Donating Plasma for Cash?

[whitecoatjimmy]

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I was just curious if anyone has direct experience with donating plasma. I've been considering it to pick up a little cash on the side, but I wanted to hear of others' experiences before getting stabbed.

 

[VPDcurt]

I've never thought about it before because I didn't know that they offered money for plasma. Where can I go to do this? I'd give up a wide variety things/organs/body fluids for cash.

 

[Tristy]

I was just curious if anyone has direct experience with donating plasma. I've been considering it to pick up a little cash on the side, but I wanted to hear of others' experiences before getting stabbed.

Hehe, last year I read an advertisement in the paper to donate plasma (for bling bling), and I went there, but, my veins were too small and they said that they could collapse and it would be VERY painful. But, I'm a girl, so for guys might be different.

 

[Fermata]

Dude.

It's really painful. And unpleasant. And if you do it enough it leaves track marks.

Just wash dishes instead.

 

[uproarhz]

I was just curious if anyone has direct experience with donating plasma. I've been considering it to pick up a little cash on the side, but I wanted to hear of others' experiences before getting stabbed.

my supervisor used to do this when she was in grad school. And it seemed like it was a big deel. They take something like 60ml of plasma. She also used to donate bone marrow, and that seemed worse from the description. But she is alive after doing it multiple times so it's not that bad. Just make sure you have someone to drive you in case you don't feel too good afterwards 😀

 

[Denn]

I had a friend who sold his plasma for money. He was an exchange student from France and could not get a permit to work. Giving plasma was his only source of income. I think he did it every other week and money was terrible. It was around $50 per donation. You had better find something else to make money. Donating plasma should be your last resort.

 

[Stitch626]

my supervisor used to do this when she was in grad school. And it seemed like it was a big deel. They take something like 60ml of plasma. She also used to donate bone marrow, and that seemed worse from the description. But she is alive after doing it multiple times so it's not that bad. Just make sure you have someone to drive you in case you don't feel too good afterwards 😀

I was going to work at a plasma donation center, but decided it seemed kind of boring (once you set everyone up, you don't have much to do)

This is what I gathered at my interview:
The plasma is sometimes used for research purposes, but usually for therapeutic purposes (replacement of platelets / clotting factors/ plasma proteins, esp albumin, etc). You get the most money the first time you go (usually like $50). And a different price for everytime thereafter (~$35). You can go up to twice a week. It takes about an hour and you can just sit and read or whatever. The amount of plasma taken from you is replaced by a similar amount of Ringer's soln. You also receive all your RBC's back. Hmmm...what else...you'll meet a lot of "interesting" people. The needle is a 16 gauge (huge). I guess that's it. Oh, there are a lot of restrictions on donating plasma. I believe the weight/hr/hematocrit limits are similar to those for donating blood: 110lbs/<100bpm. I think I've blabbed enough.

 

[acl3623]

i had several friends do this...it didnt seem that bad until i saw one of my friends with a HUGANTIC bruise on her arm because the ******* taking the plasma punctured her vein and then didnt apply enough pressure to make the bleeding stop...it looked awful...but you know $ will make you do crazy things! oh yea, and i hear they give you free cookies and juice so that may be another attraction for ya! 😛

 

[akpete]

I've donated plasma for the last 2.5 years. Yes, I have track marks. The amount you donate is based upon weight, and I donate 825 ml each time. The co. here is BioLife Plasma Services. It's $20 the first time in the week, and $30 the second time in the week. My veins are small, so only experienced phlebotomists usually stick me. Similar restrictions as donating blood. Donating plasma should never be painful. If it is, then the needle isn't placed right, and they should adjust it. Sometimes if the iodine gets into your arm it might sting, but nothing else. If it hurts, it should be stopped. I've never had that happen to me. Sometimes they'll miss, and have to stick my other arm, but if you're stuck twice, you get candy!! If it's not going well you'll be disconnected and still paid. Afterwards, you should feel fine, unless you didn't drink any water and you're dehydrated, but that's your own fault. You get all your RBC's back and 500 ml saline. The saline feels cold since it's at room temperature.

Ummmm....I think that sums it up. If you have any other questions, just ask. Like I said, I've got 2.5 years experience with it.

