Everyone knows one of these guys in college. You know, the guy who never has a job nor gets any cash from home and yet somehow manages to afford tuition and books? For me, it was my friend nicknamed – via the misguided use of voice recognition software – Barrel of Carrots. When I first met BoC, I spent a lot of time wondering how he managed to feed himself much less go skiing on an income of $0 (and no scholarship) while I was busting my butt working in a computer lab by day and waitressing at night just to be able to eat something besides Ramen. And then I helped him move. His belongings: one can of beer, a small cardboard box of clothing (with hangers still attached) and a backpack of personal items. So obviously the dude was frugal. “But how do you pay rent?” I puzzled as we made exactly one trip to his car. “You sell drugs or something?”
Giving me his characteristic grin, he answered, “I sell my plasma. Make $600 a month. Easiest money ever.”
That was the first time I’d heard of selling your plasma – the yellow liquidy part of your blood packed with antibodies, protiens and other goodies – for money. It came up again tonight in an entirely different setting. While one might expect a self-professed single college slacker guy to resort to selling his bodily fluids for money, tonight’s advice was brought to me courtesy of the Church Ladies.
Once a month the ladies at my church get together to learn something new, swap tips, chat and do some community service. Tonight’s theme was on living frugally (with everyone bringing clothing donations for a local charity) and one of the suggestions, sandwiched between “use coupons” and “budget with cash” was “sell plasma.” I almost fell off my chair. At first glance, it seemed like a bad idea to me. I mean, why am I paying good money for a gym membership and organic produce if I’m going to let someone suck my life juices out of me for $20 a pint?
I leaned over to my friend, “Crazy, right?”
“Like a fox! Where do I sign up?” she replied in all seriousness.
“Do you like needles?” I asked incredulously, thinking perhaps she just has a vampiric interest in getting poked.
“Hate needles,” she answered vehemently. “LOVE money.”
My friend, being generally not crazy (unless you count her inexplicable fondness for country music), made me think that maybe I’m just being closed minded.
How to Donate* Plasma
After searching around the ‘net a bit, I discovered that quite a lot of not-homeless and not-druggie people make good money donating plasma. Some people consider it a part time job. But how does one do it? First you find a center near you and there are plenty of helpful internet listings to help you do so. Once there you need to show two forms of ID, scan your fingerprints and get your picture taken. Then you get a physical where you answer a bunch of questions (do you do drugs?), pee in a cup (are there drugs in your system?) and get your finger pricked (nothing to do with drugs.) You also have to do routine stuff like get weighed to determine how much plasma you can donate and get your blood pressure and pulse taken. Pass all of these and you’re good to go!
Go to a little room that is and get hooked up to a machine not unlike the one from The Dark Crystal (okay I made that part up) where they extract your blood, run it through a machine to separate the blood from the plasma and then pump the blood back into you. Once finished, you get paid and free to lather, rinse, repeat twice a week for as long as you keep passing the tests.
*I love how everyone calls it “donating” plasma as if you are just doing it out of the kindness of your little blood-pumping heart. I suppose “selling” plasma sounds too gauche.
The Pros to Donating Plasma
Let’s be honest, there is one pro: you get paid. Most places seem to pay 30-40$ a visit, not bad if you figure it by the hour. Added bonus – you are “donating” a vital fluid to be used for someone who has a life-threatening medical need for it.
The Cons to Donating Plasma
What I really want to know is if it negatively impacts your long-term health. Young college kids are notorious for thinking they are immortal but I can’t afford that kind of mentality. From my research (read: Google), most sites will tell you there is little to no risk to your health. One company writes, “The process is designed to maintain the health of the donors because it would not make much sense for the company to decrease the health of the donors, which would reduce the amount of plasma donated and negatively impact the company.” How very… practical of them.
Common reactions to donating plasma seem to be short-term and include dizziness, fainting and vomiting stemming mostly from not drinking enough water. Plasma is mostly water and in a typical donation session you lose about a half a gallon. Fatigue is also a commonly reported side effect. However, the venerable health Q&A site Go Ask Alice run by Columbia University explains that regular donations are not only not detrimental to long-term health but also provide a life-saving resource. Alice explains the risks thusly,
“About twelve percent of the subjects in the study mentioned above had to stop donating because of lowered levels of antibodies in their blood. (Antibodies are special proteins that help the body’s immune system fight infection and disease.) Also, pre-menopausal women who donate often are more likely to have lower levels of hemoglobin because of the loss of blood during menstruation. A lack of this protein may make people feel weak and tired. Taking an iron supplement may help counteract this, but be sure to consult a health care provider before doing so.”
Alice then also adds,
“Extensive, long-term studies have shown that frequent donation of plasma is safe. […] One study showed that those who regularly donated blood had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but the explanation behind this is still unclear.”
So it appears that not only is plasma donation safe but it might actually benefit you in the long run? For some reason I am still a bit leery of it. Is plasma donation a great Recessionista tactic? Or do you think it is too risky? Any of you done it?
Just an FYI, I had a friend in college who went into nursing and she learned that most of these plasma places sell the stuff to companies for other reasons then life saving. Cosmetics and other drugs are the main ones. This is how they are able to pay you. Unlike the Red Cross which is a non-profit, (ie: so you don't get paid to donate blood)
Maybe things have changed and I'm not against plasma donating/selling. But, if someone wants to do it because they feel they are helping someone, it might be wise just to double check and ask the business they go to where the plasma goes.
I worked for a plasma company and I spent quite a bit of time figuring out what happens to the plasma we go through. I couldn’t tell you what other companies use plasma for but the vast majority that Grifols Inc uses is for medicinal purposes. The only plasma that is not used medicinally is the plasma that is rejected due to elevated ALT’s and lipemic plasma (elevated levels of fat). It would not surprise me if those were sent off for cosmetics and the like.
I would also assume that other companies use their plasma differently.
I donate plasma only because my child got sick and has to have monthly infusions of IVIG. This plasma helps my two year old and I thank everyone who donates. They are able to pay what they do because one bag of IVIG cost about 20grand. Thank god for insurance.
I actually wrote a blog post about my experience with donating recently. Mostly positive but I had a few scary experiences with passing out and the most disgusting bruise ever on my arm: http://www.craftylittlegnome.com/2016/03/18/weird-ways-make-money-donating-plasma/
I'm a normal, 48 year old female who has donated plasma for quite some time. Call me a sap, but I do it because I have a brother and a gal friend who both have to go through plasmapheresis on a regular basis. One has Guiane Barre syndrome, and the other has an immune disorder. I can't "earmark" my plasma for them, but I feel like mine is out there in the system making up for the plasma that was donated by someone else. As for the cash – I put that in a fund to use for outings with them when they're able to get out and about.
That is how I feel. My cousim is losing her 14 yr battle to cancer but I will donate forever to try and help others. You just kindof hope your efforts are actually helping your loved ones and if not helping someone else’s loved one from feeling this.
I do it and love it. 🙂 Easy money, I get to read for an hour and nobody bugs me.
There are signs all over my plasma center talking about the medicines they make with the plasma- I've also heard about the cosmetics thing and don't doubt that it's true- but then, my motives are not altruistic, although I wish they were. I'm just there for the money.
When gas was four bucks a gallon, it was a great help.
Nancy, I loved the beginning of your post. I feel the way you do about it being a relaxing hour and stress free. i began doing it for the money and to a lesser degree for the medical needs. Now in I look forward to 40 minutes of listening to my music, reading or using their wifi to go online and simply achilling out for a bit. I also am eating better, at least adding more nutritious food to my existing diet so I’ve felt healthier. I believe the little weight gain I’ve had is a combo of eating more and actually. adding muscle because I’m more active. I would recommend it to anyone who was considering it.
Stop kissing people’s ass, no one is impressed
LMfAO – Wow! What a bitter, self-righteous soul you appear to be. I commented that I liked the beginning of a post and that I felt my feelings about the time spent donating were similar to hers so I’m kissing her ass? Better yet, I’m attempting to impress people? Damn… And regardless of my intentions you must be an extremely wise and powerful person to speak on everybodys behalf. More likely just an arrogant, narcissist. I was simply trying to express my opinion that donating plasma “for me” is a pleasant experience that pays reasonably well considering the time and requirements associated. Sorry I was unable to impress you. And I hope you will accept my apology for posting a message that bothered you so much that you were compelled to reply on everybody’s behalf.
Jeff, i find myself being more cognizant of my eating habits now that i know bits and pieces can be
sold for 55.00 per sitting that i make. It was 70.00 for the initial sitting and they tack on a 5.00 travel fee for my 15 minutes of commuting. (75.00). My guess is that stiffie took offense due to a rejection status. They do monitor your arms and have other flags within the industry for plassies that attempt to visit several facilities.
I sold plasma for about a year when I was in college. It was definitely easy money, but it had its drawbacks. First of all I always look like I was shooting up drugs from the bruises over the veins in my arms! Also, I'm not 100% sure if this was real or just in my head, but it definitely seemed to me like it caused me to gain weight. I don't know of any scientific research that supports this, but there seemed like a correlation for me with my body. The weight thing was really why I ended up stopping "donating." (Also, my mom found out and freaked out!)
