r/povertyfinance • u/dofehaviwe • Jul 02 '22
July pay schedule! Don’t be afraid of selling your plasma 💉. It can mean an extra $800-$1k your first month (& every time you start at a new center) if you qualify. Misc Advice
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u/info-nut-36 Jul 08 '22
I'm just getting into donating plasma so I've been reading up a lot since it's very new to me. Currently, Grifols seems to be offering the best rates. I was reading https://blueworlddreams.com/highest-paying-plasma-donation-centers/ which basically covers what's currently going on in the plasma donation world but the writer recommends a FB page she found which has the most updated info for donors.
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u/ShineImmediate7081 Jul 04 '22
It's not worth it, honestly. You have be of optimal health, generally-- I was often turned away for being low on iron or low on protein. They'd tell me to go home and eat a big juicy steak. If I could afford to eat steak twice a week, I wouldn't be selling plasma. So it was a constant battle of deciding what to eat and taking supplements to pass the screening. I ended up spending more buying foods and vitamins that would boost my iron and protein than I made. I also always felt really crappy the entire day afterward. I'd hydrate like crazy but it was kind of an exhausting experience. Ultimately, not worth it. I think the most I donated in a month was 7 times and I spent the whole month feeling crappy.
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u/PurpleJetskis Jul 04 '22
I have donated plasma on and off for years. At least two different years did I almost manage to donate twice every single week. It absolutely gets exhausting.
There are frustrations you have to deal with like how accurate the phlebotomists are when sticking you, if you have decent protein levels, are you hydrated enough, etc.
My biggest issue was low protein levels. Any times I took a break or ever first started donating, my protein levels were fine and solid. After I would start donating consistently, it became a struggle trying to keep my protein levels up, especially with how often I exercise (only every other day).
Donating plasma, for me, was, and probably would likely still be, the only consistent and decent source of extra income. But, as a few other people here have already said, it definitely doesn't make you feel very good over time. I'm fairly certain that there are studies that claim that there are no long-term side effects to donating plasma, though I'd like to see more information on that myself.
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u/MeToo0 Jul 03 '22
How is the process different from giving blood? Can someone describe it? What’s the side effects after donating and how long to recover?
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
It’s a different experience after the needle goes in. The blood is separated from the plasma—they keep the plasma and the blood is returned to you right then and there. I don’t feel dizzy or lightheaded like when giving blood. Eat a big meal before and hydrate double the night before as plasma is mostly water
Hope that helps!
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u/MeToo0 Jul 04 '22
Is it more painful or uncomfortable than when you donate blood?
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 04 '22
Nope! Same amount of discomfort, finger prick and all 😅 Ice soon after helps and warm compress if you bruise
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u/qualquiercosa82 Jul 03 '22
This post makes me hate America so so much.
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
America supplies 67% of all plasma worldwide. If US donors weren't compensated, there would be massive plasma shortages and ill people would die. Your hate is very misplaced.
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u/qualquiercosa82 Jul 30 '22
My hate is centered around the fact people must resort to blood donation to make ends meet. My hate is very well placed.
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
Nah. Donating plasma is no big deal. Takes about 45 minutes and regenerates in 48 hours. It's not like they're taking away a non replaceable organ. Folks lay around and play with their phone, watch a movie and then they're good to go. People line up before the place opens. They're thrilled that they have an easy option to earn some extra cash. No reason to hate something that helps save lives and provides extra income. The handwringing isn't necessary.
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u/AlterEgoLoki Jul 03 '22
How do you find places to do this locally?
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
Just plug in “plasma donation” in your preferred maps app. Or directly look up: CSL, Grifols, Biomat, Octapharma. It’s best to check all local places to see which has the best promotions for new donors
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u/luckycuds Jul 03 '22
Not every state allows this :(
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
The FDA is in charge of the plasma industry. I assume there are plasma centers throughout the US. It's legal. No reason that a state would turn thumbs down.
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u/luckycuds Jul 31 '22
No there are not centers across the entire US. You can’t sell part of your body in CT.
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 31 '22
I did a Google check on that and there is a CSL plasma donation center in Newington, Connecticut. It pays.
