The FDA voted yesterday to ban CFS patients from giving blood until they have more information on infectious agents and CFS! It's about time.
A kind reader (Thank you, Luke!) just clarified that today's action was a recommendation from an advisory committee to the FDA, recommending they ban blood from ME/CFS patients. The FDA hasn't actually taken action yet...
Sorry for the mistake - I'm so busy with holiday preparations that I must not have read the article carefully enough.
Here's another article from Bloomberg BusinessWeek on the recommendation.
I have had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) since March 2002. Both of my sons also got ME/CFS at ages 6 and 10. Our younger son fully recovered after 10 years of mild illness. Our older son still has ME/CFS and also has Lyme disease plus two other tick infections. This blog is about how our family lives with chronic illness, with a focus on improving our conditions and enjoying our lives in spite of these challenges.
It IS about time! Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteIt is about time..I have not given blood in years. I have always known that it would not be safe. I have also wondered about the blood I was given in 1986 although it was 6 years later that I came down with a bad case of "FLU" and later was diagnosed with CFS.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate all the work you do researching and sharing the info on this disaese and all that goes with it in our lives. Thank you!
Well, there's another very good reason for people with CFS not to give blood, for our own benefit. We have lower-than-normal blood volume to begin with, so we really can't spare any - it makes our OI much worse.
ReplyDeleteAt least now it's official - this will really help to spread the word about ME/CFS being a serious illness.
Sue
OMG we are SO behind the Eurpeans. I was wondering how long they were going to dawdle on this. How did medcine get so politicised?
ReplyDeleteThis is just a recommendation to the FDA for them to ban blood donations from CFS patients. It is not a ban from the FDA banning CFS patients from donating blood.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-15/chronic-fatigue-may-be-considered-in-blood-donations.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704694004576020321854485688.html
Here in Canada, we (people with CFS) are prohibited from donating blood too. They put this ban in place about April, I believe.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great move...and for me...the first real admission (almost) that CFS is real and not just in our heads!