My husband and I went to give blood today and when I was listing the medications I'm on to the nurse, she told me Arava was an absolute no-no for giving blood. You can't give for 2 years after you've stopped taking it. It causes birth defects in pregnant women. She told me they will be placing that drug in the main list of dis-qualifying drugs. Pretty scary. So it may be a long time before I'm able to give blood again.
Just a heads up.
Thanks for letting us know. I still refuse to take that med again.
And I will probably never give blood, because it involves needles! I mean my blood is not really going to help someone else out, as it is tainted with all these meds.
They never want my blood anyway... I always run a bit anemic. Not anemic enough to worry the doctors, but just anemic enough to keep the vampire away (but I still get the "I tried" sticker