Giving blood - experiences?

[apprenticeison]

Do you give blood? I’ve long thought about it but had very heavy periods (now gone). Seeing the headings about the lack of blood I’m thinking I should. However I’m wondering if I’ll cause more issues than help: I’ve fainted when I’ve had blood tests, so nowadays I must lie down and stay horizontal for a while after. And that’s when I only give a small amount so reading that they take a pint makes me wonder if it’s a bad idea.

Anyone else have any experience or thoughts to share?

I've given 52 pints in total. It is definitely something you get used to, and have to plan for. Over the years, I've felt faint (but not actually fainted) a few times, and I have to plan what and when to eat before I go.

Do you faint from blood tests because of the sight of the blood? Or the needle? Or the loss of blood? The blood tests I've had haven't involved any significant amounts, certainly not in comparison with the amount they take at a donation.

If it's the sight of blood/needle, I'm with you on that - I never watch, and look at the ceiling/the other side of the room the whole time. I can definitely feel the needle, but just have to block it out.

When you go to donate, they ask you to drink a pint of water/squash when you arrive, which keeps your blood pressure up, and you have another drink after. The seats for donation are sort of like a moulded plastic sun lounger so your feet are raised, and they're on a tilting base, so if you feel faint, they can tilt the whole thing so your feet are much higher. You stay sitting on the seat after the donation until you are ready to get up.

You can speak to someone at the Blood Service on 0300 123 23 23, and I've always found them really helpful when I've phoned with queries about medication (there are rules about donating on prescription medication, but most things are find if you check - I'm on HRT and a couple of other things, and still donate). Or if there's a local donor centre, you could pop in, and talk to the reception staff.

Had been a blood donor most of my adult life but in recent years it has been so difficult to arrange an appointment at my local (pop-up) donor center that I have given up (you have to book 6-months in advance and every time I have made an appointment, something else has cropped up).
The clinic is about 45-mins away and parking is an issue so I never go there.

Giving blood itself is fine, never had an issue and have always felt fine straight afterwards. Have a chat with the nurses while enjoying my drink & biscuits.

I do miss not being able to go but lack of appointments and an inability to arrange closer to the date has killed it for me.☹️

Thank you for explaining :-) And massive thanks for giving so much blood, that's a fantastic achievement!

I don't faint because of the needles or seeing blood, it's apparently a 'bodily response' to 'being attacked', as my GP put it (when he'd failed to see that I was losing it and then hit my head on his desk before falling on the floor).

Good idea to give them a ring to check, will do :-)

(Looking at giving blood I also learnt that it's not too late for me to sign up to donate stem cells - I've been annoyed with myself that I didn't sign up to the Anthony Nolan register before I got too old but found another one that accept people until 55: https://www.dkms.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-donor

So I will do that immediately.

They cooperate with the Nolan register too. They really really need more people from ethnic minorities especially. Please consider it!)

It sounds like i have a similar response to you, OP. I tried to give blood a couple of times when i was younger - each time it was difficult for them to find a suitable vein (also a problem when i have blood tests as well) and i fainted. Im fine with needles and blood but there's just something that seems to happen whenever blood is extracted from me. The blood service essentially told me not to come back for my own wellbeing. So you could always give them a call to discuss and give it a try, but i think they will tell you if they think you are not suitable.

I donate fairly regularly, but booking appointments is such a pain - if they are short of donors they need a lot more appointments. I booked my next one a long way in advance and now it's a really awkward time. Seem to be a lot of retired people in the line, in an area where there aren't a lot of old people, I think it's hard to do as a working age person. The team are lovely and look after you well. Maybe try once and see how it goes.

Please try.

I gave over 50 pints but unfortunately had to stop due to cancer treatment.

Thankfully, I encouraged my son to donate.

You will have a finger prick test every time before you give, where they test to check you’re not anemic.

As PP said, you’ll also be asked to drink a pint of water just before you donate.

I always made sure I’d eaten well before I gave and drank plenty in the following couple of days.

For your first couple of times, they’ll keep an extra eye on you during your donation to check you’re not feeling faint.

