If one wants to donate blood (or plasma), does it matter what medications you are taking? I’m on the pill, and was curious if one must be medication free.
When you go in, they ask you what medications you’re taking. If it’s a problem, they’ll tell you.
I donate every 8 weeks and they do not ask me what medications I am taking.
They do ask if I have taken any aspirin or aspirin products in the last 48 hours. And there are one or two questions on the questionnaire that my local blood bank uses that inquire about antibiotics and a couple of very specific medications I believe (It may be specific illnesses, can’t remember.) But otherwise, they do not ask me to list or name what medications I am currently taking.
You can donate while taking contraceptives. I am currently taking medications for hay fever/allergies and asthma and I can donate.
If you are concerned, the best thing to do is ask when you are being screened.
And good job!
If you are donating via the Red Cross there is a good sized list (maybe 10-12) items of various drugs that you cannot be taking. To the best of my knowledge, BC pills don’t matter.
::: googling:::
Here is the list from the American Red Cross
If you’re giving plasma (dunno about whole blood), you can’t be on opiates or opioids, the rationale being that if you come up positive for these, you’re a junkie using unsterile needles.
The list Rick gave is good, and pretty commonsense if you think for a moment.
There is no rule I know of prohibiting donations when you’re high…
Anti malarials will keep you from donating blood for a year where I live.
Canadian Blood Services asks if you have taken any medication, other than vitamins or birth control pills in the screening questions.
So clearly BC doesn’t matter in Canada.
A Red Cross nurse once told me that, with few exceptions, they’re more interested in the reason you’re taking the medication than in the medication itself. If you have a disease or condition that might affect either your blood’s quality or your own safe ability to donate, that’s what they’re looking for rather than what you’re taking.
Drugs like Accutane, Coumadin, and others on the list Rick posted are the exceptions.
I’m on coumadin, and I specifically asked the donation center and my cardiologist, and they both said it was okay to donate. I’ve got to find the permission slip to send to my cardiologist before I’ll try and know for sure.
Definitely donate. Donating blood probably saved my life.
Currently when I go, the question is “Are you currently taking Medication on The List?” that Rick posted. They used to ask what you’re taking, but now they just make sure you’re not taking something on the list. And that you haven’t taken aspirin within the previous three days.
I suspect that’s more because it’s a sign you might have been exposed to malaria than any concerns about the medication itself. Where I live, going to a potential malaria region disqualifies you for a year, whether or not you’ve taken medication.