I have been donating blood for a few months, and I am going to stop for the same reason: It seems like it is causing me to gain weight, I am 12 pounds heavier since I first donated plasma! I guess this happens because you have to eat very well before and after donating, who knows!
you definitely have to make up for the “lost” plasma somehow… and eating properly is a recommended way to do so. however, I don’t think that donating plasma is the actual cause of gaining weight. the thing is, eating more = weight gain, it’s trivial. so you coud say that donating plasma increases your appetite. it’s up to you it you eat more or not. oooor, as it is in my case, I always reward myself for the good deed I’ve done with sweets (more often than not) i’m pretty sure that donating plasma alone causes one to gain weight
Has anyone had a problem with their protein not building up within 46 hours.I eat a lot of protein and my dropped from 7 to 6.5.I eat chia seeds, Spirulina, red meats, beans, nuts, salmon and it is still low.Any one have a secret to building up your protein.I heard Valerian tea helped.
Hi Pamela, I have been donating plasma now for the past 8 months and my protein levels are always right above the required limits of 6.0-9.0. I eat 70 to 100 grams of protein per day and have never been over 6.7 for my levels during that time. Sometimes I’m right on the border of 6.0 when I only get 60-70grams the day before donation in. I have also just started into a more intense work out regime since spring is on it’s way finally. That will use up more protein in your body also, so I have to really watch how intense my work out is the day before a donation day. My daily routine for food is a 20oz glass of milk in the morning with protein powder, a greek yogurt and maybe a piece of toast with peanut butter. For lunch it all depends upon if its a donating day or not, if its not a donation day and I’m busy at work, sometimes I don’t get a chance to eat lunch. But donation days I always at least like to get in a sandwich with some sort of lean meat.or peanut And then supper is usually beef,chicken or pork,veggie and milk. Not a big fish lover.
If I remember correctly what ever protein your body does not feel its going to need is flushed away so for you to get the levels built up beyond those levels I don’t think is going to be possible. Hope this has helped.
As far as the other people mentioning they were gaining weight, yes I also gained weight.10-15 pounds over the winter months. I found that I was eating more on donation days. But when you first start donating for what ever reason afterwards I would need to eat something I was really hungry afterwards even though just prior to going and donating I had usually just had supper. So I was snacking on those nights, which I normally don’t do.
I’ve been donating for over ten years. A really quick fix to get your protein up high and quickly is to eat a couple of spoons of peanut butter an hour or 2 before donating. Work as a delivery driver for fedex all day and don’t eat most days at work. Come home eat 2 or 3 scoops of peanut butter and go straight to the plasma center. Works every time
I have been donating for over 1 1/2 years and I found that if you drink plenty of water and orange juice you won’t really have to eat as much to make up for the loss in plasma also gaterade is great because it has a lot of vitaminsan antioxidant in it that will replace what you lose. I have also gained weight but that’s because I work out at the gym every other day. And I should also say I lost a good friend from cancer so I’d like to give a big thank you to all who donates and god bless
I started “donating” (I consider it selling but whatever) a couple weeks ago and I have to say it’s been great so far. My current living conditions make me unable to have a job so I’ve been looking for a way to make money for two and a half years. A place opened up nearby so I’ve been donating there since. I was skeptical at first, thinking that the coupon meant a one time payment, but now I love going and wish I could go more haha. I’ve actually lost 15 pounds in two weeks because I’ve been eating healthier since I started. You mostly just need to drink water to keep up with the plasma your using and I haven’t had a problem with my protein levels so far (my first visit I was almost too high) but I could see that being a problem for a lot of people. But my personal experience is that I’ve felt great since I started going. It even gave me the extra kick to start exercising again (and man did I need it :P). So far my only negative experience has been that on my first visit, my blood shot the needle out of my vein and sprayed all over my arm and the nurse. I consider it negative cause I had to get stuck in the other arm but other than that I found it pretty funny (for anyone worried I was assured that is incredibly rare and that I was the only person they had ever seen that happen to). In conclusion, I highly recommend “donating” 🙂
I have donated irregularly since 1978, up to six months ago when after three years of regular donations, I gained 60 lbs. I think, however, the weight gain was psychosomatic. There were days I felt I was going to starve to death if I didn’t get to a restaurant. I got to 263 lbs. And had to put the brakes on donations. I immediately lost 30 lbs. 1 month.
Like you I have also donated plasma for several years now and I have some of the the same viewpoints as you on how to approach it. This is my first time here and posting and just now curious about my recent donating where I had to stop because of a possible situation that my have happened where I could have gotten a blood clot but this only has happened to me once thus far , anyway have a nice day Jason.
Me and my daughter both have experienced an extreme amount of weight gain since donating for 5 months now, I eat better now than ever, and no junk plus Ive been on an 1800 cal diet along with this. Ive ask questions about this and they all play it off saying, donating dont make you gain weight instead should make you loose, Im doing everything right and I also have problems keeping my iron levels up. I have been turned away so much but I eat veey healthy. I bake my foods eat vegetables and have quit drinking or eating the things that bring it down such a dairy and caffeine. I was turned away again and said forget it. And im testing now to see if I actually loose weight instead of gaining since I stopped
I have never had any problems with the folks who do the “sticking” at my donation center. I have small veins but still have NEVER been bruised. I guess in my town we are lucky to have excellent techs!
Not all that easy, once you’re established you only get like 20 bucks (which is nothing) for one donation a week. Places turn around and sell your plasma for 100 times that much
Kind of off the point really, but I LOVE the Dark Crystal film!!!!! I sooooo wanted to be a Gelfling when I was little! xoxo
Eeek! Reading this post made me feel both excitement (I can get money from donating part of me that doesn't make babies?!?) and sort of nauseous (Yikes, they recycle the blood back into me and there would be a giant needle involved?)
I don't think I'll be donating any, though only because I'm a wus. I do think it's great for people to donate, though!
It’s not really that bad, I “donated” (read as sold my blood to pay for college stuff) for the first time Saturday and I am absolutely terrified of needles (as in I have almost had panic attacks from shots and such) but after getting myself to calm down and the fact that I went with friends really helped. Not to mention the place I “donated” to had free wifi so I was able to keep myself occupied on my laptop (with only one hand). It isn’t the most pleasant feeling in the world but the worst part by far is getting the needle initially stuck in. After that it is hardly noticeable. I say hardly because both my friend and I noticed that if you move the arm the needle is in we felt sharp pains from where the needle was. So as long as you don’t move your arm around the only discomfort comes from the blood going back in, which doesn’t hurt just feels weird because it is colder than the blood currently in your system. All in all it was worth the $60 and I plan on going back tomorrow.
Great post, I've never seen this subject covered before. And it seems like a very sensible idea to me!
I've often wondered, given the constant need Red Cross has for more blood donors, why there can't be public or hospital funds used to PAY folks to donate blood. Everyone else in the medical system gets paid, from doctors to drug companies–why should we restrict ordinary folks from getting paid for their blood instead of always hectoring them to volunteer? I think volunteering is GREAT, but why should that be our only source of a vital medical supply?
So paying people to donate plasma seems only fair, and there shouldn't be the least bit of stigma about it.
It’s illegal to pay directly for people’s body stuffs. Things would get all dystopian. Girfols (where I go) pays “donors” for their TIME. Tho you get a flat rate whether they get you through in two or four hours. (they don’t schedule, it’s a nightmare during school.) a word of advice: if some noob sticks you wrong and you can’t donate that day (even if you deign not to let them try & prolly hurt your other arm) they owe you some cash!!! I didn’t get anything the first 4 times it happened, until someone actually followed through. So ask, they “are paying you for your time.”
I've always been intrigued by the idea, but until they figure out how to extract my plasma without a freaking needle, I'll probably never try it out!
Even if you go for your first visit, you may not get past the nurse for any test. They checked my veins and I have small ones. I am 51, but at age eight had spinal meningitis for 18 days, 105.6 degree temperature for 16 days — on and off an ice tube. My veins are “damaged from this” (however lucky to be alive, hear, see and have all my limbs. They told me to pump arm weights and push fluids and come back another day; however, if they must use a butterfly to draw my blood from my hand when I drink a gallon of water a day and lift weights” hmmmm have hypothyroid so I get my blood drawn a lot. Anyone out there been told this? Anyone had my same condition with same issues? It will not hurt me to try lifting more weight and drink more water and go back and see if I get through that “gate of denial.” However, damage to veins is most likely reversible I think. Will ask my family Doctor about it before I become “too hydrated” which can actually kill you. Over working out does not help fibromyalgia either. So much for “helping save someone else’s life” with the plasma donation. Any helpful advice would be appreciated since I already go through it just to get blood drawn.
My Father-in-law donated plasma for years. Every Friday he and my MIL would head downtown and he would donate his plasma. Here in Canada you can't get paid for it so it was all for altruistic reasons. He only stopped last year when he had some heart problems (he's 72 years old).
