Re: donating blood and Enbrel

[Guest guest]

My background is in medical labs and I do work in blood banks.

Any anti-inflammatory medication inhibits the full function of platelets (that

is why a baby aspirin is sufficient for most people after a stroke). It can hurt

a recipient if they are dosed with platelets and no one realizes the platelets

are not fully functional.

If you take any NSAIDs, you need to wait at least 7 days after your last dose to

give platelets. This includes Diflunisal, ibuprofen, etc.

At this time Enbrel is not listed as a drug that one cannot donate on - that

said, I would be very careful of when you donated more for your health than the

recipient. Whole blood donations are separated into parts which is why most

medications are acceptable and at this time Enbrel is not considered a problem.

Health wise- Enbrel does lower your immune system. I would probably not donate

on the same day as the injection.

If you enjoy donating, consider getting that note from you doctor and going more

often. Anything that makes you feel good even just altruistically is worth

doing! Plus we always need more donors!

[Guest guest]

they always tell me I have high red blood cell counts and that I could get the

note to donate every three days or whatever. I never remember to ask my doc for

the note.

Marcus Tribbles

[Guest guest]

This is mostly correct. Being imprisoned is not a reason to be excluded but one

should make intelligent choices about how safe their blood is in regards to

exposure to any disease.

Homosexuals are not banned officially- the actual wording is any man who has had

sex with a man since 1977 or any woman who has had sex with a man who has had

sex with a man since 1977 may not donate. This is also along with anyone who has

had sex with someone from Africa is not allowed to donate.

MTX is not actually banned either.

The full list:

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements/eligibility\

-criteria-topic

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the link . This is very interesting to me because I quit

donating several years ago when they told me that I could not give blood anymore

because my Sjogren's syndrome was on the exclusion list! Not my PsA or Enbrel

but the Sjogren's that gives me dry mouth and dry eyes. Funny, I don't see it

on your link.

Janette in Indiana

[Guest guest]

The link is for the American Red Cross- it is possible alternate donation

centers would have slightly different criteria. That said- Sjogren's is not a

reason to not donate- the treatment may be (which is the reason to read the

medication deferral lists).

If you are feeling well and have no other counter indications, then please sign

up!

As for donating every 3 days- that is probably a bit of an exaggeration.

Typically they are looking for people to donate double units (which is what it

sounds like) but then they are unable to donate for 16 weeks instead of 8 weeks.

If your red count was high enough to donate every 3 days you would be suffering

from a condition like porphyria or hematochromatosis; sadly both of these

hereditary conditions REQUIRE the patient to undergo therapeutic phlebotomy

(blood donations) but also require the blood to be destroyed.

Happy donating friends!