Sunday, July 18, 2010 MigrainePuppet asks

Q: How do you feel about donating blood?

Anytime one of my doctors prescribes a new medication for me, I ask them if I will still be able to donate blood. So far, they always answered yes. However, sometimes I start to question if I really should donate given that I do take prescription medications for Migraines and I question if I really should.

I don't want to give anyone my blood if it would give them an adverse affect to my blood, but I feel the blood banks screen blood pretty well and would not give it to the wrong person either. At times, I fear I take too simplistic of a view of this.

Do you donate blood or how do you feel about donating blood if you are taking daily medications for Migraines?

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Answers (6)

Nancy Harris Bonk, Health Guide

7/19/10 9:56pm

Hi MigrainePuppet,

I think the correct answer would come from the blood bank itself. I'm going to give my local Red Cross a call in the moring and find out what they say about it and let you know

How I "feel" about giving blood is another story. I would like to give blood, but usually don't because I tend to be one of those really, really wimpy, passy, outy people all day loing .

Nancy

Jamie

7/20/10 3:52pm

I wish I could. Since I've been on all of these meds, it's Jamie, blood removed, floor, unless done at a lab.

And then it's Jamie, someone with me to hold me up.

yvefinn

7/25/10 1:01pm

I havent been able to give blood for many years now..I had a hysterectomy age 29 due to pre cancerous cells & other problems & was not allowed to donate.

I would like to give blood but as I am still a smoker & take so much mediaction I just wouldnt.. because I wouldnt want to pass on blood that may not be 100% healthy.

regards

Yvonne

AnnLove

8/ 5/10 12:48pm

I wish I could donate blood. After getting over my fear of needles (thank you, Botox-for-migraines study), I've been really wanting to. The problem for me is that my family lived overseas when I was a child (I'm an ex-military brat), so they won't take my blood because of my possible exposure to mad-cow.

It's kind of funny, actually. Before they added that clause to the "You can't give blood if..."s, the military was one of the nation's biggest blood donators. After adding that, most military, especially those who were stationed in Europe during the cold war and the decade or so after, were automatically denied. My father has a very rare blood type and wishes he could give blood, because they're always in need of his type. It's too bad they can't create a cheap and efficient way to check for mad-cow in human blood so they wouldn't have to turn so many people down, who really want to help.

Kari in SK

8/ 6/10 12:55pm

I used to donate blood frequently, as I have a rare blood type (AB+), but in Canada, even if I'm not taking medicine for migraines, I'm told I'm not to donate as I have had a stroke - a stroke not related to heart or vascular problems, but because of migraines. It frustrates me to no end - they have done tons of tests on my blood by a doctor who specialized in blood, and the only problem is that I have a mild case of hypernemia - the opposite of anemia - too much red cells. This is good for blood donating - a richer kind of blood. A couple of years ago, my father almost died from GI bleed - and at least 6 people donated the blood to save his life - I'd love to pay it forward, but I can't.

Andrea

8/25/10 10:59pm

Like AnnLove, I cannot give blood, due to the possibility of having mad-cow in my system. I've not yet gone mad (although have two children under 2 might finally do me in!).

I wish I could as I have no fear of blood or needles.

Sheahi2me

6/ 4/11 12:32pm

I strongly suggest NOT giving blood if you are a migraine sufferer. Especially if you are sensitive to a lot of triggers and you get migraines easily.

I have been getting migraines for 12 years and I did not know how much donating blood would make me sick until after I donated. Nobody warned me. A lot of the people at the blood banks and who work for the red cross are not specialists in the area of headache. It is not worth it. I was sick for many days after donation with migraine and migraine complications. I missed work, a major deadline and a very important test. DO NOT DO IT. Leave the blood donation for your average healthy person who does not suffer from migraines.

Q: How do you feel about donating blood?

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