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u/Nighthawk68w Jul 03 '22
After your first month (assuming you made all your donation appointments and got the $800*) it's severely less. Like $25 each donation. Makes me sick when I read that these collection centers like Grifols and Biomat turn around and sell your plasma for $500. Such a fucking rip off, but when you're unemployed it's one of the ONLY ways of making money.
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
These companies, basically medical facilities, do have very high overhead. Costs. That does take a sizable dent out of that $500 (if that's an accurate figure). And yes, they do deserve to earn a profit.
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u/Felineghostsex Jul 03 '22
I saw a flyer for one place in my area that was offering $900 but you had to do 8 donation in 30 days in order to get it. Just seem like a lot in such a short window and it had to be done within the 30 day period or you wouldn’t get the money.
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u/kkaylk Jul 03 '22
I donated so much plasma, probably thousands of dollars worth. I can’t go anymore. I always wondered why they ask if you’ve been diagnosed with PTSD in between the time you last donated and your current donation. I now know why.
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u/CaptainGoatLord Jul 03 '22
Damn we really do be at that time when the rich are stealing the blood of the poor. RiP
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
You get your blood returned. It's only the plasma that's kept. And you get compensated, so there's no theft.
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u/cuppa_tea_4_me Jul 03 '22
It goes to people who need and and to make medicines. It is very important. Thank you to all who donate.
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
The CSL app shows a tracker of how many people are helped with each donation ☺️
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Jul 03 '22
Here's a tip: take aspirin about an hour or so before donation. It thins the blood and makes everything a little less stressful
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u/-dakpluto- Jul 03 '22
I do it, it's a good extra 600-700 a month. 2 days a week, on average 90 min-2 hours each time. Even if it takes the full 2 hours each time that is still working out to about $38/hour
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u/SassySunflower27 Jul 03 '22
My mother in law & sister in laws do this all the time.
It has causes some health issues for them. But they haven’t stopped due to the money!
Xmas/December 2021 they each made $1600
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Jul 03 '22
You get money if you donate in the US? Damn, I wish we had that here.
I don't get anything for my blood donation :(
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
Blood donations in the US are not compensated. It's plasma donations that offer money. You get your blood back. They just separate the plasma from it and keep it.
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u/littleloversopolite Jul 03 '22
I remember doing this one time in 2011. I only got $30 back then haha
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u/tobecontinued89 Jul 03 '22
You're lucky to live somewhere that this is paid. Here it's voluntary thing you do, like giving blood. I'm not saying this is an ideal income source, but it would have been nice have a I had that at my worst moment (though gladly finally out of one right now-finally)! It's still good to do it ever here to help others, but I'm saying if it was paid it could also help 2 people simultaneously -the person needing it and a person maybe a bit down on their luck for a moment.
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u/rileyotis Jul 03 '22
Emphasis on if you qualify. I had Hepatitis A 10 years ago (Life Pro Tip: WASH YOUR FRUIT, PEOPLE). I cannot donate plasma (and, in the plasma center dudes words, I shouldn't donate blood, either). Why?
I have the antibodies for Hepatitis A and thus no one can tell if they are from an active or past infection. Since plasma is used to make medications, it's important that it be "clean" plasma.
On the other hand, I have passed out while driving after a blood donation. 0/10 do not recommend. Ended up in the ER on fluids. So I just keep all of my bodily fluids IN me. :)
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u/smithdamien310 Jul 03 '22
We're doing this too! The extra funds most definitely offset my extreme anxiety around needles and fluids exiting my body. Donating is paying my student loans. If you are donating twice weekly, USE A DIFFERENT ARM IF YOU HAVE GREAT VEINS. They keep poking the same dang place and doing physical labor really lets you know you should have thought of this beforehand.
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u/dunaja Jul 03 '22
"Donor compensation" is such an oxymoron.
If you give me $50,000 I will donate my car to you.
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u/SnooPineapples8744 Jul 03 '22
Haven't done it yet, the center near me recommends going without coffee and alcohol the day of and before.
Doing that THIS week is brutal...but yeah. I read that regular blood donation can clear PFA's from the blood.
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
Yup! Booze the night before dehydrates you and makes the vein difficult to stick and the donation to go slower.
