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 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 | |
| Revlimid | lenalidomide | 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 | 24 months | ||
| Basal cell skin cancer (4) | Erivedge | vismodegib | 24 months | |
| Odomzo | sonidegib | 24 months | ||
| Relapsing multiple sclerosis (4) | Aubagio | teriflunomide | 24 months | |
| 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 | 3 months | |
| Multiple myeloma | Thalomid | Thalidomide | 1 month | |
| Immunosuppressant | Cellcept | mycophenolate mofetil | 6 weeks | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Arava | leflunomide | 24 months | |
| Testosterone Replacement Therapy | Testosterone | Depo-Testosterone | deferred from platelet donation |
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:
Antiplatelet agents affect platelet function, so people taking these drugs should not donate platelets for the indicated time. You may still be able to donate whole blood or red blood cells by apheresis.
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. You may still be able to donate whole blood or red blood cells by apheresis.
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.
Thalomid (thalidomide), Revlimid (lenalidomide), 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.
Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil) and Arava (leflunomide) are immunosuppressants that may cause birth defects or the death of an unborn baby if transfused to a pregnant woman.
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 of HIV infection. FDA has determined that the available data demonstrate that the use of PrEP or PEP may delay the detection of HIV by currently licensed screening tests for blood donations, potentially resulting in false negative results in infected individuals. Although “Undetectable=Untransmittable” for sexual transmission, this doe not apply to transfusion transmission.
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. FDA has determined that the available data demonstrate that the use of PrEP or PEP may delay the detection of HIV by currently licensed screening tests for blood donations, potentially resulting in false negative results in infected individuals. Although “Undetectable=Untransmittable” for sexual transmission, this does not apply to transfusion transmission.
ART or antiretroviral therapy is the daily use of a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV regimen) to treat HIV infection. Antiretroviral drugs do not fully eliminate the virus from the body, and donated blood from individuals infected with HIV taking ART can potentially still transmit HIV to a transfusion recipient. Although “Undetectable=Untransmittable” for sexual transmission, this does not apply to transfusion transmission.
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.
Testosterone Therapy is used to treat low testosterone levels in males and other conditions, including delayed puberty in males, gender dysphoria and breast cancer. This can result in high levels of testosterone in blood plasma. When whole blood is donated, only the red blood cells can be transfused, the plasma portion is separated and discarded. Platelets obtained by apheresis are suspended in plasma so cannot be used for transfusion.
Experimental medication or unlicensed (experimental) vaccine is usually associated with a research study, and the effect on the safety of transfused blood is unknown.