blood donation after VR?

[DebbyA]

Can we valve recipients give blood? I just checked the Red Cross site and didn't see a specific prohibition--sort of looks like it might be possible if not on coumadin.

My father gave every 8 weeks most of his life. I only gave a few times in college (blacked out every time) until advised to stop because of my murmur.

 

[JimL]

There have been other threads on this question, and you can find a variety of answers there. I thoroughly enjoyed donating blood whenever I had the chance, and got my 6 gallon pin. Red Cross turned me down for donating. When pushed, they are worried I will bleed to death, but they still won't take my blood. Instead, I volunteer to be one of the people helping others donate their blood.

 

[Ross]

If your taking Coumadin, giving blood is not allowed in most settings.

 

[catwoman]

I checked out one blood center's website and found this (don't know if this is universal among all blood centers):

http://www.carterbloodcare.org/pdf/DonorGuidelines.pdf

 

[aussie girl]

I had been donating blood for almost 30 years (with time out when having my babies ) but as soon as I was diagnosed with aortic stenosis I was no longer allowed to give blood. The reason given to me was that my heart was working harder to pump the blood and by removing blood the heart has to work even harder to supply the same amount of blood to the arteries. I am unable to give blood now because I take coumadin. If the reason given to me before my operation was correct, there would be no reason to disallow a person who has a heart working correctly after receiving a tissue valve.

Mary

 

[Ross]

Medications
In almost all cases, medications will not disqualify you as a blood donor. Your eligibility will be based on the reason that the medication was prescribed. As long as the condition is under control and you are healthy, blood donation is usually permitted.

Over-the-counter oral homeopathic medications, herbal remedies, and nutritional supplements are acceptable.

There are a handful of drugs that are of special significance in blood donation. Persons on these drugs have waiting periods following their last dose before they can donate blood:

Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret (isoretinoin), Proscar (finasteride), and Propecia (finasteride) - wait 1 month from the last dose.
Avodart (dutasteride) - wait 6 months from the last dose.
Aspirin, no waiting period for donating blood. However you must wait 48 hours after taking aspirin or any medication containing aspirin before donating platelets by apheresis.
Clopidogrel - wait 7 days after taking this medication before donating platelets by apheresis.
Coumadin (warfarin) , heparin or other prescription blood thinners- you should not donate since your blood will not clot normally. If your doctor discontinues your treatment with blood thinners, wait 7 days before returning to donate.
Hepatitis B Immune Globulin ? given for exposure to hepatitis, wait 12 months after exposure to hepatitis.
Human pituitary-derived growth hormone at any time - you are not eligible to donate blood.
Plavix - wait 7 days after taking this medication before donating platelets by apheresis.
Soriatane (acitretin) - wait 3 years.
Tegison (etretinate) at any time - you are not eligible to donate blood.
Ticlid - wait 7 days after taking this medication before donating platelets by apheresis.
Ticlopidine - wait 7 days after taking this medication before donating platelets by apheresis.


http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html#med

 

[CathyK.]

I had to have 2 blood transfusions right after surgery and all I was told was that I had to wait one year before donating blood. I got a tissue valve.

 

[dtread]

Years ago (long before my AVR) I used to donate through the Red Cross, but then they got me one time with a false positive for Hepatitis C and then banned me for life from donating through Red Cross. However, I was over at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on another matter (registering for Bone Marrow program), and they referred me to a Red Cross Research facility here in the DC area (Holland Laboratories). Holland Lab was willing to take my blood for research purposes (would not be used for transfusion), and I donated through them for several years. I also checked back with NIH after I heard about a study they were doing on additional tests for Hep C. NIH gave me the second test for Hep C and confirmed that I did not have Hep C. NIH then allowed me to donate blood through their Blood Bank, but I was still banned by Red Cross (I appealed to Red Cross but they still refused). I got tired of donating through Holland Lab program after I showed up to donate early one morning, and the nurse was not there to draw my blood, so I showed up for nothing. The nurse never apologized or anything, so I stopped donating through them. The folks at NIH were great anyway. After the AVR NIH called me and I told them the situation. NIH said that being on Coumadin was an automatic ban. I think they said that if I was off Coumadin for 6 months (or maybe it was a year) they might be willing to take my blood. I think that they also said it was a one year ban after OHS and a one year ban after a transfusion. But you'd have to check with whatever Blood Bank you're trying to donate through, because some Blood Banks have different regulations. You might also try to find a blood research facility like the Red Cross Holland Lab; they might be willing to take your blood. I'd like to get back donating; but I think its unlikely. I always felt better a day or two after donating. I think its like an oil change on your car. It forces your body to produce new blood cells, and it purges out some of the old tired blood. However, I think its unlikely that I'll ever be able to donate again through any place. Definitely not for human transfusion. Perhaps for research purposes.

 

[tobagotwo]

You can't give blood if you're on Coumadin. They don't want to use anticoagulated blood.

However, I gave blood for several years after my tissue valve was installed, with the full knowledge and blessings of both my cardiologist and the American Red Cross. You do need to wait a year after the surgery. There is no rule against it at all, except for whatever drugs you may be taking, like warfarin or Plavix.

Best wishes,