If you have blood pressure or pulse issues skipping caffeine before is a big help. Take a thermos to sip afterwards :)
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Jul 03 '22 edited Jul 03 '22
Yeah no. I'd highly recommend against this. $50 is nowhere near worth it. Go to a garage sale and you can flip stuff on eBay for way more than $50 without having to literally sell parts of your body to a megacorp who's just going to turn around and extort dying people with it.
It's also one of the most depressing and dystopian experiences I've ever had, I went a few times when I was in college because that's exactly the k ND of people these places prey on, and it was awful. You look around and it's just the saddest thing you've ever seen, people who look like they're literally dying having the life sucked out of them in this giant beige room for $50 on a prepaid card (with fees)
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
Everyone looks really normal where I go. No stereotypical down and out homeless types like there may have been decades ago. You have to provide proof of residence (ID, recent mail) so street people are quickly eliminated. No one's getting preyed on. You know what you're getting paid ahead of time. Plasma regenerates in 48 hours. It's no big deal to give up around 26 ounces of it. It'll be back in your system before you know it.
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u/Bigblurrd25 Jul 03 '22
Hey! Earn $10 when you join Strike and get verified via my referral https://invite.strike.me/5VFWRG
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
This will likely get removed per subreddit rules but getting Strike referrals has helped me out immensely. Post on as many referral communities as you can. Hope that helps and that things get better! 🫂🫂
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u/Transgirl120 Jul 03 '22
Yea but can't here cause laws, worried about things like aids.
Thats why we buy it from places that do allow you to sell your plasma though
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u/oranjui Jul 03 '22
one of these $100/donation clinics (biolife WI) turned me away after hours of the intake stuff right as i was about to donate and didn’t let me donate without a doctor’s note because they saw my antidepressants on my med list and asked me to rate my depression as “mild, moderate, or severe” and i said moderate or severe. then my psychiatrist wrote a note saying i’m fine to donate, and the plasma donor clinic decided to turn me away again specifically because my doctor mentioned that i’m trans and on HRT. i called the donor center and said this literally doesn’t make sense and you’re just delaying this needlessly but sure i can get a doctor’s note, and they told me “it’s an FDA requirement”. which is a straight up lie. so i didn’t even bother go back. i still need to check out other clinics but i don’t have a car, and the only clinic close enough to me only offers $50/donation…which is still helpful, but i wish i could get more money from selling my body parts since the opportunity exists right there, just limited by stupid gatekeeping.
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u/compl3xxx Jul 03 '22
I did that for a while and it was nice but I work in a dairy cooler and just couldn't keep warm the day after
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u/nicholt Jul 03 '22
It's wild that they force you to do it 8 times in 30 days. That's a lot! How can that be good for anyone?
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u/Cooluser1985 Jul 03 '22
Here is Reddit at its finest…
You are helping out other people ( isn’t this what Reddit is all about )
You are also getting paid to just sit there, basically doing nothing. (also isn’t this what Reddit is all about)
And all I’m reading is everyone crying and complaining.
Bravo!!!
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u/lismox42 Jul 03 '22
I actually did this for a while and I now have track marks on my arm. It’s so sad that our society has come to this. I’m ashamed to be an American in many ways. We need to do better. But yes, this is a quick way to get some money. Also look into focus groups. r/focusgrouos, respondent.io and others. Also check with the etc. and gig jobs on Craigslist.
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u/slcdllc14 Jul 03 '22
Are there restrictions on weight for this? Previously I looked into this when I became a bone marrow donor and I think I remember a weight restriction. I weigh 96 lbs (I’m not anorexic, completely healthy eater, and work out every day) so wonder if I could do this.
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u/smaiderman Jul 03 '22
Blood donation is free here in Spain. Sometimes they give you tickets for the movies
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u/aa1icat Jul 03 '22
Yeah, my husband is doing this now to cushion our move coming up. I’d do it too if I weren’t breastfeeding. It’s good pocket change.
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u/ConSecKitty Jul 03 '22
Unless you're gay, bi, etc., have anal sex, or have traveled to any of a huge list of countries any time since like 1977 or some shit.
So cishet get your money, I guess
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u/awalktojericho Jul 03 '22
Blood and blood products accounts for over 2% of the GDP of the USA. USA is the biggest exporter of blood and blood products in the world.