Enjoy the tea and biscuit afterwards.

I've also been a donor most of my adult life and have donated about 55 units so far I think. I attend a fixed centre in a big city and am O Neg so I have never have any issue getting appointments thought it's clear from NHSBTS social media that others do have more problems. I've never felt unwell, faint or remotely different after a donation but again I have friends who do / have. I'm also very impressed that given how easily I bruise I've only ever had a small bruise, once from donation.

I would give it a try, I think everyone who can should try once to be honest, but tell the donor staff beforehand the experiences you've had in the past with blood tests. They'll always keep a particularly close eye on a first time donor but still good to tell them. Make sure you're well fed and hydrated before you arrive and if you are able to donate take your time afterwards and don't rush off.

Good luck !

I only started donating a couple of years ago and also found the lack of convenient appointments frustrating. Someone told me that your employer is obliged to give PTO for blood donation but I've never checked that one out. Is it correct?

Its also VERY frustrating that, after medical acupuncture, I was unable to donate for 4 months, just because my sports therapist doesn't pay to be on a certain list. The needles are single use, clinic spotless so why is it so much more dangerous than a clinic which pays to be on 'The List'?

I used to give blood but am just not very good at it, fine with needles etc but have rubbish veins which means it's tricky for them to get it right and they're not allowed to prod you too many times, also the blood comes out ridiculously slowly. So basically I have a 50% success rate of giving a full pint of blood. Last time I went they said I'd done my bit haha

I also have heavy periods so reluctant to go now, haven't been since having my second child. I might try again in the future.

They will let you lie down until you feel ok and you always get a drink and biscuits. There will be a trained nurse there if you do need any extra attention.

I would try at least once and see how it goes.

I am able to give blood with no issues.

My DH is very like you when it comes to anything to do with blood, he tried to donate a few times years ago - in the end they asked him to stop

I used to donate regularly but I now take a medication that's prevents it unfortunately.

I've never fainted or felt faint. Apparently I bleed fast which is good for the donation, but is bad for me If I'm badly injured!

If you're a fainter, they may not want you to be donating so agree a phone call is worth doing first.

They are very very stringent on donations after the various blood scandals leading to wholly avoidable deaths and illnesses. There has to be a cut off somewhere for safety and that's their line.

I give blood fairly regularly and have donated about 39 times now.

I would give it a go, the staff are great and the processes so much improved from when I started! They really look after you and as others have said keep an extra close eye on first timers...

make sure you eat well and drink plenty before your donation, you'll then need to drink a pint of water / squash whilst waiting - all these will help with blood pressure / light-headedness / fainting

Once you've donated, you stay laid back for a few mins whilst they sort you out and check with you before starting to sit you up - if you don't feel right they will leave you longer.

If I remember rightly after a first donation they make sure you have a hot drink and sweet snack and wait there a little while just in case too - after that you can choose any of the drinks / snacks and leave when you feel ok

Its definitely worth trying for everyone in my mind - when I started I hated needles / blood tests / got lightheaded etc but am completely ambivalent now, I just don't look when the needle is going in!

A friend of mine was advised after a couple of donations to stop by staff as it made them feel so unwell. It's great that people try but not at the expense of making yourself ill.

For some long term donors it's about knowing your own body. I have a friend who donates twice a year (women can do 4) because she knows more frequent donation has an impact on her iron levels or risks her fainting, and another who wouldn't book an appointment during or just after her period for similar reasons.

If you have an appointment, they will firstly do a pinprick blood test to check your iron levels. I have failed this quite a few times, in which case they'll tell you not to try again for a certain time. If you have heavy periods, I wouldn't be surprised if you fail the iron test as they need your iron to be quite high so you don't feel unwell after. ideally try and get an appointment in the week before your period is due, rather than during or just after.

