To stop giving blood?

[MadMAGA]

I've donated 20 times, with breaks for pregnancy, breastfeeding and surgeries. I started donating again a couple of years ago but every time wipes me out. I feel nauseous for the rest of the day, have a day or two when I keep falling asleep no matter what I do, then another few days of feeling rough. I try to plan donations around when I'll have time to rest afterwards but it means writing off weekends and arranging WFH on days I'd normally be in the office. I've had blood tests and there's nothing wrong with me.

OTOH, it seems like a small sacrifice to help people in need of a transfusion. I have a rare blood type that's particularly helpful to people with sickle cell anaemia and I feel awful that I'm considering stopping doing something that could save their lives.

Might be worth getting checked out. I usually feel fine after. Will happily hit the gym the day after.

I had the same myself , can I make a suggestion ? It’s trial and error , I now only donate once every 3 years and last time had no ill effects . I used to do it twice a year , tried one and was still unwell so left it a long time and was fine

They don't check ferritin levels though, only haemoglobin. See @Underthemagnificentbeechtree 's post. Plenty of regular donors will be heading towards iron deficiency without anemia unless they're supplementing their iron regularly.