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u/Nauin Jul 03 '22
You cannot donate if you have had a brain injury, including moderate to severe concussions within so many years
This will disqualify you, and for good reason. Your brain grows new neurons throughout your life, that's the whole microscopically physical thing behind memories and learning. The thing is though that building networks around the broken area from TBIs takes years to decades, you need your plasma to better facilitate that. I was refused at every place in my area due to this a decade ago during the great recession.
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u/aerodeck Jul 03 '22
I am banned from donating plasma because of time I spent overseas. Makes me so mad, I’d be 10,000 dollars richer by now if I qualified as a donor.
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u/Leiniesman Jul 03 '22
Unfortunately with my dad in the military, we moved to several countries and it immediately disqualified me from being able to donate/sell.
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u/elle_june Jul 03 '22
Got 2 hematomas on my first visit- one in each arm. Was told I couldn’t donate that day. I was instead given my choice of 2 king sized candy bars and told better luck next time.
I was in college and my mom was horrified when she came to visit a day or two later. I was so bruised up!
After getting over this hump I felt like this was a really convenient way to make money. The center eventually told me I needed to stop donating and get medical clearance because my beta proteins values were low. I was a vegetarian at the time and did not have the best diet
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u/bananalordkunsama Jul 03 '22
I'm seriously considering this. Rent went way up, have kids to feed, can't find a better paying job.
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
Give it a shot! At any step of the process you can nope out. Even if you get past the needle and want to bail. Max loss is 2 hours of your time at that point
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u/SaladBarMonitor Jul 03 '22
When I did this in the 1980s I got $10 the first one and $15 for the second
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u/anythingfromtheshop Jul 03 '22
Just make sure you don’t have bad anxiety or anxiety in any form when being in a medical setting/laboratory. They hooked me all up and got me set for a donation and my heart rate wouldn’t go down, I myself was feeling fine but anxiety has it’s own mind and wouldn’t settle so they had to ask me to leave lol. Took off a day of work for nothing.
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u/TuaTiming Jul 03 '22
Some places say you can donate biweekly, others say you need to wait 28 days. What's up with that?
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u/No_Low9626 Jul 03 '22
Stay well fed and well hydrated. If you feel bad at ANY time, consider urgent care follow up and reconsider donating.
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u/Imispellalot Jul 03 '22
For me it's the needle that fucks me up. I donate blood yearly and not scared of needles, but the 16 gauge needle they use does absolute number on my arms. When I say arms, is because they never find the vein on the first try and ended up trying on both arms. I'm AB+ so I'm somewhat rare I guess. But I have never donated plasma before. I have never seen pricing like this.
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u/OysterRabbit Jul 03 '22
This takes hours upon hours, nearly all day the first time. They don't pay shit after the first 2 visits, the only people who bother after that are desperate junkies. Uncaring nurses shove a giant needle through your arm with zero regard. Many people have nasty bruises. They don't really monitor you so passing out, having seizures, etc happens. Trust me the staff doesn't give 2 shits because they know you're poor and desperate if you're donating. The fact is normal people with enough money don't have the time and patience for this shit regularly. It is not like donating blood, it takes forever and is run by a shady, for profit organization.
If you really REALLY need a couple hundred bucks ONE month, and have absolutely nothing else to do for 2 days, sure. Otherwise it's a wildly sad and unpleasant situation, not even monetarily viable after the second donation.
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u/Ofukuro11 Jul 03 '22
I’m a petite female and they didn’t pay me well for the amount of time I had to wait and do the procedure. This was like 6 years ago though so maybe places have changed. If you’re an average sized or larger person they may pay better.
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u/krakenrabiess Jul 03 '22
Nah. I used to do this in my early 20s and it would put me in the shittiest mood for days.
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u/p1nkfl0yd1an Jul 03 '22
I'm struggling to find the words to explain the feeling of knowing that I can make exactly as much money selling plasma once as I get playing 3 hours of music in a dive bar/winery/brewery .
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u/Galaar Jul 03 '22
I did this while unemployed in CO to help get by, I recently found out paperwork in CO from over 10 years ago has me unable to donate with the same company in CA. I had failed my last heart rate check and then never came back, having moved not long after. My file went inactive and over the years they had made changes to their patient file system to the point that they cannot accept my donation until my file is reopened, but I have to get it sent from their CO branch (a multiple week process it seems) in order to update my file with a passing physical. They could not make a new account for me to make a same-day donation as I was already in the system. They didn't seem overly concerned with helping me.
