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Opioids Plasma donation affect methadone?

nelsonmandela

Bluelighter
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
98
I UTFSE and couldnt find an answer. Basically, Im thinking of going tomorrow to donate plasma for money. I used to do it regularly 4 or 5 years ago. Im currently on methadone maintanance and I wanted to know if donating my plasma would cause me to lose my methadone. I read about methadone peak plasma concentrations, and Im not real savvy to the scientific aspect of drugs, so I wanted to make sure Im not gonna fuck myself over and lose half my methadone dose by donating plasma
 
sorry to bump this thread. Nobody has any info on this? I really could use the cash from donating my plasma, but obviously I dont wanna do it if im gonna lose my methadone dose and become sick or something. Any replies would be much appreciated
 
You could call the office where you would be donating plasma and tell them your situation. I'm sure they would have knowledge on it.
 
At the place I go to, they automatically disqualify you if you have had a recent addiction to drugs. So calling about methadone would not get a response.
 
Taking any drug or medication should disqualify you for obvious reasons. At least if it's run like in Denmark. How would you feel about getting a blood transfusion with methadone in the blood? :p
 
sorry to bump this thread. Nobody has any info on this? I really could use the cash from donating my plasma, but obviously I dont wanna do it if im gonna lose my methadone dose and become sick or something. Any replies would be much appreciated

If you need realtime responses then a forum isnt the place. You cannot expect to post a question and have an answer in less than 2 hours... it's not MSN chat. Bumping threads is not something done in OD, so don't do in future, thanks :)
I think he could sell the plasma as if they pay you on the spot, then how can they tell what drugs are in the plasma.

From an IV drug addict no less!

Taking any drug or medication should disqualify you for obvious reasons. At least if it's run like in Denmark. How would you feel about getting a blood transfusion with methadone in the blood?

Donated plasma isnt taken directly to a hospital for implementation you know. They screen the plasma as you may remember several thousand people (mainly haemopheliacs) in the early-mid 1980s caught HIV from blood transfusions. It doesnt happen anymore; why do you think that is? :) However I am not 100% sure whether the plasma is "treated" to make it safer (thereby preventing future unknown infections from bypassing screening) or if screening is done then the plasma is rejected on the basis of viruses or drugs, I'd think the former
 
Donated plasma isnt taken directly to a hospital for implementation you know. They screen the plasma as you may remember several thousand people (mainly haemopheliacs) in the early-mid 1980s caught HIV from blood transfusions. It doesnt happen anymore; why do you think that is? :) However I am not 100% sure whether the plasma is "treated" to make it safer (thereby preventing future unknown infections from bypassing screening) or if screening is done then the plasma is rejected on the basis of viruses or drugs, I'd think the former



I just know that in Denmark you can't donate blood if you're on certain kinds of medication. A lot of medication is banned. For example mirtazapine and penicillin. I highly suspect methadone as well.

And besides. Even though they screen the blood for HIV, I seriously doubt that they accept blood from people with possible HIV anywhere :)
 
I just know that in Denmark you can't donate blood if you're on certain kinds of medication. A lot of medication is banned. For example mirtazapine and penicillin. I highly suspect methadone as well.

And besides. Even though they screen the blood for HIV, I seriously doubt that they accept blood from people with possible HIV anywhere :)

But that's just it, how do they know what drugs they have taken or what diseases (HIV or otherwise) they have? By questionaire, or by testing? Because in the USA, I seem to remember they just take a pint (~500mL) of blood, then pay you. So they cant really test it can they?
 
^You're right I donate all the time. Approx. a pint of blood is taken from your arm at a time and the plasma is filtered from the blood through a cell separator. The plasma is then drained into a separate container and the erythrocytes (red blood cells) are returned to your body. Up to 880mg of plasma is taken depending on your weight. You are paid no matter what. They cannot test everyone every time they donate and therefore they do not assume that anyone is medication free.

It does seem to me that a significant amount of methadone may be removed from your body because you are donating plasma. It seems that when they say you need to build up your plasma levels to get the full effects they mean just that. Therefore, plasma donation could put you closer to where you may have been a while ago.
 
