Medications That May Delay Your Donation

Medications That May Delay Your Donation

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Certain medications may delay your ability to donate blood. If you are taking any medication, even if it is not listed here, please call the MSK Blood Donor Room at 212-639-7648 or email [email protected] to determine your eligibility. Please tell us if you: 

are being treated with the following types of medications…. or have taken… which is also called… anytime in the last….
Anti-platelet agents (1)
Usually taken to prevent stroke or heart attack
Feldene piroxicam 2 days
  Effient prasugrel 3 days
  Brilinta ticagrelor 7 days
  Plavix clopidogrel 14 days
  Ticlid ticlopidine 14 days
  Zontivity vorapaxar 1 month
Anticoagulants or “blood thinners” (2)
Usually to prevent blood clots in the legs and lungs and to prevent stroke
Xarelto rivaroxaban 2 days
  Lovenox enoxaparin 2 days
  Pradaxa dabigatran 2 days
  Eliquis apixaban 2 days  
  Savaysa edoxaban 2 days
  Fragmin dalteparin 2 days
  Arixtra fondaparinux 2 days
  Coumadin Warfilone Jantoven warfarin 7 days
  Heparin, low molecular weight heparin (unless listed separately) heparin 7 days
Acne treatment (3) Accutane isotretinoin 1 month
  Amnesteem isotretinoin 1 month
  Absorica isotretinoin 1 month
  Claravis isotretinoin 1 month
  Myorisan isotretinoin 1 month
  Sotret isotretinoin 1 month
  Zenatane isotretinoin 1 month
Multiple myeloma Thalomid thalidomide 1 month
Rheumatoid arthritis Rinvoq upadacitinib 1 month
Hair loss remedy (3) Propecia finasteride 1 month
Prostate symptoms (3) Proscar finasteride 1 month
  Avodart dutasteride 6 months
  Jalyn dutasteride 6 months
HIV Prevention (PrEP and PEP) Truvada tenofovir 3 months
  Descovy emtricitabine 3 months
  Tivicay dolutegravir 3 months
  Isentress raltegravir 3 months
  Apretude-injectable HIV prevention cabotegravir 2 years
Basal cell skin cancer (4) Erivedge vismodegib 7 months
  Odomzo sonidegib 24 months
Relapsing multiple sclerosis (4) Aubagio teriflunomide 2 years
Psoriasis (3) Soriatane acitretin 36 months
  Tegison etretinate Ever
HIV treatment also known as antiretroviral therapy (ART)     Ever
Hepatitis exposure (5) Hepatitis B Immune Globulin HBIG 12 months
Multiple myeloma Thalomid Thalidomide 1 month
Immunosuppressant

Cellcept

mycophenolate mofetil 6 weeks
Rheumatoid arthritis Arava leflunomide 24 months

DO NOT discontinue medications prescribed or recommended by your physicians in order to donate blood.

Some medications affect your eligibility as a blood donor, for the following reasons:

  1. Anti-platelet agents affect platelet function, so people taking these drugs should not donate platelets for the indicated time; however, you may still be able to donate whole blood.
  2. Anticoagulants or “blood thinners” are used to treat or prevent blood clots in the legs, lungs, or other parts of the body, and to prevent strokes. These medications affect the blood’s ability to clot, which might cause excessive bruising or bleeding when you donate.
  3. Isotretinoin, finasteride, dutasteride acitretin, and etretinate can cause birth defects. Your donated blood could contain high enough levels to damage the unborn baby if transfused to a pregnant woman. Once the medication has been cleared from your blood, you may donate again.
  4. Thalomid (thalidomide), Erivedge (vismodegib), Odomzo (sonidegib), Aubagio (teriflunomide) and Rinvoq (upadacitinib) may cause birth defects or the death of an unborn baby if transfused to a pregnant woman.
  5. Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil) and Arava (leflunomide) are immunosuppressants which may cause birth defects or the death of an unborn baby if transfused to a pregnant woman.
  6. PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis involves taking a specific combination of medicines as a prevention method for people who are HIV negative and at high risk for HIV infection.
  7. PEP or post exposure prophylaxis is a short-term treatment started as soon as possible after a high-risk exposure to HIV to reduce the risk of infection.
  8. ART or antiretroviral therapy is the daily use of a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV regimen) to treat infection.
  9. Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBIG) is an injected material used to prevent hepatitis B infection following a possible or known exposure to hepatitis B. HBIG does not prevent hepatitis B infection in every case, therefore, persons who have received HBIG must wait to donate blood.

Experimental Medication or Unlicensed (Experimental) Vaccine is usually associated with a research study, and the effect on the safety of transfused blood is unknown.