He didn't have any long term problems though he'd always get my MIL to drive them home in case he did experience any dizzyness.
I have never donated plasma, but I have known lots of people who have (mostly in college.) I never heard of anyone – personally, by word of mouth or on the news who had an adverse affect to donating plasma. If people want to do it to earn money, I say go for it. Would I do it? I dispise needles, but if I really needed the money, yes I would.
My physician does NOT recommend selling plasma. She works for the university and sees tons of us who do. It hits people to varying degrees. It has compromised the immune system of everyone I know. Colds hit more often and are harder to shake. This is REAL, even if studies show up all rosy. That said, make your $55 or whatever per week, but if a nasty cold lays you low, don’t run back as soon as your temperature is in bounds. Take a break to strengthen yourself.
I started taking an antidepressant with my BC that had dizziness listed as a side effect. selling plasma sans med my balance is fine. Taking only med, I am fine. Taking med AND selling plasma struck me with powerful weakness and dizziness. So bad sometimes I thought I would fall and have to sit for a good chunk of an hour, or stumble against things. My boyfriend was worried and always glad when I didn’t sell. I am off the med, & plasma just makes me hungry and crave a nap again.
I will be very glad when I don’t feel guilty about my finances if I don’t risk my veins and prick my fingers twice a week. (more finger pricks if your levels are off, and they can be sore to the touch for quite a while.) it’s generally fine, but you have to know your body and be careful. Btw, the iodine they hit you arm with stings when they stick you, doesn’t mean you’re hurt.
Hints: when they say “relax”, I lOok away, try to make arm limp, breath out a long breath, and direct tension to pinching opposite arm’s fingers together.
If the pressure strap feels too tight, you are prolly right. Speak up-especially if your skin is going off color. Blood flows better when you can actually pump your hand.
if there is pressure in the needle regiOn, also say so; pro’s can move the needle without restabbing you, and it will feel/draw much better. (always freak me out but keep that arm relaxed!)
Arms being equal, Donate in the one that will be less annoying to have a huge bruise on, just in case.
Or, if you are feeling solid, but still have a scab on the usual vein, you can switch arms. I found no scabs to make the stick much less uncomfortable.
I’ve been told by a tech that crooking your hand in towards you aligns your arm nicely so the needle is more comfortable. Figure out what positiOn lets you pump your hand without jarring the needle with bouncing tendons, and hold it that way when they stick you.
When the needle comes out, don’t push the cotton so it pulls towards your shoulder. I even slide it down a little, to avoid squishing that bit of skin off of your wee puncture, or it heals worse.
With swab firmly down, bend your arm closed. If you keep it straight until they bandage you up it tends to feel… unpleasant… when you bend it in your normal routine. So just open arm back to a subtle angle when they come to wrap your gauze down. today my scab set less than ideal, still trying to calibrate.
Ps, if you get the same finger pricked in the same spot too many times, the area may actually harden. I got a prick a week ago that was KILLING me at work-it felt like my tiny wounds kept getting broken back open. So alternate fingers after a while.
Fact: I don’t heal from the pokes as fast as my sister.
Also, the tracks have permanently sunk into my arm. I have a disused vein, and two years later it is still a crater. Now there are two. Glad my right arm still looks pretty normal.
I've never heard of this.
I agree with Crabby about the donators/volunteers being paid. If you think about it, they're the only ones who aren't getting a direct obvious benefit (the people who take their blood are paid, and someone's life is saved). However, they undertake 100% of the risk; what if the needle to donate blood (or plasma) is incorrectly inserted? What if, instead of a vein (or artery), it goes to the other one (I know it's bad if they take the unoxygenated blood, but I forget what blood vessel that's in), or a tendon? What if an infection results? The volunteer is SOL.
Personally, I feel like there should be a program where, if you donate blood, you should be entitled to some sort of healthcare. After all, you're looking out for the good of others, the government should want to look out for you.
just a response to the last comment — venipuncture is quite safe. and it's actually not catastrophic to accidentally tap the artery. we need to do that quite often in the hospital actually for various reasons! if that happened accidentally, it's just that you or someone else would have to hold a lot of pressure afterwards to make the bleeding stop.
the components of plasma definitely do have many life-saving purposes. i am a pediatrics resident and have written for IVIg or other plasma products for very sick kids (kids with immune defiencies, cancer, other autoimmune problems). so even if the main motive is money and even if not every drop goes to these good purposes, some of it likely does.
that said, i've never donated. i would give blood, but am too small to make the requirements for red cross.
Although I pride myself with very rarely having to give blood to patients while performing surgery, it has been necessary on occasion. During my anesthesia training, I had to give blood numerous times. On behalf of myself and all the survivors, THANK YOU VERY MUCH 🙂
I've always been of the opinion that if God intended me to have blood/plasma sucked out of my body He would have installed a valve on my arm.
I have to have blood drawn for lab tests regularly at work and it's all I can do to make it through a few milliliters. I can't imagine watching a half gallon leave my body. Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
I have do it, no biggie. There was a stigma here about it, until gas was $4/gal and then I started to see way more faces there and still do. As a stay at home mom, it is nice to have this extra income that doesn't require me to clock in and need daycare and such. A friend and I do it and watch each others kids while the one goes. I get to sit and read a book for an hour, get a break from my kids, and get paid. Win/win/win if you ask me.
Hmm…this seems like it may be a viable thing to do. I think I'm going to look up places to do this around me…although my needle-phobia may be an issue!
I'm thinking about doing this, especially since I'm soon going back to school. But the idea of having track marks on my arms from frequent donation kind of freaks me out…
I did it 30 years ago for about a year when I was a poor college student. At that time, it paid only 10 bucks a shot, but 10 bucks was worth a lot more back then. 80 bucks a month seemed like a small fortune!
Why did I stop? Well…one day, as they were pumping the red blood cells back into me, my arm started feeling kind of sore and puffy. I called one of the workers over, and she basically blew me off and told me to stop being a baby. A few more minutes went by, and my arm was visibly swelling up. I got more vocal until someone else checked me out; turns out the needle had slipped to the side and was pumping the blood into my muscle instead of my vein, something they called "infiltration". By the time I got home, my arm looked and felt like I'd been hit by a truck, all swollen up and purple. Took almost a week to get over it.
That was the last time I did it.
yes that happened to me once as well but they were very apologetic and I have donated over 100 times and never have had an issue since
I don't do needles unless I *havehavehave* to, I am a wuss. If they could get it out of me another way, I would gladly donate.
I did have a friend who donated plasma for about a year before his wedding to help pay for it, but I don't know anyone else who has done it. My fiance has no issue with needles, might have to mention this to him, hehe.
I donated in college/right after college during a period of time I was seriously in need of the $$.
I only got $15 per visit, and really its not a quick thing, you have to wait your turn then sit in a room with someone, they make you answer a list of questions every time and check blood pressure and iron. I frequently got sent home for low blood pressure. So its definately an extremely low paying sidejob for the time it takes.
After that they had us all in one room on these comfy loungers with movies on screens above us. Unfortunately it would take them forever to get my plasma, partly because of my low blood pressure, they also frequently had trouble finding veins and had to switch arms halfway through. Not to mention bruising.
The thing I hated most was that when they've taken the plasma they put in a solution to fill the same volume (saline?) in your blood and that made me soooo cold, shivers would just wrack my body until the stuff that had just been pumped into my blood came to body temp.
The rest of the day I was always tired, groggy, grumpy.
Just thinking about it makes my veins hurt. The last time I went they were fiddling with the machines and I had an intense pain shoot down my arm, I screamed and the tech just looked at me and muttered "d__ I thought that might happen" and hooked up my other arm.
On the other hand, its the right thing for many people, I don't regret it but it wouldn't be worth it to me to go back.
🙂 This post made me laugh because I remembered a time when I was a freshman in college and myself and 2 good friends of mine went to donate plasma at a place in the city. We waited around ALL DAY, had our fingerprints done, were weighed in, had a tour of the place and got scared by the long needles…finally when we had to pee in a cup, one friend had crazy neon pee due to vitamins she was taking…and they wouldn't let her donate. After all that time we left, because we didn't want to do it alone and we were kind of freaked out anyway! But it was an interesting day to say the least.
Wait, what? You get paid for it? I thought it WAS just donating. I'm pretty sure that the people I know who do it don't get paid… maybe it's different in Canada? (or a different program thingy). I think it's a really good thing, though- win win for everyone.
I used to do it in college. But, me and hubby discussed doing it now for date night money (funds are a little sparse now)…or spending money in general! It's not bad, just that I have hard to find veins so I have a few scars from failed attempts. Good thing I'm not afraid of needles!
Sagan – you're right; in Canada it's an actual donation without payment (except for cookies… mmmm… cookies…).
I used to donate, but now I have low iron which makes me a poor candidate. I also do a lot of international work in areas at risk for malaria so the Red Cross doesn't want my blood anyway.
I never heard of this in all my long years! I donated but never heard of getting paid. I tell you in these tough times, it is tempting & hopefully you help people! I would limit it though just to be safe plus I can't lift my weights the day after or so if it is like giving blood! 🙂 It always comes back to my weights, I know! Sorry!