It's true that if you work there, all you do is stick people, can be boring. And usually they won't let you work there as well as donate; one or the other.

Donating plasma is not only easy money, but it helps lots of people too. Plus, you can do your homework while donating and get paid for it.

 

[YzIa]

First of all, they harvest anywhere from 600 - 900 ml (depending on your weight) of plasma per donation, not 60.

Different clinics will pay different amounts but its usually around 50-60$ per week if you donate 2x.

If you have a good phlebotanist and decent veins you shouldn't have problems with bruising or pain. Discomfort is more of an individual thing. You can really psyche yourself out to the point where you can "feel" the needle in your vein. It can't be mistaken for pleasant, but I donated for a little over a year regularly and have the scars to prove it 😉. It helped me get over my fear of needles too, so their are other benefits.

Only way to know if you will like/tolerate it is to try it.

 

[YzIa]

I've donated plasma for the last 2.5 years. Yes, I have track marks. The amount you donate is based upon weight, and I donate 825 ml each time.

Uh oh, now I can fit you into one of those weight brackets, if only I remembered them 😛

 

[akpete]

oh crap. Now the whole world will know my weight

 

[NYCDesi]

if you're stuck twice, you get candy!!

Is it wrong that I cracked up hysterically after reading this?

 

[cowgirl]

I used to do it for extra cash when I was a sophomore in undergrad. It takes chicks longer to give plasma, definitely longer than the 1 hr someone else mentioned. The worst part is when they put the saline back in you because it is freezing cold and you start shivering. So if you want to do it take something warm. The trick is to drink a lot of liquids before you go, it speeds up the process. And boy do you meet some interesting people there. A lot of not-so-well-off folk and some very creepy people scattered in between. I and my friends definitely didn't fit in, but the extra cash helped a little. And yea I still have a scar from where they poked me. Oh and I almost passed out once and had the head of the place ask me out while he was poking me.(I got to have him do it cause my veins were so very tiny) Needless to say I kicked the habit after a year 😳

 

[akpete]

I'm a girl, and I'm always done in about 45 minutes - not to say that you're wrong cowgirl. My old roommate would get done in like 35 minutes (I was always jealous). The place I go to is required to disconnect you if you're on for longer than 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Oh, and not all places are dirty.

I can't believe he asked you out while sticking your arm!! 😱

Edit: You'll be at the collection center for longer though. Depending on how busy it is, like an hour and a half.

 

[rocknightmare]

it pays $50 at VCU

 

[rocknightmare]

First of all, they harvest anywhere from 600 - 900 ml (depending on your weight) of plasma per donation, not 60.

Different clinics will pay different amounts but its usually around 50-60$ per week if you donate 2x.

If you have a good phlebotanist and decent veins you shouldn't have problems with bruising or pain. Discomfort is more of an individual thing. You can really psyche yourself out to the point where you can "feel" the needle in your vein. It can't be mistaken for pleasant, but I donated for a little over a year regularly and have the scars to prove it 😉. It helped me get over my fear of needles too, so their are other benefits.

Only way to know if you will like/tolerate it is to try it.

hrm some clinics only allow 240ml per 6 week period.

 

[twicetenturns]

I used to do this for the extra cash. Heck, even took a girl on a first date to the center so we could earn some money to go play. (I sure know how to romance em' eh?) Anyhow, the repeated stickings can wear on your veins over time building scar tissue in the surrounding area and occasionally leading to collapse. if you are young and healthy, you can do it for a good long while, but - at least right now - you only get one set of veins, so it's up to you.

 

[nockamura]

Is it really donating if you're getting paid? Maybe it should be titled "Selling Plasma". I hear med schools are donating educations to needy students for several hundred thousand dollars.

 

[VeganSoprano]

I've done it. You are compensated, as you would be for participating in a medical study.

Basically, you sit there for 45 minutes with a needle in your arm. You have your other hand free so you can study.

You should get scars on your veins, but not track marks. They stick the same place each time.

My veins are good but they did collapse a few times during the process. It's not painful at all.

I made $35/donation, twice a week. It definitely wasn't bad.