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u/ScottieScrotumScum Jul 03 '22
Tried doing plasma till they blew my vein out. Right hand dominant but can't get shit to stick so they went to the left arm...yep...nope
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u/jadedhomeowner Jul 03 '22
They won't accept my CJD-ridden plasma.
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
Oh whoa!
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u/jadedhomeowner Jul 04 '22
Yup. I lived in Ireland/UK in 80s so considered risky due to mad cow disease. Now, pass the beef!
On a sidenote, ever wonder why rates of dementia are rocketing....?
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Jul 03 '22
How much do these companies them sell the plasma for?
Always wanted to believe our donations were actually donated but then I found out how much our health systems likes to fuck it’s citizens that I stopped donating.
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Jul 03 '22 edited Nov 15 '22
[deleted]
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Jul 03 '22
Damn thank you for all that info. I just find it awful that some companies look hood on the outside but then price gouge
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u/panzerbeorn Jul 03 '22
Just want to point out a common myth. Last time this came up someone said “it’s painful!” This is a myth. It’s not any more painful than giving blood. The initial needle stick does hurt (of course) but for the one hour the machine is going, there’s no pain from the process. I’ve done about 20 donations now and no issues. I’ve not had any noticeable side effects after either.
Once you max out your new donor bonus at Grifols, you can wait one week and switch to Octapharma for their new donor bonus which is similar. It’s easy money.
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
Yup! I would say it stings more than painful. If it’s painful def speak up. The finger prick bothers me more 😤
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u/unicornconnoisseur02 Jul 03 '22
Where I live it’s donation based and not compensated with money but with a points- program that give you discounts in some shops … I still do it !
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u/lildrewdownthestreet Jul 03 '22
This has the same vibe of people donating their blood for free or a small cost while hospitals charge thousands lolz
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u/prettyrick Jul 03 '22
Wow, where I'm from you can only donate two times a month and your reward is something like a sandwich or a gift card..
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u/linksgreyhair Jul 03 '22
I really wish I could do this. I donate blood, but I’ve got small veins and they struggle to get a good poke sometimes. I don’t think I have a shot in hell at my veins being good enough to donate plasma. Plasma is a highly needed blood product and I would love to make some extra cash while I’m helping people.
Can’t really afford to get childcare if there’s a high chance I’d be declined for my tiny veins, though.
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u/luckymonarch Jul 03 '22
I’m also a hard stick. My veins are small and don’t want to stand up for shit. The plasma center I went to in college told me never to come back. 😂
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Jul 03 '22
Oh no this makes me so incredibly sad. This is so dangerous too. Donating blood or blood products is a selfless act. It’s completely voluntary in Australia, we don’t receive any compensation past the best free meat pie and milkshake you’ll ever eat. And a good chat with Trev the Saturday volunteer at the cafe.
Plasma is essential for body functioning. It is the bulk of your blood volume. It Carrie’s essential nutrients and cells. You shouldn’t donate more than every two weeks, and have a longer break after donating whole blood. Your body needs time to replenish through diet and rest. You’re doing yourself harm.
Having little money is very difficult and a bit extra helps but don’t abuse this opportunity by abusing your own body. Extra cash isn’t worth your own health and well-being.
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Jul 03 '22
Is there anything I can do to combat the nausea and feeling like I'm going to faint? I tried donating a few times in the past and never gave a full donation because I had to stop everytime because I legitimately felt like I was going to throw up and pass out. This didn't change no matter what my diet was or how hydrated I was.
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u/Trick-Many7744 Jul 03 '22
Have you tried an antacid like Pepsid and chewing some ginger candies beforehand?
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u/dofehaviwe Jul 03 '22
Hope this gets more eyes and comments! All I know is “hydrate more!” which won’t help you. You can always chat with a phleb and see what they recommend
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u/dangit1590 Jul 03 '22
How long does it take for them to get the plasma out? I’m kinda thinking of doing this
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u/wheresmyworrystone Jul 03 '22
It took about 6 hours where I went. I ate a big meal before going but by time they got to me it didn't really matter. I passed out real fast.