Great info!
I've never donated plasma. I'd do it if i knew it was definitely going to people who need it and not some cosmetics company.
I tried to donate blood a few months ago (i used to donate regularly in college), but because I lived in the U.K. for a while (in 1991!!!!!) I'm not allowed to donate. Because I might have Mad Cow.
(Although I'm thinkin' that if I DID, it would have shown up by now. Also, I was a vegetarian at the time.)
Hate needles. No way.
If I didn't, and enjoyed pissing in a cup (another of my least favorite things to do) I'd definitely do it. As it is, they'd have to multiply that rate by about 10 before they'd get me in the chair.
You know, you're going to burn calories replenishing that plasma. Your body needs energy to do that. Kind of a twisted way to look at it, though.
I tried to do this in college, but was denied because I had mentioned that the Red Cross had given me a false positive on Hep C once. Had I not said this, they would have let me continue… I do donate blood through a local blood bank still.
I have read about blood/organ donor groups. Basically, people who donate can get the blood or organs if they need them without being on a waiting list forever. So basically if you are willing to give up your organs/blood, your group-mates are willing to give you theirs. I think it's a sound idea. But I really like the above commenter's idea of getting healthcare or something for donating.
I've given plasma for gas $$ in college and then just donated when I worked for a university hospital system. The place I went in college was in downtown Baltimore and I'd be in a row of recliner/stretchers with a bunch of winos and a book, but at the University Hospital they gave us warmed blankets and a choice of movies to watch. I've never had problems with needles, but I get cold easily, so when they'd put the blood back in and it had cooled while it was outside my body, I'd get chills, which they gave me Tums for, for some reason. Anyway, it's not a rough procedure or anything, you just have to be able to sit still for 2 hours.
I always thought donations weren't allowed more often than every 2 weeks, though. Learn sumthin' every day!
I still give blood every 2 or 3 months. I consider it a civic responsibility. If plasma donation wasn't a 45 minute drive from where I live now, I'd probably start doing that again, too.
I was just trying to convince my pastor that we should do this as a church because we need $$$ for a building. I used to do it all the time in college to have money for… whatever crap I was spending my money on at the time.
It takes awhile to pump the stuff out and put it back in, I got to watch a lot of movies.
I've never done it, but then again, I've never given blood either. For a long time I didn't weigh enough and then I was scared of the needle. My husband looked into selling plasma once. He's given blood lots of times so he's not afraid of the giant horse needle. However, he's on antibiotics for his acne and the people he spoke with weren't sure if that disqualified him or not. They said they would check with some higher-ups and get back to him. They never called him and his desire for extra cash waned. Hence, I don't have any first-hand experience with it.
I've never done it, but then again, I've never given blood either. For a long time I didn't weigh enough and then I was scared of the needle. My husband looked into selling plasma once. He's given blood lots of times so he's not afraid of the giant horse needle. However, he's on antibiotics for his acne and the people he spoke with weren't sure if that disqualified him or not. They said they would check with some higher-ups and get back to him. They never called him and his desire for extra cash waned. Hence, I don't have any first-hand experience with it.
I've never done it, but then again, I've never given blood either. For a long time I didn't weigh enough and then I was scared of the needle. My husband looked into selling plasma once. He's given blood lots of times so he's not afraid of the giant horse needle. However, he's on antibiotics for his acne and the people he spoke with weren't sure if that disqualified him or not. They said they would check with some higher-ups and get back to him. They never called him and his desire for extra cash waned. Hence, I don't have any first-hand experience with it.
There are only about 6 quarts (1.5 gallons) of blood in the body. Blood is about 55% plasma, which means you have about 3 quarts of plasma in your body. I really doubt you're giving up 1/2 gallon (2 quarts) of plasma.
I donate the max amount which is 880 ml or about a quart
I used to donate blood regularly (they don't pay us in my city).
I tried to switch to donating plasma because it has a quicker recovery time for all my races, but something about my blood count was wrong and they couldn't take it.
I think one long term effect I've noticed from donating blood multiple times is that your vein will start scarring. But maybe that's just me because I only 1 good vein and used the same one every time.
My father-in-law went quite a stretch where he was donating plasma every week. I think he's had to take a break from it.
I don't like needles and avoid them wherever possible. Because of this, I rationalize that I'm too skinny, and my blood pressure is low to start with, so it's probably not safe for me to donate and bodily liquid that doesn't come out without the help of needles.
I was one who donated plasma at first for the whole "pat on the back." Then, I'd go if I needed a few bucks, which felt less that nobel.
Upon my last visit, which was a week ago, I felt huge pressure and then intense pain when they do what is called a return. This is where they put the whole blood back in your system, without the plasma.
I had something happen called an infiltration, which is the blood going into your body else were(muscle and under the skin) I felt the pressure and looked down to see a very swift swelling. Then I feel pain and, since the staff was busy socializing, It went on for a few minutes. It was absolutely terrible, it would be a feeling equal to having an alien eating its way out of your stomach. I was told it would bruise but I should be fine.
That day my bicep had grown a lump the size of a softball. It was severly cramped and hurt quite a bit. I notice slight bruising before bed, but wake up to find the immediate area covered in a bruise of deep blues and purples. sore too.
As the past week has gone on the bruise has gotten worse. I now have a bruise covering nearly my whole arm and I am in extreme pain. I've spoken to a doctor and all I'm left with is pain medicine and ice.
so, what I have to say is be careful. Plasma donation can be a very nobel thing, but you have to think about yourself. Don't go just anywere. Do your research. Find a good staff.
As for me, I don't see myself near any type of need again soon. This was very traumatic and I can't wait for this arm to heal. I haven't slept a whole night all week, because my whole arm is tender inside and out.
My doctor said I am very lucky.
How long did it take for your arm to heal? And how long did it take for the bruising to go away? The EXACT same thing happened to me.
There are also other companies that pay much more for plasma, the only thing is you have to be sick. This company looks for people who have auto immune disorders or viral infections and pay as much as 500 each time you donate. Check out this site accessclinical.com
"Jerr said…
I've always been of the opinion that if God intended me to have blood/plasma sucked out of my body He would have installed a valve on my arm."
By that rationale, if God had intended us to use penicillin, he would have made penicillin trees. Or, how about the Jarvis artificial heart tree. "God intended" arguments are ignorant. Absolutely ridiculous.
I just started donating plasma (poor college student looking for extra cash). I have to say the experience is quite sombering. I've been able to talk to alot of the residents of the town that my college is in, and spending a day on the city bus is always an adventure.
I've given 4 times so far, and yes it does look like I am an IV drug user now. I never bruised easy until now. I haven't had any complications, except my left arm never seems to like being stuck-it always hurts for a few days after, but no problems with the right.
I find donating plasma gives me a chance to earn extra cash, meet the local residents, plus I can always pull in some study time while I am hooked up too. It works all the way around.
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Well..
I started donatinng Plasma in Germany..
I did it 2 months, once a week.
I have never been sick in my life.. I do a lot of sports.. eat healthy, do sports..
But after the donation.. I cought cold and now stay home in bed.
I am not BADLY sick.
But I really feel like.. my immune system got too low.
And my hemoglobne is too low on my results.
Even the plasma does not have to do with the hemoglobine, it has all the antibodies in it..
And when they take it out of your body frequently.. it makes you sick..
And already in winter..
So.. NO MORE lol
That doesn’t surprise me 🙁 I hope you’re feeling better now my German friend.
What no one seems to mention here is the intense hunger that hits you when you become a plasma donor.I'm not one to be obessed with food but that was all I could think about all the time.So I spent more money on food but hotdogs tasted way good because I was so ravenously hungry so I had like a salad with hot dogs in it every day.I kept thinking that this is the kind of hunger those people in the nazy camps must have been feeling,I've never ever felt such a hunger like I did when I started donating.The other thing was I had some kind of mental side effect and I never ever had that before or since,but I woke up in the middle of the night with a palpable fear in the room,as if the devil was in my presence only I could not see him.I was paralized with fear and it took me minutes to get the courage to get out of bed and call my friend who unfortunately could not come over cause he was too drunk.It took me a long time to fall asleep.So I stopped donating then and there.I have vitamins deficiencies as it is so I certanly did not need more problems.Btw I've never ever been so scared in my life.
I just came back from donating plasma in germany and I was also very, very hungry. I spent all the money I got on watermelons and Chinese food. So I have nothing left, I am also very tired and sleepy but I am too afraid to sleep, the fear is real. Also I had to pee really badly during the whole thing, Which was at least an hour, my bladder felt like it was gonna burst and they wouldn’t let me stop to go pee until it was done. Very traumatic.
Hh
I just came back from donating plasma in germany and I was also very, very hungry. I spent all the money I got on watermelons and Chinese food. So I have nothing left, I am also very tired and sleepy but I am too afraid to sleep, the fear is real.
