failure meant dialysis 3 times a week, severe weight loss and fatigue, uncontrolled potassium levels that lead to high blood perssure which caused numersous mini strokes and a quite major stroke.  Not to mention trying to plan a holiday was like trying to arrange an expidition to Mt Everest!!  Even with the side effects she would never swap her transplant and really feels for those pople who haven't been as fortunate and have to continue to live the life she lived whilst on dialysis.

Thank you.I've had my kidney a year and a half and i worry about going back on dialysis the doctor told me not to exepct no more than 5 years.

I get sad when I think of it instade of enjoying the time i have.

At first friends and famiely care but after time they forget and don't care as much.

I was first diagnosed with renal disease when i was 28 and 2 months pregnant. The Dr wanted me to abort so they could do kidney biopsy, but I refused. I was seen through my pregnancy by my ob/gyn Dr and nephrologist. At about my 8th month I was induced as renal issues were getting worse and had a healthy tiny 5 lb 5 oz baby girl. Shortly after a biopsy was performed and the cause was found. I have iganephropathy caused by a strep throat I had 6 months previous. I was fortunate that my renal decline was slo w (but a definate decline) until at age 42 I was on dialysis. At this time I had been married 24 yrs and had 5 children who needed a mom. I was fortunate enough to have an amazing friend who ended up being my perfect match and received my transplant. It was not an easy time after the transplant by any means. My children were 23, 20,18, 15, and 14. I ended up with many many issues from transplant. A yr later I found out the reason I was having leg pain ( that started shortly after transplant) was caused by clamp damage done to major artery at transplant and now had to face another major surgery ( vascular bypass). I was going to lose my new kidney if not. I also had a hernia repair surgery 2 months after transplant caused by p.d. had 3 months of I.v ig for possible rejection. That made me really sick. The meds were also a roller coaster. I know It can all be very overwhelming and our emotions get to us. I would be lying if I said I didnt get depressed . Not to mention the fact you seem to become the property of the drs and hosp with visits, tests and endless bloodwork. Not one person around you, unless they've been there, can understand and that's frustrating too. I had hair to my waist and it came out in clumps. I just cried. My prednisone is down to 5 mg a day now and its not bad. I don't blame god or anyone else. I am a Christian and i am thankful for the things I do have. Try looking at your situation compared to that child with terminal cancer. That's not to say we don't have the right to feel discouraged about our condition because let's face it, its a crappy deal. I decided a couple yrs ago I could get living or get just wait to die. I chose to live. I live in Canada and never had a passport to last yr. My husband and I went on a cruise last Jan and Jan 2012 We went to Orlando with 2 of our children ane my brother and his wife. I always wanted to travel outside Canada and i also know that this kidney won't last forever so i want to do things before dialysis comes again. I thank god and my friend everyday I'm not on dialysis. For me knowing I have this Problem makes me do today and not put off til tomarrow. Really everyone should live this way cause nobody knows how long they have to live. I truly hope this has helped you in some way and I Wish you all the best.

I had a kidney transplant two months ago. It was successful, but I am not. The medications are very strong; and they make me hate myself. I feel hopeless and worthless. I returned to work two weeks after surgery. Not a good idea at all. I hate my f*****g job. I fel sick most of the time. I have lost 35 lbs. in eight weeks. The sight of food makes me sick. I just want to stay in bed. I have very very strong thoughts of suicide that I have kept secret. The gun is here with me every day. The gun is my secret "exit strategy". The antidepressants are not working at all. My family thinks that I am just going through a bad patch. They don't have any idea of what a bad patch is. I don't. Have any joy or hope in my life. I am at the end of my rope, and am ready to check out. I am alone , again, this weekend. Nobody really gives a f**k about me; including me. Nobody at the transplant center told me that I would be so sick , lonely, hopeless and miserable. Every day is the dark night of the soul at my house. I am going for a drive. That always makes me feel worse.

Hey, u got the gift of life. Who cares about the scars. The toxins are out of ur body. U must have other unrelated emotional problems that this compounds. Don't u feel good about ur self on the inside.?

My brother had his transplant a year ago.He has since committed suicide.I am so crushed.This is completely out of his character.He would have never done anything like this.Doctors never discussed that he may be depressed. We had no clue.Our lives will never be the same from seeing a strong man take the easy way out.My family is heartbroken.

I have my transplant 2 months ago i waited and waited in this sh*t country and i was on depression but not like this i have the moments but now i can't focus that much i think I'm losing my brain :S I don't now about the side effects before the transplant i was thinking you take the meds and you have great life just like before but cancer ???? lympho disorders wtf and you can lose your hearth liver lungs Non-hodkine syndrome wow I Don't feel very good inside in my head and all that i think is that some sh*t is going to happen :S :S :S

My transplant was 4 months ago. I have serious depression, but I try to keep it hidden. I fear involuntary commitment if my thoughts really were revealed. My medications are slowly killing me. My stomach feels like I drank Drain-O. I try to go to work, but it is an uphill battle. The meds are depressing and disruptive to my life. I just feel crummy 8 out of 10 days. I have lost 50 lbs for no particular reason. Food has no appeal at all. Nobody warned me about the aftermath of the transplant. Gosh, I wonder why?

what is Xanax?

I had a transplant in 2006 and I am currently now 17, as much joy and greatness it has done for me, I too think of earlier before I had my transplant when I was skinny and tall, yes my looks didn't matter to me then as I was a child but now being 17 it annoys me thinking back after my transplant when they put me on the prednisalone which made me huge just as I was starting high school which can be a very harsh and judgemental place, and of course I had people calling me names and making jokes about me, but what made me mad was the fact that before my transplant I didn't eat for six years and hate to be put on a feed and there I was being call fat and huge! I cut down my own prednisalone without the doctors consent, yes the kidney has made me well and better again, but every girl still wants to look nice and beautiful, confident inside not being called names for something you couldn't help! Since then I've practically starved myself just to get me to a decent weight and to actually look decent in clothes again. The only problem is that my kidney was placed at the front of my stomach and I wondered if anyone else's was out there? I exercise daily yet my stomach won't go down on one side where my kidneys been put, I don't understand why they couldn't put it where te original kidney came from? Just another scar to add to the collection just on my stomach, let alone everywhere else! I really am great full for my transplant as it really has given me a life again, but if this was to fail, I seriously don't know what I would do as I know any person would wait for another but I seriously don't want anymore scars on my body let alone being put on a higher dosage of prednisalone again and loosing everything I've worked for! I really wouldn't have another as selfish as it sounds, people will disagree but I'm sure some will agree with me?

My husband had a kidney transplant 15 years ago. We are now at the point where this kidney is beginning to fail. He has been healthy, no rejections, but has dealt with worsening depression. Now that we know that his kidney is failing his depression has almost taken over.  Im hoping to find some insight about what others do.  Medications, support groups, etc.  

I had a transplant a little over two years ago and stayed on Prograf for a year with the exact same symtoms. Prograf is also toxic and will eventually kill the Kidney, they don't tell you this I had to do the research and the doctor agreed to take me off of it. Have your Doctor change you to Rapimune, it is so much better.