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Tacrolimus

Medication calcineurin-inhibitor immunosuppressant other
Aka: Prograf, Protopic
Brands seen in Singapore: Prograf, Advagraf, Protopic, Tacrolimus Sandoz, Tacrocin
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
HealthHub: preventing rejection after organ transplant
When to take
HealthHub: on an empty stomach, taken consistently
Take with
HealthHub: water · not grapefruit or pomelo
Pros & cons
Pros
  • HealthHub: also used in ra and lupus nephritis
  • Register: capsules, prolonged-release caps, ointment
  • SG label: protopic ointment is for atopic dermatitis
Cons
  • HealthHub: raises blood sugar, potassium and bp
  • HealthHub: tremor, headache, hair loss, acne, infection
  • HealthHub: rare heart-rhythm and skin cancer warnings
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084); cached at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally (not re-fetched), 26 tacrolimus rows · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “PROGRAF CAPSULES 5 mg SIN09650P · Advagraf Prolonged Release Hard Capsules 5 mg SIN14135P · PROTOPIC OINTMENT 0.1% SIN12524P · TACROLIMUS SANDOZ CAPSULE 1 MG SIN15674P · TACROCIN 5 SIN16157P — all 26 rows “Prescription Only””
  2. HealthHub (Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore / MOH) — Tacrolimus: what is this medication for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Tacrolimus works by suppressing the immune system. It is used to prevent organ rejection in solid organ transplants, as well as prevent graft-versus-host disease … auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus nephritis”
  3. HealthHub — Tacrolimus: how should I take or use this medication · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “This medicine should be taken on an empty stomach – either 1 hours before food, or 2 hours after … Take Tacrolimus consistently either with or without food. For capsules: Swallow the capsule whole, do not crush or chew.”
  4. HealthHub — Tacrolimus: what precautions should I take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You are allergic to any antibiotic belonging to the subgroup of macrolide antibiotics (e.g. Erythromycin, Clarithromycin) … supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies e.g. St John’s Wort … you must avoid any live vaccinations.”
  5. HealthHub — Tacrolimus: common and serious side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Increased blood sugar … Increased potassium and/or reduced magnesium in your blood … Increased blood pressure … Tremors, headache … Hair loss; Acne (pimples) … QT prolongation … Cancer (blood or predominantly skin cancers)”
  6. HealthHub — Tacrolimus: what food or medication should I avoid · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Avoid taking grapefruit and pomelo when you are taking this medicine as grapefruit may interact with your medicine and increase the risk of side-effects.”
  7. Singapore National Drug Formulary — PROGRAF CAPSULES 5 mg [SIN09650P], Posology and Method of Administration · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Oral tacrolimus therapy should commence at 0.10 – 0.20 mg/kg/day for liver transplantation and at 0.15 – 0.30 mg/kg/day for kidney transplantation administered as two divided doses.”
  8. Singapore National Drug Formulary — PROGRAF [SIN09650P], dosage guidance · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The dosage recommendations given below for oral and intravenous administration are intended to act as a guideline. Prograf doses should be adjusted according to individual patient requirements.”
  9. Singapore National Drug Formulary — PROTOPIC OINTMENT 0.1% [SIN12524P], Posology · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Treatment should be started with Protopic® 0.1% twice a day and treatment should be continued until clearance of the lesion … Treatment should be started twice a day for up to three weeks”
  10. Singapore National Drug Formulary — PROTOPIC OINTMENT 0.1% [SIN12524P], Indication · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis for the prevention of flares … who have had an initial response to a maximum of 6 weeks treatment of twice daily tacrolimus ointment”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.