Can we who are on the spectrum donate bone marrow?

Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] 

sparrowblue
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 27 May 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 69
Location: UK

21 Nov 2015, 11:05 am

I am diagnosed with relatively mild ASD. I donated blood for the first time a few days ago, having been glad to find out that this does not exclude me for doing that.

I'd also like to add myself to the bone marrow/stem cell donor register, but I'm unsure if I would be able to with autism. I've read that "neurological conditions" exclude one from donating, but does that include ASD?

Thanks for any input, I appreciate it. :) When I tried to search this up earlier, all I could find were articles on stem cell therapy used in people with severe autism; nothing about donation.



Fnord
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 May 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 60,939
Location:      

21 Nov 2015, 11:41 am

I'm registered in the bone marrow donor database. They seemed concerned only with what meds I was on and whether or not I had any infectious diseases.



DailyPoutine1
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Mar 2015
Age: 24
Posts: 2,278
Location: Province of Québec, Canada

21 Nov 2015, 11:48 am

Yeah its not like we have HIV or something!



sparrowblue
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 27 May 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 69
Location: UK

21 Nov 2015, 1:59 pm

Thank you both for your replies. It didn't seem likely to me that it would be a reason for exclusion either, but I read that other conditions which also are not infectious, so far as we know (such as schizophrenia) are a reason for exclusion, but I guess that's because of the worry that a patient in psychosis might not be able to give their full informed consent(?)
Anyway, thank you; I'm more confident now that I'll be able to register. :)



DailyPoutine1
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Mar 2015
Age: 24
Posts: 2,278
Location: Province of Québec, Canada

21 Nov 2015, 2:02 pm

sparrowblue wrote:
Thank you both for your replies. It didn't seem likely to me that it would be a reason for exclusion either, but I read that other conditions which also are not infectious, so far as we know (such as schizophrenia) are a reason for exclusion, but I guess that's because of the worry that a patient in psychosis might not be able to give their full informed consent(?)
Anyway, thank you; I'm more confident now that I'll be able to register. :)


Its because the medication for schizophrenics contains lithium, a strong addictive that would be noxious to people who aren't schizophrenics.



skibum
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Age: 58
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,494
Location: my own little world

21 Nov 2015, 2:26 pm

There should be no reason at all why Autistic people can't be donors. I have donated blood. I am sure that thousands of non diagnosed or non identified Aspies have donated with no problem. Autism does not contaminate blood or marrow. Not as far as we know anyway. And as far as we know it does not alter your blood type in any way. So there should be no reason why we can't be donors. I have never donated marrow but I heard once that it can be a painful experience. I don't know if it is or not so that might be an issue for you but other than that if you are in good health and not taking certain medications I don't see a problem.


_________________
"I'm bad and that's good. I'll never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

Wreck It Ralph


Quill
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 20 Aug 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 764

21 Nov 2015, 2:53 pm

I don't think they would exclude you because of autism, although it may vary by location, so I can't say for sure. I think they can take bone marrow out of your blood most of the time now instead of having to do an invasive procedure. I thought about signing up myself, but they won't accept me because I have an autoimmune disease. I also can't donate blood in my state for the same reason.



skibum
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Jul 2013
Age: 58
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,494
Location: my own little world

21 Nov 2015, 3:00 pm

That is cool that they can do it without it being invasive now. It used to be this huge surgical ordeal in the past.


_________________
"I'm bad and that's good. I'll never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

Wreck It Ralph


izzeme
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Apr 2011
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,665

23 Nov 2015, 4:17 am

The biggest issue with donating is indeed any medication you might be on.
For bone marrow, some diseases might also be an issue (auto-immune ones are obvious), but neurological disorders do not preclude one from donating any bodypart they want, except for the before-mentioned medication