pvc,pac,svt,blood donation

Hi,  I have occasional PVC PAC and also supraventricular tachicardia and I am not taking any medication for
it as my cardiologist suggested that it is not needed.
My question is can I donate blood ? is it dangerous for me to donate blood, would blood donation
precipitate an attack of any of my  exhisting irregular heart beats ?
I am 53 in otherwise good health.
many thanks for your reply.

[cindy707]

Hi read your post....i would not think that there would be a problem w. this however you need to be sure that your platlet count is within normal limits before you do this.  I have not heard of there being a problem with donating blood and i know that the blood banks are super super picky on whom they will take blood from to ensure your safety as well as their banks.  I would call ahead before you make the trip to be sure they are willing to have you as a donor.  What a great person you are helping others as you are !!!!!!! Have a great weekend....................your situation is electrical based and you just want to be sure that nothing sets off a series of misfiring so it would be a situation of losing a % of your blood and your heart compensating for that loss thus changing the electrical pattern.  I am sure another member will weigh in that they have or have not donated because..........................

[Madge270]

I'm glad this was brought up. I not only have a lot of PVCs a day, but also too much ferritin in my blood. If ithe iron overload gets much higher, I'll have to give blood once or twice a week as it's the only treatment.  I've been wondering whether it would make my PVCs worse, either temporarily or permanently. No one seems to know. A big issue for me. I'm hoping others here will have some answers.

[ireneo]

Just took a look at an official Red Cross site to see what restrictions and limitations they have for donation. There's no mention of heart arrhythmias. Certainly if you were on heart medications, they would not take your blood. The main thing is to be well hydrated (dehydration will cause arrhythmias) and to have eaten well before going in.