Hi! I used to (nearly) faint with blood tests and need to be put in the recovery position, had it a couple of times after giving blood in the early days (my first one or two) and was told essentially I might need to not come back for my health, but I was desperate to give blood so I persevered. I’d say: Number 1) hydration, makes finding the vein easier and means you feel less sick. For me I drink at least 500mls before I get there and then the additional pint they ask you to take whilst you’re waiting for the appointment. Also in the recovery bit. And I one of the donations I was fainty at was height of summer in non a/c room during Covid, so I’m sure that contributed. 2) over eat. I would have a big sugary pastry for breakfast when donating at like 9am and then all the biscuits afterwards. Go overboard. 3) the exercises they make you do to make sure your heart rate doesn’t drop, keep doing them whilst donating and just after. 4) let them know you’ve been a bit lightheaded and they’ll really slowly ease you up to standing position, to minimise the possibility. 5) you will feel amazing as you’re saving lives, and when you get the text message saying which hospital your blood has gone to, you’ll get a lovely feeling! And my subsequent donations I don’t now feel sick at all, as think my body has adjusted. I hope you can do it ok, and thank you for even considering it, such a worthwhile thing to do!

You really can't see why an un or less regualtor provider of a service that involves breaking the skin with needles means there has to be a break before blood donation ? It's the same as tattooing, individuals may be satisfied that their provider is perfectly clean / safe etc but if there isn't a regulated standard they adhere to then it can't be proven.

Thank you so much to everyone who's shared experiences and explained the process in more detail :-) Will contact them. Can absolutely see how great it must feel to literally help save lives.

I've been a donor for years, but booking appointments is problematic. As a pp has stated, you have to book so far in advance that there will often be some sort of diary clash by the time it comes around, plus there is no longer a donor session locally for me so I have to drive and go after work.

Actually giving blood is pretty painless and quick. You have to drink water beforehand - they provide this - as they've found one if the reasons people fainted or had reactions to donating was dehydration. Also they don't fully recline you now so you don't go from fully prone to upright once your donation is collected - it's a tilting chair that doesn't require you to move. I've failed the finger prick test for iron a few times with no issues that my GP found so was advised to eat something iron rich shortly before donating.

The staff are expert at inserting the needle and they take good care of anyone who experiences any issues. You can listen to music (there's always a radio playing in the room), read a book, etc. I usually just take a break. They provide water, squash, tea, coffee, etc afterwards and a snack like biscuits and crisps. You're monitored during this so if anyone is unwell it can be quickly spotted.

If you want to do it OP, make an appointment and give it a go. They will advise you if you aren’t suitable. I gave up trying to donate because it would take too long for them to get the full amount of blood before they were supposed to stop, so eventually they told me not to bother coming back.

They tell you where your donation has been sent afterwards btw and if you can donate to neonates they let you know that too.

I love the text messages saying where your blood has gone.

At the risk of this being outing because I've told people this story IRL, my best friend had cancer a few years ago and needed blood both during her surgery and transfusions during treatment. On a day when she was in hospital I had a text saying my most recent donation had gone to that hospital. We're different blood groups but I had a bit of a moment at the idea that someone I love was getting blood that had been donated by a stranger, and someone else's loved one in the same hospital was getting mine.

I fainted the first time I gave blood, but it's now 56 donations later... it's quite common for first time donors and they're prepared for it, but most people are fine after that. If you faint every time, they will ask you to stop (unless you have a particularly rare blood group with other markers, which makes it suitable for newborns, going by my friend, who gets asked in anyway.)

I agree that hydration is the main thing, and making sure you eat. They will ask about this in the screening checks before you donate. I'm often in need of the loo by the time I'm ready to leave at the end!

I too have failed the iron test a number of times. I'm better at avoiding that these days, though a fibroid tried to sabotage me.

I've just given #59 at the weekend. You'll never know how you'll respond unless you give it a go. Book in. If you feel faint you're surrounded by nurses who can offer you a pint of squash and a mint club when you feel better 😊

I am 0 negative, they are desperate for my stuff. But - they won't take me. After my first ever donation I suffered from so many side effects, severe headache, dizzyness, nausea which took nearly 24 hours to clear, they had me talking to the nurse and medical staff and it was decided to not let me donate.

I did have my doubt before the donation as I have similar issues when I had my periods pre-DD but thought with me being at the brink of menopause my body would cope. Or not.

DH is a doner and has hardly any issues, so it's difficult to know.