Thanks for the replies. I thought it was interesting that I asked the nurse who was dosing me at my methadone clinic if donating plasma or blood would cause me tolose some of the methadone in my system, and she replied she didnt think it would. She thought it would be just fine to donate plasma. However, she didnt seem to have any real knowledge on the subject and seemed to be talking out of her ass. I need to see the doctor tomorrow at my clinic to raise my dose and I think that would be an appropriate time to maybe ask him about the plasma donating. As for the above posters, no as far as I know, Ive donated plasma hundreds of times 3 or 4 years ago, and they never once did a drug screen. They test for HIV and things like that, but not drugs. At least here in the southwest USA. If they did, they would lose probably 90% of their donors. I have heard many many people in the waiting room talk about how they couldnt wait to finish donating so they could go buy some crack, or some sherm sticks, or some weed, or some tar etc. Its very obvious that the majority of the people there are drug abusers. I was one of them. They do not test for drugs. And by the way, someone above said "from an IV drug user no less!". Ive never used drugs IV. I snort/smoke 1.5-2g of good tar a day. Not trying to brag or dicksize, just saying thats why I had a high tolerance and Im on MMT. So anyways, it seems nobody really has any insight on whether methadone is concentrated in the plasma, and would be lost in a plasma donation? I saw the above poster thought it would, but I was wondering if anyone else with more medical and physiological knowledge thanb me could shed some light on this. Otherwise, Ill hold off on donating plasma and hope that the doctor at my clinic would have some knowledge on whether or not its ok to donate plasma when on MMT
 
I've donated blood several times and told them I was on hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma. They said that was not a problem and I was allowed to donate. Plasma could be a very different thing though.
 
I've donated blood several times and told them I was on hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma. They said that was not a problem and I was allowed to donate. Plasma could be a very different thing though.

If you're on high-doses the receiver's gonna be happy! ;)
 
Sorry, it seems I was completely wrong. I only have knowledge about my neck of the woods, and apparently it's completely different in the US :)
 
The doctor at the clinic seemed to not have any clue as to whether I would lose my methadone rom my system if I donated plasma. He kinda gave me a long rambling runaround answer about plasma donation centers and their purpose and making sure they were a clean healthy facility and blah blah blah. He never answered my question whether or not I would lose part of my methadone dose by giving plasma. I went down to the plasma place yesterday to find out how much exactly they are paying these days, and exactly which documents I would need to bring as a new donor to get started. However, I am not going to donate my plasma until I can find out if it will affect my methadone maintanance. My dose isnt holding me as it is, I cant afford to lose any of it by giving plasma. But I sure could use the $40
 
If you are honest about the medication and what it is for I cannot see you making it past the initial screening phase. It doesnt seem like it would even be worth it to them to have someone who was addicted to opioids which are OFTEN IV'd (even if you deny it.)
 
On a bodybuilding forum (where they're really anti-rec.drug hard asses) I mentioned donating blood whilst on methadone and they flamed me so much for simply asking the question they made me feel like a right asshole. This is why I love BL so much. You guys are far from judgemental.
 
If you are honest about the medication and what it is for I cannot see you making it past the initial screening phase. It doesnt seem like it would even be worth it to them to have someone who was addicted to opioids which are OFTEN IV'd (even if you deny it.)

I've donated blood many times, being open and honest about what I take (I certainly wouldn't want to put someone at risk with my blood. That would defeat the whole purpose of donating my blood to help save lives). When they ask if I am an IV drug user, I say no. They let me donate every few months.
 
If you need realtime responses then a forum isnt the place. You cannot expect to post a question and have an answer in less than 2 hours... it's not MSN chat. Bumping threads is not something done in OD, so don't do in future, thanks :)
I think he could sell the plasma as if they pay you on the spot, then how can they tell what drugs are in the plasma.





Donated plasma isnt taken directly to a hospital for implementation you know. They screen the plasma as you may remember several thousand people (mainly haemopheliacs) in the early-mid 1980s caught HIV from blood transfusions. It doesnt happen anymore; why do you think that is? :) However I am not 100% sure whether the plasma is "treated" to make it safer (thereby preventing future unknown infections from bypassing screening) or if screening is done then the plasma is rejected on the basis of viruses or drugs, I'd think the former

They don't let gays donate or IV drug users. Its just too much of a risk.
 
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