Also I had to peereally badly during the whole thing, Which was at least an hour, my bladder felt like it was gonna burst and they wouldn’t let me stop to go pee until it was done. Very traumatic
I just came back from donating plasma in germany and I was also very, very hungry. I spent all the money I got on watermelons and Chinese food. So I have nothing left, I am also very tired and sleepy but I am too afraid to sleep, the fear is real.
Also I had to pee really badly during the whole thing, Which was at least an hour, my bladder felt like it was gonna burst and they wouldn’t let me stop to go pee until it was done. Very traumatic.
Your a fucking faggot dude.
I’ve also been donating plasma, and I’ve got to admit that it is almost painless, and it doesn’t take much of your time. Hopefully, I’m helping someone else, all while receiving a satisfying payment. Someone else mentioned they were gaining weight, and I’ve been donating plasma for six weeks continuously and have two more weeks left (Summer School), and the same thing seems to be happening to me. I’ve been exercising more and eating a bit healthier due to this gain in weight, nevertheless it’s still noticeable. Probably for this reason I’ll halt my plasma donations, but has this happened to anyone who has donated this often?
I am doing it on a weekly basis I have to tell you if you’re going to do this DRINK a lot of water specially your first time. Remember DRINK a lot of WATER I can’t say this enough. It is easy money if you don’t mind the needle syndrome which is forgotten after you earn your $65 bucks a week. Take care eat enough iron and again DRINK a lot of WATER!
Be safe and God love ya!
I just started “donating” (today). After reading all of the possible sides effects, both rare and VERY rare, I was a little uncomfortable. However, once I’d made it through today’s session w/o any allergic reactions or heart attacks, I feel much more secure in going back for twice a week sessions. That is… for the next few weeks until my budget loosens back up. Everything researched said that it was completely safe and possibly beneficial,and for $150 for the first four trips (combined) and $50 a week after, it’s hard to say no. I needed a second job, but with my sketchy custody of my daughter it was hard to find anyone to work around my schedule. $50 a week of groceries should help me right on through these tough times… and hey! Maybe even through Christmas 😉
Started donating this week. There’s a special where the first 5 times you go, you get $50, for a total of $250. After that it’s about $50/week if you go two times. They also have contests and drawings for anybody who donates twice a week, so you can win up to $200 on those.
I seem to bleed fast. I can get in and out in under an hour.
That’s almost $3000/year, if I go religiously. And since we’re well under the poverty line, it feels like a fortune.
I just started, today was my first time and it was great. No pain at all (the finger prick hurt more!), and I was on the machine for about an hour- I was actually surprised at how fast it went.
You aren’t paid for the actual plasma, you are paid for your time, hence you are donating the plasma, just not your time 😉
With this economy every bit helps, I’m hoping to donate for a few months 🙂
I’m 22yrs old and have been donating on and off since I was 18. The whole thing about track marks is if you bruise easy. I go twice a week and I alternate arms each time, never using the same arm twice in a row. I’ve never had any complications and I make 60 bucks a week to go sit and watch tv. So you’ll never hear me complain about it
I’m a volunteer plasma donor to the local Blood Bank. I don’t get paid. I used to donate blood on a regular basis but found out I could have greater impact helping people by donating good amounts of plasma half as often as giving blood. Perfectly safe and easy. Getting paid is fine, but when any of us go into the hospital, we better pray they have what we need available.
I am interested what these plasmapherisis people make on flipping our plasma.. since they are of of those antichrist.. blood sucking.. pill pushing.. smack shooting pharmaceutical companies I think they charge vehemently high prices for their life saving drugs while they have several office sized rooms filled with desperate college young adults thinking they are doing some good in this world when in actuality they are giving those rich 1% all more influence.. if anyone has information on these synthesized cures please contact me with your source so I can see personally.. tone_mack@hotmail.com is my address..
I started donating plasma again a couple weeks ago. Years ago, as a single mom, I needed the money. Now, this is my money to spend any way I want and I am determined to go twice a week. Last time I was there, when the girl stuck me it hurt. She said it was from the Iodine. My arm ended up hurting all day. Even now, 3 days later, I’m getting twinges. I think she got a tendon or something. I am going to try to donate tomorrow. I can only hope that she didn’t do permanent damage and that I am still able to donate (I can only donate out of my right arm). Either way, the money is good. Other than the first visit it only takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours of my time. I am more hungry, and I feel generally weaker, but I am trying to eat healthy and take multivitamins. If I can’t continue donating, it won’t be a super big deal, because this is just “fun” money. I will be upset though. If you try donating, make sure if it hurts you tell them and be persistent. Don’t let them walk away from you if it hurts. It shouldn’t. Obviously some of them are better and more caring than others.
Today was my first time donating so it took about three hours going through 100 questions and the physical and the pee test but after that just got hooked up to a machine and watched tv some people read you just cant sleep dont know why but as a mom having time alone sometimes is nice and walking out 2 hours later with 50 cash i can do twice a week so for now monday and wednesday is donating time so 2 times a week for a month which equals 200 cash for reading watching tv for 16 hours a month not bad works for me win win
Everyone one on here sounds so scared. ive been donating over 3 years now. ive never had a problem. easy money and my center is really fast under an hour as long as you drink water you will be fine.
Ive done it for years. Work it into my schedule twice a week. Takes on average two hours from when I walk in to when I walk out. Earn on average 17.50$ for those 2 hours. Easy peasey. I’d rather give plasma then ask for food stamps. That’s what I use my donation money for. I eat well!
Amen to that, Josh! I said the same thing about giving plasma over asking for food stamps. I have applied for food stamps, and let me tell you, it is so much easier to donate plasma than it is to receive food stamps.
I just wanted to share my story or giving plasma. I have given twice and finished both times the second being worse than the first. So the first time I had a reaction is what they called it. anyways I got nauseaus and dizzy and my skin felt very hot they put an ice pack on my neck and fanned me which felt fantastic. I am pretty positive that I actually passed out for a few seconds because I could barely keep my eyes open I couldn’t talk luckily there was a nurse standing right next to me though I still found it difficult to reach up and grab her. My machine had been beeping for probly 2 or 3 minutes indicating that blood flow had stopped because I had stopped pumping my hand. I was actually a lite mad because the nurse looked at me after I grabbed her and said oh is that you beeping. So I then finished the donation. When I was done the lady told me that even though I ate and drank a sufficient amount before arriving to donate that more than 2 hours had passed between eating breakfast and donating so that is why I had a reaction. When I went outside my friends said that I was pale and didnt look well. I didn’t feel well I was very tired and nauseus. But after eating I started feeling a little better though I still felt sick and tired for the rest of the day and didn’t sleep well that night. Well about 2 weeks later me and my same friends decided to go again. I was a little scares but I’m 20 years old and live on my own so I need all the money I can get. I figured that since I felt bad the last time because of not eating close enough to my donation that I would eat a lot through out the day this time we didn’t leave till evening instead of the morning I also drank water all day which I already do everyday anyways. So by the time we for there I was feeling fine I was full I felt great. Well they stuck me and the guy said I had great blood flow right off the bat so I thought awesome this is going to be done quickly. Well not even 5 minutes in I started feeling nauseous again and I didn’t want it to happen again it was embarrassing everyone was starring at me and I didn’t want it to happen all over again. So I relaxed myself concentrated on deep breathing because I figured my blood is being taken out and oxygen is good for the body and that seemed to help a little. And every time it went into a return I felt fine. The second to last time it started taking my blood out I was not feeling good at all. My skin was starting to feel hot again and my breathing was helping to slow the reaction I think though I still had a reaction my breathing helped me stay calm so I didn’t feel like I was going to pass out and then it finally went into a return and I started feeling better by the end of the return and then my last cycle started again by the time it started returning again I was feeling awful. I had just had another reaction and this time a nurse or doctor or whatever those people are noticed that I was pale and not looking well ans asked me if I was ok I said I’m fine now and how went to tend to the guy next to me. The nurse guy looks at me again and looks back at the guy next to me the nurse looks at me again and says are you sure your ok and I said I’m fine, I just feel a little hot so they for me an ice pack started fanning me and I felt like crap the rest of the day. Worse than I felt the first time probably because I had had 2 reactions this time and the first time I only had 1. I felt sick all day my friend and I did a little shopping and I couldn’t even stand for very long without getting nauseous or feeling like I was going to pass out. I felt fine as long as I was sitting or leaning on the shopping cart in Walmart lol. I want to go back again because right now I have $15 left to last me for 2 weeks and my car is broke down and I really need the money. But I am scared it will happen again. I don’t know what to do because they say its because I didn’t eat enough but I’m thinking maybe if I eat breakfast lunch and dinner for a few days in a row and stay hydrated for a few days in a row then it will be ok. I don’t usually eat breakfast lunch and dinner. I usually only eat one meal a day and snack throughout the day. I don’t ever get hungry for big meals. I just wanted everyone to know that there is a downside sometimes it doesn’t go as planned and some people can’t donate even if they are perfectly healthy according to blood tests. I mean who knows maybe my heart doesn’t make blood as fast as other hearts. I never bruise so I don’t know.
