Can someone tell me if it is possible to give blood, or be tested to donate bone marrow? There is an 8 year old girl in our neighborhood who is battling cancer again. There are bone marrow testing sites being set up in the area. I would like to be tested. I am on Avonex. Any info is appreciated.
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Allison -
Call your neurologist and ask him/her. What a kind thing to do. I hope you will be able to follow through with it.
Good luck
LisaDisabled RN with MS for 14 years
SPMS EDSS 7.5 Wheelchair (but a racing one)
Tysabri -
You can also talk to the organization that runs the drive. I know I was not permitted to participate in a local bone marrow drive as the cause of MS is unknown.Comment
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Thanks Lisa. I didn't think of that. LOL That's why I posted.
AllisonComment
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Unless a medicine you are on would stop you, you should be able to give blood. The Red Cross has updated their lists and now allow for nany MS Drugs. A very kind thing for you to do.Kathy
DX 01/06, currently on TysabriComment
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Thank you for the feedback. I'm making calls today.
AllisonComment
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That's such a kind thing of you to think of. As many have said ask your Neuro or the organization in charge of the drive.
I know I was not allow to give blood because of some of the medications I take.Dx'd 4/1/11. First symptoms in 2001. Avonex 4/11, Copaxone 5/12, Tecfidera 4/13 Gilenya 4/14-10/14 Currently on no DMT's, Started Aubagio 9/21/15. Back on Avonex 10/15
It's hard to beat a person that never gives up.
Babe RuthComment
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I wanted to give back for the blood my son received when he was born and stayed in the NICU for 126 days. I gave blood today and they said I could with having MS. They just wanted to know what DMT I was on and a list of other medication I was on.If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans!!!!!!!Comment
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The American Red Cross has definitely updated their guidelines. Their number is 1-800-733-2767.
I called and was told by an eligibility specialist that I could donate provided I felt "Healthy and well on the day of donation."
Here's the detail of their eligibility requirements and Multiple Sclerosis is no longer a main tab so I looked under Chronic and Medications for guidance.
http://www.redcrossblood.org/donatin...etical-listingComment
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I was told no
I looked on the website, and it mentioned nothing about MS deferring you from donation, but when I asked our local donation site last year, they told me I was not eligible. There was no discussion about what med I was on, it was just NOYou are in the driver's seat, but God is holding the map
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My understanding is that blood donation is generally fine, but bone marrow is not. In the past I looked up on the bone marrow registry's website, and MS is listed as a condition that precludes you from becoming a donor. (There are many other conditions on that list as well.)dx RRMS Feb 2011; Copaxone Mar 2011-July 2012;
pregnancy; Tecfidera Apr 2013-Dec 2013; Copaxone Jan 2014-currentComment
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Interferon
Blood donation has been okay for MS patients for a while, but the inteferon is the issue. Since it affects the immune system, they don't want to give it to people who are in a weakened state in the hospital.
Haven't checked the new list to see if that has changed, but that was the prior reasoning according to some of my medical crew.Comment
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