Does anybody know if people with RA (on Methotrexate, Voltaren and
Enbrel) can donate bone marrow??
thanks for any information
Lisa
". Who can donate?
Potential donors must be between 18 and 60 years of age and in good health. Interested donors with chronic diseases including diabetes, respiratory (such as asthma) or heart conditions may not be eligible to donate marrow or stem cells for safety reasons. There is no special diet or physical program necessary to donate.
Signing up to be a marrow donor takes only about 25 minutes including a simple blood test. A single tube of blood is needed for this HLA-typing, a series of blood antigens that help to match recipient and donor. If these results match a patient needing a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, the potential donor will be contacted for further testing. If additional tests match, the donor will then be asked to give a small amount of marrow to offer hope to a terminally ill patient."
And then this site, which was a bit more detailed:
http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Registry/Join_in_Person/ Health_History_Questionnaire/index.html
I think you'd probably just have to go, and see what they say
I had been a regular blood donor/potential marrow donor for 20 years. Was informed by rheum. at time of dx that I needed to call and get taken off the lists-- having r.a. makes one inelgible to donate.
-linda
linda- i'm sorry i'm a little confused, you can't donate blood or marrow? I've been trying to donate blood for a few years but for one reason or another wasn't allowed (travel and a tattoo) and the last time i was told it wasn't a good idea because i had about 45 vials of blood taken over the last few months (during my dx-when they didn't know what was going on)---however i am still interested....thanks!
I dont think having RA disqualifies you from giving blood. I found this on the American Red Cross website. http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.htm l
When 9/11 happened, I tried to donate blood and they wouldnt let me because of the RA and the drugs that I was on.
It might also have something to do with the perticular medications that you are on and also how bad the inflammation in your body is. It never hurts to try. Im pretty sure that anyone on Mtx cannont give blood, it just seems as that would be the case at least
This is something I have been wrestling with. I had wanted to be a bone marrow donor and used to donate blood regularly but no longer feel that I, in good conscience, can.
The fact that there is so much cutting edge research linking AI diseases to infectious cause - I would hate to think that I gave somebody I was trying to help this disease. Again, we don't know what causes these cascades that cause us to come down with these diseases - but I don't think I could live with myself if I thought my blood was the straw that broke the camels back for somebody else.
As of now, I'm leaning towards if I can be disease-free and symptom-free and medicine-free for 5 years - I'll start donating again. Like cancer surviviors. I'm assuming that's what they let cancer survivors do - I have to go back and re-check the ARC list. If they don't - then I'll probably never donate again.
Sigh,
Pip
After posting this message i went to the Marrow Donation Program webI wouldn't want to donate bone marrow because some of the meds can cause problems with your bone marrow and you might find that (in worst case scenarios only) you might need bone marrow transplant yourself. However, that doesn't stop you from encouraging others to do it.