Can I make a suggestion for you if you decide to give it another try if you haven’t gone again because your to scared to go. Have them lower the speed of your collection rate. That might help. My veins are smaller so both my rates for the collection and the return have to be set much lower than the rates the machines are automatically set to.
This nausea, heat, actually passing out happened to me the first time I went. To call it a “reaction” is I suppose accurate, but I thinkit’s more of a psychological response to the process. I work in a physician’s office where I insert IV lines every day and see the same thing happen to my own patients. We call it a vasovagal response. It has to do with your body’s fight or flight response to whatever is upsetting you. In my case it was watching the IV site and worrying about an infiltration. The vagus nerve(?) sends a signal out to the blood vessels to dilate or open up to allow more blood into the large muscle groups for you to “fight or flee”. This in turn causes an overall drop in blood pressure which causes the nausea, pale color, sweats, and when flow to the brain dips low enough, passing out. Good news is that once that happens usually it’s like hitting reset. Then it seems to be a matter of keeping the blood pressure up with fluids and mental distraction.
Long story short, search term vasovagal response. Don’t look at the IV and think about something else.
I’ve done it several times since my first embarrassing episode with no problems at all. Just don’t look at it and focus on something else. But of course, that can be like trying not to yawn when someone tells you not to, lol.
Now I am going to do my breakfast, when having my breakfast coming again to read more news.
Barrel of Carrots was banking to make $600 a month in 2009. I make $800 if I can donate twice each week. I wonder what the particulars were with BoC, if he had a freak titer. Skinny guy here, no fear of needles, weight around 130-135 since adulthood; phlebotomists love me because I have those healthy, bulging veins. I donated a double blood unit in college and had no problems and I read the minimum for that is 130. I’ve made an obscene amount of money from donating plasma and the worst I’ve ever felt is light-headed. Those places are kept sterile and cold of course, so when the saline hits you at the end you can sometimes be overwhelmed.
I began donating plasma infrequently with friends when a plasma center offered to pay me $5 if I would get a Hepatitis B booster shot. Why not? The next visit they measured my titer and realized that it was unusually high. They were starting a titer-based payment program and I was informed I would make $90 per visit from now on. I probably donated 50 times and I never had a problem. When I went to school I stopped donating plasma but I donated the double blood unit I mentioned. After I returned home I was offered a slightly higher amount, and I have donated probably another 30 times. I’ve drank only water for years now and lots of it, but I always drink even more the day before and day of a donation.
I bet a lot of people going in are malnourished or dehydrated and just don’t know it. You should focus on your intake the day before in addition to the day of donation. Your plasma should ideally be a straw color that is light yellowish, the darker it is the less hydrated your plasma is most of the time (though I believe protein/fat play roles). Be sure to eat foods high in protein and iron if you’re going to donate a lot.
I have donated for a significant amount of time now and have noticed no big change in my weight either loss or gain. They suggest you eat a high protein meal days before and days after to compensate for plasma loss and if you eat healthy meals you should not see any significant weight change. I also feel my plasma goes mainly to good use for he most part and at the same time I am sure it is used for other things I probably would not approve of I am sure. I get paid for it so I guess they can do whatever with it. I feel we should be compensated a litle better than what we get now. I dont know if you have ever seen what they charge a patient in need of plasma lets just say it is very expensive!
Oneiro where do you donate to get compensated that much? I live in portland and dont even see half that per visit $25 and $40 a week. Us oregonians are getting robbed you got to love grifols/biomat/talecris and yes that is one company after the merger.
I tried to go today for the first time. 2 hours later told me I couldn’t donate BC my blood pressure was 103 not 100. waste of my time, didn’t get paid shit, really upset cuz I needed that $. Said I can come back and try again tomorrow. Don’t know if I will or not. Still could use the cash but I’m freaked out about the needles!! All my friends who have gone before have sum serious tracks on their arms that freaks me out too ahhhh
I have been donating plasma for the past 9 years – and over this time I have yet to notice any difference in health.
As a matter of fact, I donated plasma this morning and walked out with $120 for this visit. Let me add, however this isn’t the norm for most donors. I have been lucky to be blessed with not only the rarest of blood types, AB-neg, but I also carry Anti-body D. Not only am I a VIP at the clinic, meaning I never wait in line, but I get paid considerably more than regular donors, and receive extra bonuses throughout the month that other donors will never see.
Besides the money, the Karma thing is there, too.
If you donate plasma and have a negative blood type, check with the staff at the medical facility you visit and see if they have the Antibody D program.
…let me add… I hate needles and after 9 years, I still am not used to it. That, is the only downside, as far as I see it. But like I said prior, it’s the Karma thing.
The facility I donate at sells the plasma to companies that use it to make drugs…..those drugs are then used to save peoples lives. Don’t think that because the company isn’t non-profit that it isn’t going to good uses. People with Lupus and other life threatening diseases and viruses use the drugs that plasma is made from to help fight those diseases and viruses. It is used for its clotting properties a lot for those that have a thin blood. How many diseases or virus do you know of that cause your blood to thin? The answer is more then you would think. Anyways, I’m just saying that just because its not the Red Cross your donating to, doesn’t mean it’s not good. You could in fact be saving someones life. That is worth it to me whether I’m getting paid to donate or not.
Sincerely,
Naval Military Police Veteran
And to the Rich Kid…..your blood type has no effect on how much you get paid for your plasma. Plasma is universal meaning if you donate no matter what your blood type is, anybody can use that plasma no matter what their blood type is. Antibody-D is an entire different subject which I don’t know enough about to comment but, your blood type has nothing to do with plasma!
You are wrong.
I started giving plasma, two years ago, I started at one company then had trouble because of the scar tissue, and only one proceser could stick me, Then I went to another company and have been giving for five months. The first company started out not making me take saline, then they started and I had gained a few pounds each week, but my weight was going up and down, about five pounds time I donated. Then I started with the other company who at first started not giving me saline, and I actually lost weight, through diet and excercise. Then after they started giving me saline with my donation, Since my last donation yesturday I have gained 22 LBS, with taking more than twice my water pill. I have lost eight pounds of it over night. I still need to loose 12 more LBS, to get where I need to be at my lowest. I walk three to five times daily, don’t over eat too much, and not happy with the water weight gain
Donating makes me somewhat tired and really hungry. You burn 470 cals per donation. Other then that not complaints.
I’ve been donating for a few months now and it doesn’t bother me much. I will say though, after the first day I got home and was fine, started making some food and got extremely nauseous and hot and sweaty. I felt like I was going to faint so I had to run upstairs
lay down fast. After a few minutes I felt a little better so I went and drank some water and ate my food.I felt better but I was still tired and kind of weak the rest of the day…I was scared to donate again because that was a horrible experience, but I went back and felt fine. I think because the first visit was more than 4 hours long, the food that I had previously eaten and water that I drank was long gone. I suggest eating a large meal and drink plenty water and if they allow you to eat in the facility, bring a snack and some water while you wait (not to cold because it will lower your temperature and you’ll have to wait until its back to normal to donate). I haven’t had any problems since my first time donating and I’ve been going more frequently. Although friends and family members hate the fact that I donate and have told me numerous times to stop and have even offered to pay me instead of donating.
I’ve been donating for a few months now and it doesn’t bother me much. I will say though, after the first day I got home and was fine, started making some food and got extremely nauseous and hot and sweaty. I felt like I was going to faint so I had to run upstairs to
lay down fast. After a few minutes I felt a little better so I went and drank some water and ate my food.I felt better but I was still tired and kind of weak the rest of the day…I was scared to donate again because that was a horrible experience, but I went back and felt fine. I think because the first visit was more than 4 hours long, the food that I had previously eaten and water that I drank was long gone. I suggest eating a large meal and drink plenty water and if they allow you to eat in the facility, bring a snack and some water while you wait (not to cold because it will lower your temperature and you’ll have to wait until its back to normal to donate). I haven’t had any problems since my first time donating and I’ve been going more frequently.
I donated plasma. with no problems”!! and yes I was so hungry afterwards,it was finny
I pay a quick visit every day a few websites and blogs to read posts,
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I used to donate plasma, did it for about 6 months. the last time I donated I was sitting in the chair about to be unhooked and the lady that was doing decided to give me some information that could have waited until I was done. she said to me we don’t worry about sticking u, its when we go to pull the needla out that could have risks. an air bubble could form in the vein causing, in my words, god knows what to happen. so needless to say, that was my last visit. besides idk if it was worth it, the place I went payed by your weight so I only got about $20 each visit. I am considering doing it again now that about a year or 2 has passed and I believe they’ve made some changes
I am an active, reasonably healthy 74-year-old who has been donating blood since I was in my 20s. In my 40s, I began donating by apheresis red blood cells, platelets, and plasma. I never envisioned being turned down for any reason other than restrictive medications or diminished health.
Recently I heard about being paid to donate plasma by apheresis but my first donation was refused because of my age and no other reason. The donor center asked my age and told me that I was too old.