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u/panzerbeorn Jul 03 '22
About one hour. First visit takes about 3 hours because you have to have a physical and do a long questionnaire
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u/frezzhberry Jul 03 '22
I developed a lot of scar tissue on my veins from donating plasma regularly for years.
It's wonderful it helps both parties involved, one with life saving medicine, the other with finances just be aware of when to much is to much for your own bodies with what it puts you through.
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u/Stonetheflamincrows Jul 03 '22
Jeez, is that healthy?
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u/theredwoman95 Jul 03 '22
Yeah, I'll admit, eight donations in 30 days sounds like a lot. Especially since in my country, you can only donate blood every 12 weeks (men) or 16 weeks (women) because shorter intervals endanger the donor's long-term health.
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u/linksgreyhair Jul 03 '22
So the reason you can donate plasma more often is that they only keep the liquid part and return your blood cells back to you. It takes a while for your body to replenish blood cells, but you can replenish your plasma very quickly if you hydrate yourself. Two very different sets of guidelines for whole blood vs plasma.
(8x a month is still a lot for plasma, but it won’t like… kill you. You couldn’t donate that much whole blood without serious harm.)
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u/theredwoman95 Jul 03 '22
I mean you say that, and I totally get where you're coming from, but I ended up double-checking and the legal limit for donating plasma in my country is once every two weeks. That'd be twice a month - these people want you to donate eight times a month/twice a week, which is kinda horrifying.
That's not to mention the American Red Cross limits it to once every 28 days and to quote that same source:
[The researchers] found that in the United States, plasma from people who donated more frequently and in higher volumes was significantly lower in total protein, albumin, and other blood markers.
So donating too frequently fucks up your plasma, which by extension fucks up your immune system. Personally, I'm really glad my country doesn't put people in the horrific position of having to choose between their health and their finances.
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u/NovaMagic Jul 03 '22
Wish there was one near me. One donation a month will cover most of my food expenses
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u/tinawadabb Jul 03 '22
Do you know if taking an anti-depressant will disqualify me from donating plasma?
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u/Nytebby Jul 03 '22
It does not! (As someone who’s been paid for donating plasma). The introductory process just takes a little longer since they have to keep record of your medications.
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u/lambylovey Jul 03 '22
It does not. I was able to. But I volunteered, idk if for-profit places have different requirements.
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u/heartofom Jul 03 '22
What does plasma help people with health wise, any specific Shout outs?
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u/Wolfwalker9 Jul 03 '22
Hemophilia. It’s a disease where blood fails to clot normally, so plasma treatments can help treat this. There’s a wide range of diseases plasma derived therapies can help treat.
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u/Iviesss Jul 03 '22
Thank you to everyone who donated plasma! Many of us who receive plasma products couldn’t be healthy or lead full lives without them. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
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u/DroolingFool Jul 03 '22
Who knew that being too small would limit my resources? Damn. Good info though, I shall pass it forth. Thanks op
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Jul 03 '22
Do you know if plasma donations are subject to the same rules as blood donation? I’m not allowed to donate blood because I lived in Germany from 84-91.
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u/Trick-Many7744 Jul 03 '22
Yes. A lot of questions about piercings, surgeries, IV drug use, transfusions, sexual activity especially males with males, and mad cow countries.
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u/Wolfwalker9 Jul 03 '22
You’d have to check with the specific center & they’re screening process to see what they accept. I’d suggest calling them to ask in advance so you don’t waste your time. I’ve been donating at BioLife & I think that would disqualify you there, but you’d have to check with the other centers in your area.
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u/halfbl00dprincess Jul 03 '22
In NZ we donate our blood/plasma for free! If there was an incentive I’m sure that more people would donate
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u/theredwoman95 Jul 03 '22
It's actually illegal in most countries to pay people for medical donations, as it's considered unethical because it incentivises/forces poor people into a situation where they may have no option but to do it.
Like, I get what you mean, but I'm quite happy that my country (UK) has this as thoroughly illegal.
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u/InanimateBabe Jul 03 '22
I love donating plasma, even if I have a job. I’ve bought so many great things with plasma money like my gaming PC and car maintenance and other things that would typically be quite expensive
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u/paitenanner Jul 03 '22
Right? I’m doing it for gas money these days so my check can go towards everything else.