 

[akpete]

I used to do this for the extra cash. Heck, even took a girl on a first date to the center so we could earn some money to go play. (I sure know how to romance em' eh?) Anyhow, the repeated stickings can wear on your veins over time building scar tissue in the surrounding area and occasionally leading to collapse. if you are young and healthy, you can do it for a good long while, but - at least right now - you only get one set of veins, so it's up to you.

I was building up so much scar tissue in my left arm that it was pulling the needle off-course when they tried to stick me, so a new hole has been started just above the other one. It feels really funny because after you build up so much scar tissue, you don't really feel the needle go in as much, and when they started the new hole, I was quickly reminded of what it feels like to have a needle go through your skin!!

 

[nicholonious]

...and make sure you get an experienced phlebotanist. I've donated (not sold) my blood multiple times, and usually the well trained ones stick you and suck your blood no problem. Unfortunately, one time I had a terrible one that messed up many times when inserting the line and forgot to put the needle BEVEL SIDE UP. As a result, the sharp side of the needle continuously shredded a part of my vein where inserted and my arm was scarred and blue due to hemorrhaging left there for months.

I repeat, make sure you get someone good. The inexperienced ones will often miss the line, make it painful and uncomfortable, place an improper stick that makes the blood flow slow (making the visit longer than necessary), or leave terrible scarring.

 

[evajaclynn]

When I worked at the NIH, I was involved in tons of different healthy volunteer studies that paid anywhere from $50 - $400. If you live in the DC area, its a great way to make a little money on the side. MRI studies (which typically last 90 minutes) usually pay $120 and all you do is lie there and perform a simple task. There were several studies where they poked you with needles and took blood, but none of them were very invasive and I didn't experience any brusing, etc. And I got to see what most of my insides (brain, heart, etc) looked like after I was done with the scans! Pretty cool.

 

[YzIa]

hrm some clinics only allow 240ml per 6 week period.

Then they are definitely not collecting plasma, sounds a lot more like BLOOD.

 

[Truce57]

I did it one summer between temporary jobs, and everyone else has already said what needs to be said, but if you go to a research university, definitely look into the med school and psychology departments to see if they have any quick and dirty studies you can be in.

I got $25 at Indiana University from psychology for hitting spacebar every time I saw a blip on a computer screen for ten minutes, and also $15 for doing three internet searches for a grad student in the library sciences masters program. I didn't get rich, but it paid the bills.

 

[CarlosMielefan]

I was just curious if anyone has direct experience with donating plasma. I've been considering it to pick up a little cash on the side, but I wanted to hear of others' experiences before getting stabbed.

A long time ago, when I was young and beautiful (three years ago to be exact), I did research with human monocytes. We collected blood from patients. We paid them $25 per 99mls of blood. I even donated a few times myself and started to add the $25 to my monthly budget with a plan to donate each month. Of course, the IRB decided this was coercion and instituted a rule that you couldn't donate your own blood for your own experiments... and there went my Zathan Diesel jeans!

But to bring the issue back to the OP's concerns, you should absolutely do it. Of course, you should be careful that you are not being asked for more than 10% of your total blood volume (roughly 500ml). If you are being asked for 500ml (a la Red Cross), then you musn't donate too often. I'd give it a space of about 2 weeks. Also, if you are frail and tiny, you might feel very light headed. One waspy girl who donated blood for my experiment fainted. We only took the standard 99mls, but she was super skinny. What was my point again....

 

[nicholonious]

A long time ago, when I was young and beautiful (three years ago to be exact), I did research with human monocytes. We collected blood from patients. We paid them $25 per 99mls of blood. I even donated a few times myself and started to add the $25 to my monthly budget with a plan to donate each month. Of course, the IRB decided this was coercion and instituted a rule that you couldn't donate your own blood for your own experiments... and there went my Zathan Diesel jeans!

But to bring the issue back to the OP's concerns, you should absolutely do it. Of course, you should be careful that you are not being asked for more than 10% of your total blood volume (roughly 500ml). If you are being asked for 500ml (a la Red Cross), then you musn't donate too often. I'd give it a space of about 2 weeks. Also, if you are frail and tiny, you might feel very light headed. One waspy girl who donated blood for my experiment fainted. We only took the standard 99mls, but she was super skinny. What was my point again....

How come health and medicine always gravitates towards fashion with you? Well, I might as well pop the big question everyone ponders...

