donating plasma for extra money?

[bk4sky]

has anyone around here done anything like this? i just thought of this! where i live they have plasma centers where they pay you to donate, i think you have to go like 2-3 times a week, but you make an extra 200 a month. i was thinking about giving it a try.

[Flamingo]

Unfortunately, there is a time limit between blood donations because I don't believe the human body can replenish three pints of blood every week to keep one donating on the schedule you mention....but a medical degree I do not have...donating blood is done by a lot of college age students for extra funds and also donating sperm by college age males (usually those in medical school) to help pay costs. Even college age females have been donating eggs (becoming very popular) to help pay for school costs and get paid quite a bit for doing that but they have to go through hormonal treatment and other issues so cannot donate very often. While both are helpful things to do I don't think one can pay the bills or survive on the low payment received for either donation.

[erinb1975]

There is a difference between donating blood and donating plasma. You can donate plasma more frequently, because your blood is taken out of your body, the plasma is filtered out, and the red blood cells are infused back into your body. Your body can replenish plasma quicker than red blood cells.

You can get paid for plasma donation, but blood donation is strictly voluntary and you are not paid for it (but a great thing to do).

Not sure how much you get paid for plasma (used to be $20 dollars), but probably not something you could count on for a large sum of money.

[bk4sky]

yeah i had friends who have done it, and they pay you for the plasma, not the blood. i wasnt going to do it as a permanent thing, it was just a thought for a few extra bucks in my pocket right now.

[BKOnce]

Sell blood, buy food to eat/survive.

[lrprn]

Once within 48 hours and no more than two times a week is the absolute maximum number of times you are allowed to donate plasma - that's set by FDA regulations. How much you get paid and when depends on the blood center. Call ahead or visit to find out the specifics at the center nearest you.

First visit may take up to two hours, then after that the time is shorter (typically an hour). During that time, your collected whole blood is 'spun down', the plasma (the liquid part of the blood that carries your red blood cells) is collected and all of your red blood cells are returned to you. That's why you can donate plasma so often. When you donate whole blood - plasma plus red blood cells that are not returned - you need to wait six weeks to donate again so your body can replenish the red blood cells. Donated plasma is replenished within two days.

I'm a critical care nurse - the plasma you give not only can help you financially, it helps patients who need plasma tremendously and can save a life!

[arkienurse]

I'm a critical care nurse - the plasma you give not only can help you financially, it helps patients who need plasma tremendously and can save a life!

I work in cardiovascular surgery, and I second this. Although we salvage the blood lost during our surgeries, wash it and give it back to the patient, the plasma and platelets do not get saved and regiven. So for every so much of the patient's own cells they get back, we give donated plasma and platelets.

And I just learned you can give platelets on the times in between giving blood, so I plan to do that the next time I catch the platelet collection van at Walmart.


Please give, even if they don't pay you for it. It will do your soul good if nothing else.

[BigJohn]

I tried donating plasma once, but the night before, a person offered me a beer so I dranked it. That disqualified me.

When the big Tasumi hit back in what was it Dec. 26, 2004, I donated blood. I was over there when it happened. Blood was in high demand. When I showed up at the Red Cross so did a filming crew. I got on TV for that. If you think we have it bad, those people really had it bad. What surrised me was how much the USA censored the pictured coming out of that area.

[Bandit]

I would rather donate blood than plasma. I used to donate blood every 6 weeks & never took a dime for it. I gave plasma once & will never do that again. It was like being on a torture machine of being mummyfied & was very painful circulating & putting blood back into you but keeping the plasma...Never again will I do that. All of the other people doing it were also not enjoying it & were complaining. I took the money that time.

They can take my blood then figure out how to get the plasma that way but they are not going to circulate it like that.

I would not count on doing that as a paycheck but I will bet you a lof of people do it for the money & you get extra if you can deal with just the plasma.

[Bandit]

Sell blood, buy food to eat/survive.

I vant tasuck yablood

or we could just drink blood like vampires do for nourishment.

[Bandit]

I'm a critical care nurse - the plasma you give not only can help you financially, it helps patients who need plasma tremendously and can save a life!

Are you a nice nurse or are you a mean nurse?

[Stilltheone]

Are you a nice nurse or are you a mean nurse?

Isn't there a "Rolling eyes" emoticon somewhere on here? LOL

[lrprn]

Are you a nice nurse or are you a mean nurse?

A nice nurse, of course!! (wink! )

[AngelinaCatHub]

Gives a whole new meaning of "you can't get blood from a stoned".

[rickisbroke]

I have been considering this myself...however, I haven't heard it's the most pleasant experience, and I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to needles.
How is the actual process...worth the pain/discomfort vs. working part time at Taco Bell?
I like the idea of it because the time/pay ratio is actually better than a part-time second job for me, but not sure I could stand doing it. Donating plasma, pain in the arm...second job, pain in the ass!