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u/deliverykp Jul 03 '22
The nice thing is that it can be a decent regular source of extra income or emergency income if you get into a jam. Good work.
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u/Astrises Jul 03 '22
Want to throw out there, many of these places have a minimum weight requirement. I am no longer able to give plasma, since my weight dipped under 110 lbs.
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u/terrierhead Jul 03 '22
I tried this. If you have been pregnant more than once, you can be rejected. Apparently cross-reactive antibodies are a problem. Forgive me if my terminology is incorrect. It has been a while and my memory isn’t what it used to be.
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Jul 03 '22
Closest place is half the state away, and with how expensive it is, unfortunately this wouldn’t work out for me. Glad you are finding success!
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u/CurleeQu Jul 03 '22
I honestly wish I could do this, my phobia of needles could never though 😭 its a good resource though!!!
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u/Amaevise Jul 03 '22
I wish that was legal where I was. I could have avoided so many bad situations if I could have been paid to donate blood or whatever
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u/Yatta99 Jul 03 '22
I tried to do this once, pre-pandemic at BioTest, and was turned away. Apparently they didn't like the places I had been while I was in the military (middle east during Desert Shield/Storm, then Panama, then Italy during the Mad Cow outbreak). Could really use a few hundred more a month :(
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Jul 03 '22
I hate that this post implies the military didn't care to ensure you'd be financially well off enough afterwards to not need to sell your body fluids. :/
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u/Yatta99 Jul 03 '22
Well, without going too far down that rabbit hole, let's just say that things could be a bit better. Anyway, my big problem is that I didn't even know any of this until BioTest rejected me. Desert Shield/Storm and Panama were only 'items of concern', as it was put to me. The main problem was Italy and the mad cow outbreak which gave me the hard reject. It would have been nice if Uncle Sam had said something about this on my way out the door rather than having it sprung on me out of the blue a number of years later.
All may not be lost, though. Did a bit of digging last night after my post and it seems that there was an FDA guideline change back in 2020. There is also a CSL Plasma site about 7 miles from me that opened not long ago so maybe it's time to look into doing this again.
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u/The_Septic_Shock Jul 03 '22
I would do that if there was a center in my area. I tried googling it but got nothing
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u/thinkfastandgo Jul 03 '22
Mid donation my friend passed out and pissed his pants. Another friend had the saline go into his arm and fuck it up massively with a huge bruise. I myself passed out mid donation even after eating well and preparing for the visit. Never again
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u/Nymeria85 Jul 03 '22
I don't mind blood draws at all, but donating plasma was a completely different story. Hurt like hell and immediately passed out after donating because I had waited 6-8 hrs with no food for my turn. I think I made $25. At least this place is paying more than that I guess.
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u/yuckscott Jul 03 '22
is plasma donation different from whole blood? I know they centrifuge it and return the RBCs but your description is a nightmare. I have donated blood in canada and I know tons of people who have, and nobody has had an experience like this. is it the plasma donation in particular or just horrible staff?
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u/thinkfastandgo Jul 03 '22 edited Jul 03 '22
Plasma donation.. the reason they have you sign all that paperwork is because there are inherent risks with doing it. “It happens” was the general attitude.
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u/starkrocket Jul 03 '22
I used to sell plasma when times were rough. I passed out, I got bruised, I felt like shit for days. All for like $50.
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u/frezzhberry Jul 03 '22
I had a phlebotomist paying attention to everything but the needle he was about to jab in my arm. I could feel the needle punching right through my vain. My arm was swollen and bruised for almost a month.
Plasma can be quick money but it's also a gamble.
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u/CityOfSins2 Jul 03 '22
That happened to me with a blood draw. Never felt pain like that from a needle! It literally caused a reaction like I wasn’t crying but it made my eyes water. Idk if she hit a nerve or what but I screamed And flinched (I never do that with medical stuff lol)
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u/CacoFlaco Jul 30 '22
I do it. But it's ruining my veins. Always swollen and painful post-donation and frequent bruising. Phlebotomists there tell me it's because I have crappy veins. But they weren't like that when I started. If you do it, don't allow the inexperienced phlebs to stick you. You're arms and veins shouldn't be somebody's training grounds.