...how come people spend in excess of $100 bucks for jeans with rips, rust covered machine wash, and patches designated at random places? Thanks, I'd love the input. 😉

 

[evajaclynn]

A long time ago, when I was young and beautiful (three years ago to be exact), I did research with human monocytes. We collected blood from patients. We paid them $25 per 99mls of blood.

I did a similar study at the NIH, except it paid about $130. So I guess that's where everyone's tax dollars are going!!!
😉

 

[CarlosMielefan]

How come health and medicine always gravitates towards fashion with you? Well, I might as well pop the big question everyone ponders...

...how come people spend in excess of $100 bucks for jeans with rips, rust covered machine wash, and patches designated at random places? Thanks, I'd love the input. 😉

To answer the first question: well, along with medicine, fashion is a passion of mine. It is only in America where fashion is considered a silly exercise. It is a very serious matter - the way one presents one's self. I was at an interview once, and while everyone was in a dark suit, there was this girl in a pastel colored suit. Everyone was transfixed. That she went to Harvard as an undergrad seemed almost secondary. I bet you she will be remembered come decision-making time in March. And that's the power of fashion.

Second question: denim is meant to be rugged and rough and at the same time uplifting and.... exciting. To achieve the perfect look, denim is subjected to harsh chemicals, stretched and weathered. Processing denim with different treatments costs money (again, not unlike medicine). This is why good denim costs more.

Hope this helped.

 

[mochafreak]

"...and make sure you get an experienced phlebotanist."

OK...I can't help it... but I've drawn a lot of blood and consider myself to be pretty good at it...and I think you want to make sure you get a good...phlebotomist.

 

[YzIa]

"...and make sure you get an experienced phlebotanist."

OK...I can't help it... but I've drawn a lot of blood and consider myself to be pretty good at it...and I think you want to make sure you get a good...phlebotomist.

Its a really long word 🙄

 

[evajaclynn]

"...and make sure you get an experienced phlebotanist."

OK...I can't help it... but I've drawn a lot of blood and consider myself to be pretty good at it...and I think you want to make sure you get a good...phlebotomist.

I didn't even catch that one!

 

[nicholonious]

"...and make sure you get an experienced phlebotanist."

OK...I can't help it... but I've drawn a lot of blood and consider myself to be pretty good at it...and I think you want to make sure you get a good...phlebotomist.

Trust me there are plenty sub-par "couldn't pin a tail on a donkey" phlebots that I've encountered regardless of their claim to sticking hundred to thousands of times. Although you may be good at it, there are a few out there where the engines running, but no ones behind the wheel (if you know what I mean.)

 

[mochafreak]

"Its a really long word"

Yes, I know...and I do apologize...but like I said, I just couldn't help it... 😎

 

[mochafreak]

Trust me there are plenty sub-par "couldn't pin a tail on a donkey" phlebots that I've encountered regardless of their claim to sticking hundred to thousands of times. Although you may be good at it, there are a few out there where the engines running, but no ones behind the wheel (if you know what I mean.)

Yup, I know what you mean...I had to watch a few during my "training" at a new job...I was in pain myself, watching the poor patients squirm.

 

[45408]

Too bad that getting paid for donating other substances involves the possibility of having many Mini-Me's running around the place. Now THAT would be easy money.

 

[nicholonious]

Yup, I know what you mean...I had to watch a few during my "training" at a new job...I was in pain myself, watching the poor patients squirm.

Heh, no harm, no foul (except for the patient) 😀

I did a avial surgical lab and had to do a line on the pedal vein of a poor chicken. It is rediculously hard trying to palpate and find their pronounced blood vessel below that scaled surface of theirs. Some good ol' pentobarb in the system and Ka-pow, good night!

 

[fullefect1]

Does anyone know of a plama center in Ma that pay? I have looked at some of the listings and they say that they don't pay you.

 

[MizzouDrWannabe]

I've never donated myself, but as a phlebotomist for clinics I've stuck people who were regular donators. The down side to this is the scar tissue that develops will make blood draws much later on a bigger hassle. I have had people so scarred from it that I literally couldn't push hard enough to get the needle into the vein and had to have a guy come do it - youch :\

Edit: Just wanted to add that these people were ones who'd donated for YEARS though...a few times wouldn't cause that much damage!!