Late in the same week, I donated by apheresis at the local blood bank. That leads me to believe their refusal was bunk. Can someone confirm that there are studies which give a legitimate reason for my being refused? Was it pure age discrimination as I believe it was?
In Texas I was told if I start doing this, I can only do til I hit 65
I live in New Zealand and I’m amazed that you all get paid to donate plasma or whole blood- we do it for free here.
I moved to plasma after donating whole blood as I have a more uncommon blood type and they had too much of my type stockpiled and didn’t need anymore.
I have been donating every 3 weeks for the last couple of years and I haven’t noticed any adverse side-effects at all. I make sure I drink plenty of water after each donation and I take multi-vitamins as well.
Is New Zealand the only place where you donate for free or are there other countries as well?
I donate plasma twice a week but I only use my right arm the only bad thing is that my arm has been hurting I guess my vein is just sore but I am worried now I have herpes and although I am allowed to donate I’m afraid it’s bad for my immune system
I go to my local plasma center twice a week for a couple of months now. The process is pretty painless although if you have a fear of neddles i recomend that you take a pass. One of the phlobotimist, not sure I spelled that right, told me they use a bigger niddle than the one used to take blood donations.
Being a double red donator for the Ref Cross I was no stranger to the machine. Your blood is taken amd returned back to you sans plasma, the yellow liquid part of your blood, but is mixed with salin and an anticoagulant.
I make $70 a week and the most common side effects… higher hunger level, thirsty, sore arm and a big need to urinate.
I have never experienced any pain just general discomfort at certain point of the process. The worst part is getting weighed twice a week 😛
The best thing i have found to aliviate side effects is to go to the bathroom before leaving the center, have a big thing of Gateraid to help replenish electrolytes and to eat a small meal afterwards don’t give into the need to pigout.
The extra money helps out a lot and I do treat this as a second job. I have met some very nice people and plan to continue.
I have been donating plasma for a month now. At CSL Plasma. There the plasma is made into medications. I know in some way this helps people around the world I’ll never know, & that gives me a sense of peace. Also as a single mother of three 6, 2, & 7 month’s… $400 dollars a month helps tremendously! I have been losing weight since doing so also, around 8 lbs. You can burn around 600 to 800 calories after donating. Thus your body replacing the plasma. My suggestion is to have an apple after. Curbs your appetite. If you bruse after talk to your doctor about if it’s safe for you to take an iron supplement.
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I have only been donating Plasma for 3 weeks, And I found out that my body produces the Antibody for Tetanus that they need in 3rd world countries. The first time I donated everything went smoothly but the second time My veins blown and had a hard time finding a good a visible vein,I was told I had good veins, but my 3rd time My vein stopped the machine and they couldn’t get my blood returned, Can someone please tell me why this happened and why? Should I be worried?
And also the needle is a 17 gage yeah its big but if you look away you won’t feel a thing
IT IS 95% JUST ABOUT MONEY AND IT IS DISASTER.
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I have donated plasma for approximately 4 years and only stopped while pregnant and breastfeeding. I have also worked for a plasma center for the past 5 years. While I don’t like all aspects of my work or all my coworkers, I can say that I am so very thankful for plasma donation. First off, without plasma donations, many people would die. There are alot of deficiencies and diseases that need plasma donations. Plasma is also used for shock patients. Blood is great! And blood donations are very important but blood can only be donated once every 2 months. We would never be able to get enough plasma from just regular blood donations. The money part is very important. If we did not pay the donors, we would never have enough plasma. I work at a relatively small center and we still have 300-400 donors a day. Without money I am sure that number would be much smaller. And the people that are taking your vitals and sticking you with needles, they do NOT get paid well. I have worked there for 5 years like I said. I have the highest position available without going into management. I get paid just over $13 an hour. I run the floor, am a senior phlebotomist, a trainer, and work up front in reception also. Crappy pay. The people at the top of the company do get paid very well. But not the ones at the bottom. Donating plasma is very safe so long as you are a healthy individual. I know people who have done it for several decades. And all those mom’s out there….did u have to get the rogaime shots? If so, your life and the life of your children is owed to plasma. Yup! That drug was made from plasma. And nothing that my work acquires is used for “cosmetic” reasons…or plasma tvs!
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Pros: I love knowing I am getting help by helping someone who really needs it. Cons: Yes the bruising of the needle spots, the long waits in line. Truth is I have been donating for over 3 years now, its not as much money as drug selling but it produces the meds needed to help save not kill. Ill do it even if I wasn’t getting paid as long as I had time and healthy.
I do not mind donating. I also like the money. But, I fear that the blood being pumped back, is it as sterile as it was when drawn out, is there a possiblity that it may have gotten contaminated? What I want to know is that, is the apheresis component of the machine sterilized ?
I like how u half-ass realized how close minded u were being in considering this practice. I wouldve enjoyed this article it if werent for all the naivety. Otherwise a mediocre one at the least. This is unfortunately a “normal” thing to be ignorant so don’t be offended.
I was diagnosed with a heart murmur that causes fatigue and have a hot temper that boils, but I feel better after I donate blood or plasma. I feel cleansed and happy.
I’m three donations in. I was psyched the first time I did it since it seemed like no drawback to it. But after my second donation I began to notice that I was feeling fatigued but I thought it was because of the end of the semester and that I ride my bike everywhere. But then i soon figured the plasma was causing it. Overall, I would not recommend for others to do, especially those who live active lifestyles. I’d hate to go hit up the gym or play soccer feeling sluggish and tired. Luckily I’m starting two jobs soon so that I can feed myself, but I wouldn’t want any of my loved ones doing it if they were doing for the money. First rule of life is that if it seems to good to be true, it is. plasma donation has it’s downsides and can feel that the industry is corrupt if it can tell its donators that it’s alright to donate twice when the Red Cross tells you to wait 58 days. Always exercise critical thinking. I hope everyone stays safe and can get the money they need to survive and thrive. Best of luck 🙂
Thanks for the info ! by the way most medical offices or hospitals charge 900$ or more for plasma so that 2o$ is nothing to them.
Im a 25 year old female who gave plasma for about a year in a half. Then my health took a down fall started see doctors and doing alot or blood test. First time i gave blood the nurse had a very hard time hitting a vain to draw from it was so bad she called my doctor in to help and ever since i’ve had proplem with nurses finding vains.And I never had this proplem befor. theres no fact to what im saying that it does something to the vains. But my doctor informed me to stop giving plasma.
I donate for two reasons:
1) It’s for a good cause, I’ve done the research and most of the plasma does go for medical purposes. Since they “bought” it from you they can choose to send it to other places, but they only do this for plasma that is high in fats or can’t serve a medical purpose. Plus cosmetics makes girls prettier, just kidding.
2) I get paid, I’m not saying I’d stop cold turkey if they stopped paying me, but money is a good incentive to go. I currently work as a Detention Officer and make okay for a 20 year old. Although I get paid once a month so it’s nice to have a “second job” that is easy and is something I can do before shift. I can make about $200 extra bucks a month and they normally have deals “coupons” that allow you to pull in some extra bucks. For a 20 year old male trying to pay bills and save up for college it’s nice to have at my disposal when needed.
I currently donate plasma (2+ years) and worked in the industry for 7+ years. The 2 biggest pieces of advice I could give you would be to 1. Find a reputable plasma center. Read reviews, but also keep in mind, many people don’t like needles, and a bad stick happens from time to time. In my 2 years donating, I’ve had about 1-2 bad sticks over the course of about 400 donations. If you have a Biolife Plasma Services near you, they tend to have one of the better reputations in the industry along with some of the most stringent Standard Operating Procedures. They also have a great scheduling system, and work hard to get you in and out in under an hour.
2. I would recommend drinking plenty of water the day before, along with a healthy, low fat meal the evening before/morning before depending on your donation time. I will even drink about 30oz of water on the way to my donation, keeping my donation at about 45 minutes (880ml which is the max you can give). It is safe, easy, and Biolife does not sell their product to cosmetic companies. They are owned by Baxter Healthcare, a US company if you want to do more research on them.
I have to 2nd what phil has said – Biolife Plasma is really great. Clean, spacious facility (no tv’s) and they really screen people well. You can grab a free water when you leave or sit and relax if you are dizzy. They encourage you to speak up if you have ANY issues and also ask you several times during you’re visit if you are doing okay. They explain everything they are doing the first time through. I’ve gone there 3 times now and had great experiences each time. Needles don’t bother me much, though. The techs are well trained and wear clean and extensive PPE. Highly recommend them. They also run specials all the time.
I donated for the first time yesterday and they examined both of my arms. They said that the veins in my right arm are right next to a tendon so I shouldnt donate out of my right arm. When i was ready to donate, the nurse inserted the needle halfway but couldnt get the needle into the vein and after wiggling it around for a couple minutes she asked another guy to help. He wiggled it around a lot more and stuck it painfully deep a couple of times before finally getting it into the vein. Needless to say, my arm was pretty sore. I began this journey with every intent to donate twice a week, but not being able to donate out of my right arm seems like it will be difficult to donate frequently, right? How long will it take for my used vein to heal back up enough for me to use it again? Is there anything i can do (besides hydrate) to make finding my veins with the needle easier?
