Blood Donor: Is it safe to donate blood if you have a blood condition?

Posted by Diane Grant @dianegrant, Apr 25, 2023

Has anyone ever checked if it is safe to donate blood? I am O- and used to donate regularly. I was considering starting up again then got my diagnosis. My main concern is O- is used to sick babies and I wouldn't want to make them worse.

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Thanks for sharing this.

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I am very disheartened to learn that I’m not supposed to donate with secondary polycythemia. My doctor my hematologist told me I could donate. I went to one blood and donated twice, but telling them I had PV. On my third donation, I was told I needed a prescription, and would have to deal with the main site versus one of the buses. It’s only now that I find out that I should not have been donating at all.

I don’t want anything that I do to hurt anyone else and I understand the need to be very careful in this situation. But it does also frustrate to know that my blood is useless to someone else. I wish there was someway they could use it.

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you should absolutely NOT DONATE BLOOD! Find a different way to serve the community!

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Yes I was told no organ donation with ET, that includes blood

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@wisteria22

I am very disheartened to learn that I’m not supposed to donate with secondary polycythemia. My doctor my hematologist told me I could donate. I went to one blood and donated twice, but telling them I had PV. On my third donation, I was told I needed a prescription, and would have to deal with the main site versus one of the buses. It’s only now that I find out that I should not have been donating at all.

I don’t want anything that I do to hurt anyone else and I understand the need to be very careful in this situation. But it does also frustrate to know that my blood is useless to someone else. I wish there was someway they could use it.

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I feel the same way. I’m just thinking that even if it can’t be used for another person, it could be useful for research or studies.

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