# Ok to donate blood while on SSRI?



## w3stfa11 (Jan 23, 2005)

a


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## Jimiam (Jan 8, 2007)

Only to depressed blood recipients.



* just kidding. I don't think you can since you are on ssri's.. but I'm not positive about that.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Just ask them. I know one can donate blood plasma while on an SSRI, as my brother used to do that (he likes money & it pays). I don't know if the same hold true for whole blood, but if you were to exculde everyone on an SSRI that's a lot of potential donors to turn away.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

you can, but you need to make sure your ssri blood levels are all ok. but yea like ultrashy said, just call and ask.


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## ColdFury (Nov 6, 2003)

It doesn't matter. They don't ask and they don't care. If there's a medication you can't be on, they'll specifically ask you if you're on it.


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Accutane is probably the only medication they'll specifically ask you if you're on or if you've been on in the past few months. It causes serious birth defects in babies, so if a pregnant woman were to get a blood transfusion from some blood with Accutane in it, then her baby could possibly develop to be...defective.

Also, any medication that requires a constant blood-serum level (lithium, valproates, some other anti-convulsants, etc.) might throw some rocks in your plans to donate blood.

Being as most SSRIs are metabolized and excreted within a day or so, they probably don't matter. However, as everyone else said, be sure to check first.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Here's a list of what you can't be taking copied from the Blood Center of Wisconsin:



> Medication Deferral List
> Please tell us if you are now taking or if you have EVER taken any of these medications:
> &#56256;&#56473; Proscar (finasteride)-Usually prescribed for prostate gland enlargement.
> &#56256;&#56473; Avodart (dutasteride)-Usually prescribed for prostate enlargement.
> ...


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

My state's blood donation services don't even list the specific medications:


> Reasons you cannot give blood include:
> Do you weigh less than 110 pounds?
> Are you under seventeen years old?
> Have you donated blood in the last eight weeks?
> ...


My old high school's human A&P classes have held a blood drive each year for the past three or four years. I've never donated blood because I was either on the antibiotics merry-go-round (for acne) or I was sick. Eh well.


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## D.B. Cooper (Jul 21, 2006)

> 􀂙 Growth Hormone from Human Pituitary Glands-Used only until 1985, usually prescribed for children with
> delayed or impaired growth.


What the hell? :hide


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