. Being turned down for blood donation isn't necessarily a cause for concern. It happens when antibodies in the donor blood, such as human leukocyte antibodies, react with the recipients leukocytes, or white blood cells. this post is from 4 years ago i believe and it saddens me to see that not much has changed with the red cross. It has a profound influence on the quality of life of CKD patients, and its underlying causes are often associated with a negative prognosis. I hadn't experienced any real systems for nearly two weeks. Doctors call this volume overload, and people who have heart or kidney conditions may develop it. I went from 100% healthy to sicker than I have ever been. This week I decided to go to the doctors and ask for a general check up after feeling unwell for what seems like weeks. I support donating blood, I simply don't support trusting someone with 6 days of medical training with your health. i had been diagnosed with low bp a few months back. To read your story was a little scary, my thoughts have been in a haze and I feel like a disoriented vegetable at times. Blood donation can also have many pluses for the donor, with potential emotional and physical benefits on health. Before being able to donate blood, the center staff will check that it is safe for donors to do so. This is not true. But feeling fatigue is uncommon for donors. Resting helps the body to recover while it adjusts to the loss of blood. TRALI is a syndrome that can lead to lung scarring and failure. We would like to advise you to read carefully the following points for care after blood donation. One should never drive feeling dizzy. That's my two cents on the matter. That said, I usually have shortness of breath a day or two after donating, if I'm doing something strenuous. People will rest at the donation center after they have given blood. Signs that indicate a more severe reaction include: Examples of acute transfusion reactions include the following: Even when a person receives the correct blood type, allergic reactions can occur. When you smoke, you inhale a toxic gas, which is carbon monoxide. Your heart will take some time to supply fresh blood through you body. I had no symptoms but after 12 days of giving blood I'm in major brain fog the past three days I believe must be connected to giving blood. Migraines can in turn cause the stroke symptoms I experienced, such as tingling numbness, losing consciousness, and expressive aphasia (losing the ability to talk). Chris, thanks for this. It's pretty easy to test BP. You can be turned away. ECG, TMT, Pulmonary test all came normal and endoscopy says I have gastritis. I was a healthy female age 45 walking 9 miles a day to getting tired just doing yard work or filing at work. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of donating blood, plus how it affects the body, Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. Sudden swelling in your feet, ankles, or legs. I have been so tired, dizzy and sever headaches. Thank you for donating blood today. While volunteers may help show you to your seat in a waiting area, or cross your name off the sign-up list, they do not have the training to determine if you're healthy enough to donate. Hi, I had an unprovoked PE in August. Everyone must be qualified in order to do the procedures. She said to make sure I ate iron rich foods and I would probably be ok to donate next time. I go in this month to see how if his plan to get me back to normal is working so far :D, i donated blood on the 5th of july and have been weak for several weeks and what i found was that i needed the ferritin of liver (grass fed here in tasmania, australia). I didn't faint or anything during the process, but felt lightheaded which I thought was just a normal reaction. Immediately after giving blood, I felt dizzy and very short of breath. By themselves, any one sign of heart failure may not be cause for alarm. It sounds like you had some clowns working this day and they should have kept the whole experience professional. I toughed it out as I was assured all was well. The doctor told me in the mean time not to even think about donating any blood until my stores come back. This was the second wisest choice I could have made. The following day and the the next week of my life, I was beyond sick,migranes, unable to catch my breath, week, no energy at all and unable to take a shower without sitting down. Been donating blood regularly (usually six times a year) for about eight years. by the next week i was still feeling horrible. 2004-2023 Healthline Media UK Ltd, Brighton, UK, a Red Ventures Company. Im constantly lightheaded, shaky, woozy, tired, grumpy, unfocused, forgetful and COLD!! in the usa of course it's not so easy to get good quality grass fed liver? Is the ketogenic diet right for autoimmune conditions? Training was once primarily provided by hospitals, but is now available at a huge number of vocational/occupational/trade schools. its not 13.4 i believe from the top of my head. It usually takes 3-5 days to recover from donating. I'm pretty sure all the blood banks are staffed by nurses, and while they call endlessly to get you in there, when you're there they're very strict about you proving you're healthy enough to donate. People may feel fatigued or experience some dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea after donating blood. Your fingerstick hemoglobin test may be normal, even if your iron reserves are low. There are times where my iron has been a couple points too low and I've been told "maybe next time." Cheryl Meril from San Francisco, CA USA on May 13, 2016: Thanks for the article. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Yellow, green, or rusty colored sputum or phlegm or blood in the sputum. However, it is a very rare occurrence, and it has become less prevalent since the introduction of the irradiation of blood products. Nevertheless, blood recipients need our blood donations, and I donate for them. Iron is but one component of hemoglobin. I give regularly and have given over 100 units over the yeas. If a person feels faint,. : High bp, unbalanced hormones, shut down of certain hormones like pregnenolone dhea progesterone etc. One thing I WON'T do is trust the blood collector to check my iron for me: I'll donate and see *my* Dr .afterward for the first year. We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. Dont worry, theyll come back. My experience aftermath is exactly what I went through with the numbness, fainting etc i know this is such an old post..but wow can i relate to this! Febrile nonhaemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTR). they said i should feel better within the next few days. Shut down of LH pathway. However, TRALI can be fatal and has a mortality rate of between 525%. I got dizzy, nauseous, disoriented, overheated and then my vision went. I have been giving blood for years . You should ask the paramedic and rest well. This content does not have an English version. bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract. Now before I donate, I get my iron levels checked first by my doctor. They now give me dextran which is a strong form of iron that last longer in my system. These particular antibodies decrease over time to undetectable levels. Quit Smoking weed, now have shortness of breath. Average adult has 4.5 5-5 liters blood in their body. Never an issue breathing before. I do my own blood testing at LabCorp through Wnlk-In-Lab and used 23andMe.com for my RAW DNA data results I plugged into a third party online analysis software system (Livewello, etc.). Management of the condition involves. Became anemic quickly learned that even my GP didn't know much about anemia due to blood donation. Sudden onset of shortness of breath may indicate something quite serious requiring immediate medical attention, such as a heart attack, a blood clot in the lungs or a problem with the aorta. I have never had any adverse effects because I know what I need to watch out for. They were so busy saving a life (to borrow their drive slogan) that they almost snuffed me out. and now 2 days after donating blood im also having my periods. It should take you twice as long to breathe out as it did to breathe in. Self Care. Also, keep in mind that the safety of exercising after blood donation also varies depending on the type of donation you're making. This means I've been donating almost a gallon of my blood each year. Feel faint, dizzy and/or nauseated; faint and/or have muscle spasms. Chris Hibbard (author) on March 20, 2013: That is frightening information. You have to sign as part of a screen every time you donate. (n.d.). You're absolutely right, they need to know. Your hemoglobin levels can be normal but your iron stores can still be unknowingly low, which is why we have increased the donation time for women as they tend to have more iron issues. It's disturbing to know you were so low in iron and got accepted for donation. Once people have rested and have no adverse symptoms, they can leave. Sat I gave and my iron was on the min side 13.0, this was using a meter as it didn't pass the sink test. Now I realized that I should take care myself first. Though most of donors will be feel fine after donating. Just in case. I left the place, got in my car headed for home and i started feeling weak and woozy.as i was on the highway and the seconds would pass i would feel worst & worst. I never gave my consent to letting them take my blood when I was already anemic. Did you actually suffer a stroke and obtain permanent neurological damage or was that just reversible anemia? Due to the risks that may occur to the receivers, the donors will be given some confidential medical history paper to fill out. These are the benefits you may found in many articles and journals. Thanks so much for giving it a try! I just donated my blood 3 days ago for the first time ever. Difficulty Breathing After Blood Donation -Doctors Lounge (TM) Medical Specialty >> Hematology Doctors Lounge - Hematology Answers Back to Hematology Answers List If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. so much anxiety from feeling so bad and being so worried about my health. In medication from past 2 weeks with bland diet, fruits an vegetable but shortness of breath persists. Bruising, or discoloration of the skin, is normal following blood donation. Yikes. My state is almost entirely serviced by donors; I believe there are only 2 blood banks left who purchase blood. There is no alternative for human blood. If I wasn't extremely sick or out of town, I would give at every opportunity. The cause of the blockages is not known, but it is thought to be due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. Intense exercise or having a cold can also make you feel breathless. Once in a while, a phlebotomist would tell me, "your iron looks a little low," or, "you'd better eat some red meat tonight." I hope this experience does not scare your readers and deter them from donating blood. If a person is experiencing any of the above symptoms, a nurse or doctor will stop the transfusion. Common causes include: asthma a chest infection being overweight smoking a panic attack But sometimes shortness of breath could be a sign of something more serious, such as: a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Those effects above is highly because a dropping in your blood pressure. This type of reaction occurs if a person has received the wrong blood type. This allows them to receive help straight away if they have any adverse side effects. but as the day came to an end, i began to feel unusually sleepy. What you need to know after you donate blood. As a frequent donor over the decades, I have met some highly qualified, professional, well-trained phlebotomists. I won't be donating anymore blood for a while. my skin looks pale, i have shortness of breath all the time. i didnt feel much tiredness right after then. Shortness of breath may be one of the first signs of a heart attack or stroke. The internal medicine doctor told me the "prick test" my blood center uses to test iron content is inaccurate, but still would have shown I was dangerously low before I donated. Current understanding of allergic transfusion reactions: Incidence, pathogenesis, laboratory tests, prevention, and treatment. 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