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The Dark Crystal reference made me laugh. I am going to be donating for the first time tomorrow so I will see how it goes. My mother-in-law has been donating for a year or so now and she has had no adverse affects.
Im happy to donate plasma.. I give blood regularly and have done for the past 30 years with breaks while having my own kids and illness in my 30’s. As a child, 50 years ago i was the recipient of life saving transfusion as well as a blood exchange.. My late husband benefitted from blood donations while battling cancer..
I recently gave my first plasma donation three weeks ago.. I had dizziness which only in the past few days has subsided.. I’ll continue to give blood.. The plasma donation has knocked me a bit as I’m on my feet at work all day.. I’m happy to give freely and allow funds to be used elsewhere in the healthcare system..
my google research has answered several of your questions, it actually seems like a healthy practice because you have to be up on lean protein, iron, huge amounts of water and sans fat in order to be accepted. let me tell you my diet + lifestyle the rest of the time does not reflect these things at all.
they have no choice but to call it donating because you can not legally outright sell bodily fluids in the usa. so you are ‘donating’ + they are ‘compensating you for your time’ lol. god bless loopholes
also agree with everyone who said that if they are paying you for it, they’re selling it. I don’t have a problem with that tho. in fact maybe id even go donate for free for purely medicinal purposes sometimes if I didn’t have to spend the whole day before peeing every 5 minutes from water intake + exercising my biceps to make sure the stupid veins show up :p
+ from more google research, since your body takes about a day using your energy to build that plasma back up, that burns calories is what I read, + that could be why its good for cardio vascular, body’s working to build back up.
my google research has answered several of your questions, it actually seems like a healthy practice because you have to be up on lean protein, iron, huge amounts of water and sans fat in order to be accepted. let me tell you my diet + lifestyle the rest of the time does not reflect these things at all.
they have no choice but to call it donating because you can not legally outright sell bodily fluids in the usa. so you are ‘donating’ + they are ‘compensating you for your time’ lol. god bless loopholes
also agree with everyone who said that if they are paying you for it, they’re selling it. I don’t have a problem with that tho. in fact maybe id even go donate for free for purely medicinal purposes sometimes if I didn’t have to spend the whole day before peeing every 5 minutes from water intake + exercising my biceps to make sure the stupid veins show up :p
+ from more google research, since your body takes about a day using your energy to build that plasma back up, that burns calories similar to the way exercise does is what I read, + that could be why its good for cardio vascular, body’s working to build back up.
What sort of medical conditions and medicines would render you ineligible to give plasma? I’m a 58 year old Type 2 diabetic taking Metaformin and Insulin as well as blood pressure meds.
Anyone know why I can’t donate plasma because I have had a spinal fusion 3 years ago? Went today for the first time and got through all the requirements until they asked if I had ever been hospitalized. I was told I was not eligible to donate because of the surgery. No one could give me a reason though
I currently donate plasma 2x weekly. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER! Started doing it when I found out how much extra cash it is a month. I am a single mother, college educated, smart and obviously resourceful. $600 mthly is pretty good petty cash when you are talking about the excess of parenting. Drawback: 1. If you hate needles like me, every donation is like the first time getting poked with the needle (very scary). That fear does not go away, but it wanes. 2. Make sure you have time on your hands. You cannot predict how long it will take. For me personally, it takes about 2 hrs total including waiting to be called back and donation process. 3. I ran into an issue with my family passing judgement when they found out. They asked, ” are you okay.” as if this is for the poor, homeless or desperate. This is a complete myth, and in my estimation is a belief that is rooted in culture perhaps (my opinion). The people there are ALL so nice. Oh yea – wanted to comment on the age part of donating plasma. In my opinion it is a great way to make extra cash and do something for someone else at the same time.
I’ve been giving/selling my plasma since 2007. I definitely do it for the money because my day job only pays $8.50/hr!! My bills exceed this so to supplement my income (or during holidays where gifts are to be given), I give plasma.
I often get quite fatigued, but find if I drink tons of orange juice before and tons after, I don’t feel quite so tired.
I know it helps people and that is a true bonus!
I read the first few comments on this, and I feel like you are totally discriminating toward people who donate. I’m a very well educated person. I grew up in a very nice neighborhood in moon valley, phoenix, arizona…live on a golf course with very wealthy people and senators, and I donate plasma. Change your tone. This is not just for the poor.
I currently donate plasma and get paid $25 per donation. Considering I’m helping save lives I should be getting paid more. Hopefully another plasma center opens up near by to drive up the donation price because $25 a donation simply isn’t a whole lot.
I’ve been donating for over 7 years off and on and would recommend it to people who are in need of cash. Let’s face it, most people in there (including myself) do it for the money. I don’t care about saving lives, I care about how much I’m getting paid and after getting paid the same amount for about 7 years, I’m considering not donating anymore.
I’m not the only one who has stopped donating. There has been a considerable drop off in donors at the center I go to. I plan to ask this month for more money for donating. If I don’t get an increase I’ll simply stop donating.
It’s the IV fluid they give you.
I believe if you’ve had diabetes, cancer, any bleeding disorder, heart problems,or immunoglobulin disease like lupus, you are not allowed to donate, blood or plasma.
I had one scary experience. They tell you certain things to be aware of while you are in the chair. At least they did at the plasma center I went to. Anyway, they said if you feel icy chills during the process, then you need to get someone’s attention. One time I was giving plasma, and I felt icy chills. I thought it was just in my mind at first, but then decided to speak up. I AM GLAD I DID! I called out for help, and someone was walking around monitoring everyone. I told her I was feeling funny. As I was trying to talk with her, I felt a sinking feeling. She looked over the machine, and then alarms went off. Others quickly came over and resolved the problem. For a moment I felt like I was dying! Long story short. For some reason the tube that was delivering the blood cells back to my body had gotten kinked. That is what caused the icy feeling, and the feeling of falling. I think I was close to passing out. It is also true that strange bruising can occur. I also had that once.
Not trying to scare everyone. Actually it should bring some peace of mind. If something goes wrong, people are there to prevent you from dying. Just make sure you do everything they tell you. If you begin to feel icy chills. TELL SOMEBODY!
It’s nice to help people, but I sell mine for money. I don’t feel any worse than a doctor, or nurse expecting to get paid for what they do. Hospitals are there to help people. Yet, everyone knows that health care does cost money. Even if it’s your insurance company. Somebody pays the bill. Actually as a plasma donor. You are kind of like a very low paid health care provider. It takes very little training, and effort on your part. It does take time. Also, in my experience, you are taking some risk. So don’t feel bad about any of that.
If you are going to feel bad about something. Feel bad about your sins! Don’t just feel bad, but do something about it! Humble yourself before Jesus, and BEG Him for mercy and forgiveness. If you demand forgiveness, don’t think God will jump just because you say so! God rejects, and resists the proud. A humble heart will receive grace. (James 4:6) Don’t just beg for forgiveness with a humble heart. If you are Born Again, and follow Jesus. Then you are also supposed to “sin no more”. (John 5:14 & John 8:11)
Hi. I don’t get super hungry but for like 2-3 days after donating one day I drag and sleep all day. My legs are heavy like jello. The 2ND donation of the week I feel even worse. It’s horrible. It takes so long for me to recover. But they say my blood levels are fine. Most others don’t seem to have this problem.
Ive donated plasma for 4 yrs; at first 2 pay for my wedding. AND actually the day i donated plasma, i had a heart attack. SINCE then ive had a reaction and have been deferred twice back to back. I dont know the positive affects, but ever since ive been donating my health has declined in a major way. Even after my heart attack my cardiologist said i could continue to donate; and to help my family out without a job, this was my source of providing for them, so the next week after my heart attack i lied and donated anyway, and have been ever since recently when it seemed like my health problems have been compiling to now being deferred again. This time for loss of whole blood cus the machine broke down in the last minute of my 1st draw. The first was a reaction, and when i threw up i bent my arm, which caused a major infiltrate
I’m 63 and started donating the first of the year when I had to start seeking ways to bring in some additional income thanks to this stalled economy we’ve had for eight years now. I used to donate regularly to the Red Cross but now, as I say, I need extra cash.
The only problem I have is maintaining my minimum protein level. I use a website to log my food and drinks, counting calories and macro-nutrients, I consume between 100 – 200 grams of protein daily and I am always at the borderline of minimum.
I have now donated 43 times and if my 401(k) returns to profitability I plan to cut back on my donations from weekly to every other week or so to give my body a rest between donations.
I work at a plasma center! It takes over 1000 healthy donations to give ONE person suffering from hemophilia their medicine every year. It’s a good thing to do because there is such a shortage of plasma. The screening process really is for the donors benefit, too. It makes sure you have enough protein in your blood and your pulse and blood oxygen are at a healthy level for donation. There always has to be a registered nurse on site when people are donating, and the phlebotomists get very good because they stick hundreds of people a month using the exact same method each time. 🙂 a very good deed that can put a little extra cash in your pocket.
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