Illness after giving blood

[DaniellaC]

I gave blood at about half 7 tonight. Since I gave blood I feel dizzy, sick, have diarrhoea (sorry if tmi) aand feel very short of breath. Is this normalish? what should I do?

Not normal, no.

Did they give you a little card afterwards with a number on in case you felt unwell?

Have you had plenty to drink & eat?

From the official website:

You need to take it easy for a few hours after giving blood, but if you do feel faint or dizzy, sit down immediately and put your head between your knees. Ideally, let someone else know if you're feeling a bit faint. If faintness persists after your donation, don't hesitate to call us on 0300 123 23 23 to let us know and we'll be able to advise you further.

Yeahh I had tea when I got in and have drunk 2 litres of water. I'll ring that number in the morning then see what they say. I just didn't want to pester them if it was normal. Thank you

No problem. Make sure you try extra hard to drink lots - not only are you missing the blood, you'll be dehydrating from the diarrhoea too. I hope you feel better.

Thank you very much i have a 2 litre bottle of water in bed next to me