Had a funny 'turn' while donating blood earlier. Now I'm scared of doing it again!

[ManicUnicorn]

Just that really. Been donating blood for a while with no problems, went along earlier today and felt absolutely fine beforehand. But when I had the finger prick test it was unusually sore, iron levels were fine though,

When they tried to put the needle in my arm it alsoreally hurt, far more than usual and the woman said sometimes it's more painful than others. Intitally I felt fine and then all of a sudden my hand started to go numb and I felt all floppy and like I was being sucked out of myself. I mentioned this and then next thing I knew the nurse was standing over me, tipping me backwards and talking to me to keep conscious and there's was a fuss getting the needle out of my arm. I felt better as soon as I was tipped back and the needle came out but I was fussed over for ages and was given all these leaflets before being allowed to leave. It was embarrassing, I felt awful for the woman who was taking the blood and there were loads of newbies who were probably nervous enough and then I go and nearly black out in front of them!

I'm fine now, and was told so little blood was taken that I can donate again straight away, but now I'm really scared of it happening again! I'm an O negative so can give to anyone, and yet I don't think I can ever face it again. I can't think why it happened, and the nurse said it happens occasionally but not a lot.

What the fuck went wrong?!

I have blood taken every 12 weeks and every so often I go a bit faint at it. Doesn't seem to be any reason, I'm fine 99% of the time 🤷🏽‍♀️

I felt faint the last couple of times I donated. I found it really scary, but the room was so busy, with so many people donating and so few staff, that I couldn’t get anyone’s attention. I felt like it right towards the end of my donation, and it has terrified me so much that I haven’t been back! I feel really guilty, but they just don’t have the staff to provide one to one reassurance, and I don’t want to be a burden.

Are you on/due/just finished your period? I tried to donate once whilst I was on my period and it was so painful I had to stop. It was so embarrassing as I worked there and my poor colleague felt awful.

I once performed a venepuncture on a woman who said that she hadn’t felt a thing. She went on to say that the last time she donated it was really painful and she thought the trainee pregnant lady who did it must have done it wrong... I was the only pregnant trainee in decades so it must have been me but it does show how it can massively differ on each occasion

This happened to me last time I donated, after the needle was removed. I think it was a combination of:

• Not drinking enough water before. The tank was empty and I told them but they called me over before it was refilled so I only had half a pint.

• Not eating as much as I usually would that day. I had a sandwich before I donated but otherwise I hadn’t eaten.

• The donation was much faster than usual for some reason.

• The nurse accidentally tipped my chair up too quickly and I nearly fell out of it as it swung forwards.

I’d also been ill a couple of weeks earlier. I told them and was deemed fine to donate but maybe there was some lingering stress on my body.

I’m going back next week so I’ll make sure to eat and drink properly this time!

Both pints I've given I have felt the same after, I don't know if you're male or female but I had my mother nature arrive a few days later, so I think that can always make you feel a bit funny. Always quite anxious too that can make you feel faint, I don't think it helps seeing other donors with needles and tubes ect around you. I was told to eat something salty beforehand to raise blood pressure. Had to stop donating due to becoming pregnant, but I've noticed even giving a sample I go a bit woozy, strange that I could give a whole pint but not 15ml without collapsing! Don't let it put you off, just say to them about your last experience and they will keep an eye on you. Hope next time you feel better after, sit and have some squash and a snack before you leave, that's what it's there for!

Thank you for donating. Even if you never manage to do it again, the blood you gave made a difference.

I'm also O Neg and while I have never given blood, I have received 2 blood transfusions, so just coming on to say thank you really. While we're universal donors, I think we're a relatively rare blood type and need a donor to be O Neg also.
The thoughts of having someone else's blood in me makes me feel a bit nauseous lol, but I've been so ill that it perked me up immediately.
Also, if anyone else has ever received a blood transfusion, you will know that it's much of a song and dance. It's like a military operation. One I remember, the other one I was in a coma for.
They need two people to sign off on everything, everything is scanned (barcodes) etc. Quite the drama.
Your blood is appreciated, even if you don't get to see who needs it or gets it.
So, even though you've had a wobbly moment, just know that we appreciate you.

It's very common. I used to take blood.
https://journals.lww.com/nursingmadeincrediblyeasy/fulltext/2012/05000/Isyourrpatienthavinggavasovagallreaction.13.aspx

And yes well done everybody for attempting to give blood even if it hasn't always been successful

For a while I trod the line between being able to give successfully or not. I began to feel a bit of a nuisance turning up just to find out I'd failed the fingerprick test but I was asked to persevere. Taking the measures I mentioned in my last posts seems to have tipped me over into being able to donate without an issue again

I was probably one session away from being excluded.