Is it possible that donating plasma can cause a stroke? Because of the anticougulant they use, a air bubble in the line, dehydration? After donating on two occasions had a TIA the second eposode happened 2 minutes after leaving the donation center. Over $20,000 in tests have been done and no answers have been found yet as to why these strokes happened.:confused:

It could possibly be you had a TIA and the second one (which are warnings by the way of a major stroke to happen) completely unrelated to the plasma donation, and inadvertently the donation triggered it. If I were you I would not (and you have probably deceased) from giving these donations because of this.

It doesn't matter why it happened, but it did happen and you need to be aware of the warning signs of stroke:

Weakness - Sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary.
Trouble speaking - Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary
Vision problems - Sudden trouble with vision, even if temporary.
Headache - Sudden severe and unusual headache
Dizziness - Sudden loss of balance, especially with any of the above signs.

A blood clot is the most common cause of a TIA. Blood clots can be the result of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attack, or abnormal heart rhythms. Brain cells are affected within seconds of the blockage. That causes symptoms in the parts of the body controlled by those cells. Once the clot dissolves, blood flow returns, and the symptoms go away.

Sometimes a TIA is caused by a sharp drop in blood pressure that reduces blood flow to the brain. This is called a "low-flow" TIA. It is not as common as other types.

Prevention of Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
One way to prevent TIAs is to adopt the same strategies that reduce the likelihood of stroke. By far, the most effective measure is to keep blood pressure controlled, since high blood pressure promotes atherosclerosis. Even borderline hypertension (130 to 139 mm Hg/85 to 89 mm Hg) increases risk of TIA and stroke.

Recommendations include trying to:

1. Eliminate smoking. Smokers are two times more likely to have a stroke than nonsmokers.

2. Drink alcohol only in moderation. Heavy alcohol use also increases stroke risk, perhaps by increasing the viscosity of blood and making it more prone to clotting.

3. Exercise and maintain a healthy low-fat diet. These measures will help maintain proper weight and place less strain on the circulatory system.

4. Control blood glucose. This improves general health and reduces diabetes-associated complications.

Yes the could help a person into the grave... They give an anti quaguliant, and return a few air bubbles... They say it won't hurt you... Right it damn near killed me. The tia the others are talking about didn't happen until I left the Plasma center... My leg began to shake 12hrs later I was getting an MRI

Do you mean anticoagulant ? Used to stop bleeding because could be you were a bleeder. It would help if you spelled correctly, amber. TIA is trans ischemic attack, and it makes sense that it happened after leaving the blood donor clinic if you were a bleeder and after that the TIA and after that you were in the hospital.

I don't see what point you are trying to make, and this is an old thread.

Tick

I experienced a severe reaction to donating plasma today, it was my second time. Near the end of my donation (880ml) I began to feel nauseous, hot, dizzy, and thirsty. I told the phlebotomist immediately even though the machine was returning my red cells and the cycle was over. She looked at the machine and said I was 9ml short of 880 (so I had donated 871) instead of returning the cells right away, she tried to get the 9ml out the dizziness and nausea quickly became tingling burning and within a few moments my muscles were cramping involuntarily and I experienced a kind of paralysis, though it wasn't limp, my whole body was tight and unmovable it was as though wires were in my arms legs and fingers folding them in and pulling my body taut. I couldn't speak, my tongue wouldn't move and I remained like this with sharp pain in all my extremities that felt like it was under the skin while the skin itself was numb. I am desperately trying to figure out if this was some type of stroke, or defense mechanism of my body, and whether the attempt to extract the last 9 ml contributed to or caused the pain, paralysis, and loss of speech. I know its normal to get dizzy or even pass out but this was much worse than that.

The same thing happened to me and that is what I was thinking it was a stroke. It happened July 21, 2012.