Is it painful to donate bone marrow?

Question

Is it painful to donate bone marrow?

Answer 1

It varies from donor to donor. Some persons say it was quite painful

My response is: Think of the good you are doing. You are saving another person's life. Isn't that worth a bit of pain? I watched a young father die of aplastic anemia because his brother was too chicken to donate marrow.

Answer 2

Yes, I've heard it can be VERY painfull

Answer 3

If you donate actual marrow, you will likely be under general anesthesia.  Sometimes they will do an epidural instead, but to my understanding that is by donor request.

You will be sore for a few days after, but can treat that with tylonal.

However, most donations today are peripheral blood stem cells by aphersis.  Its the same process as if you were to sell plasma, or even some Red Cross Donations.  You are stuck with 2 needles connected to a aphersis machine.  The first needle pulls your blood out, the machine seperates out the stem cells which are a type of white blood cell, then the rest of your blood goes through a warmer and back into your own body.  The most pain with that is gaining the vienous access with the larger gauge needles.

http://www.marrow.org is the National Marrow Donors Program for the US.  It will tell you more about both proceedures.  Or you can google for your country's marrow donation program

Answer 4

Yep, my dad did it.