Why? How often? How do you feel after?
I’ve tried three times and passed out twice. I pass out with simple blood draws, so they don’t like me at the Red Cross.
In college we would donate then go get drunk off one beer at the campus pub then go to class
Donation also reduces plastic in your blood so there is a health benefits to you as well as to others
Is that so? Is there evidence that supports this? Sounds interesting
Yes. I used to donate the maximum amount of 4 times a year, but due to my inability to reasonably eat the required iron supplements, I’m now only allowed to donate once a year.
I do it for a mix of reasons - it makes me feel good about myself, I get a gift and a little bit of food, and I’ve told myself that it’s probably not a bad thing to do health-wise, although the last one is completely unfounded.
After having donated, I feel noticeably weaker when trying to do things like bike or walk fast. Usually nothing major, though.
Can’t, iron levels are always too low because I have to get blood drawn for medicine every 3 months
I tried once and got a horrible headache and generally felt like crap the next day. That’s dissuaded my from trying again.
no. im a needlephobe.
I donate 2-3 times a year. I take a break every few years, things like tattoos and such. I’m O- and they don’t let me forget to donate for too long.
My dad was shot in high school (hunting incident) and received donations. He became a regular donor after, and i guess just set a good example of donating for us to see as kids.
I would, but I can’t. I am medicated for my ADHD and depression. Both disqualify me in that regard
Huh, in the US, they allow donors with antidepressants and ADHD meds. Source, im a regular donor who has been on both.
Only your depression would because I too am on ADHD meds and donate regularly.
You cannot throw that as a blanket statement. Rules vary by country and medication. Judging by their profile the person you are responding to lives in Denmark, which actually seems to have fairly strict rules in this regard. Some of the ADHD medications I’ve been on in the past would have actually have disqualified me as a full blood donor there, had I still used them. Although the rules for plasma donation are less strict, so that might still be an option.
Unfortunately I was rejected as a donor, the nurse had too much trouble hitting a vein (mine are difficult to spot and tend to roll when sticking a needle in them) for drawing blood for the pre-donation bloodwork. So that meant an automatic rejection as they prefer not turning the donors into living pincushions. ☹️
I tried once. But they said they couldn’t take it in a bucket and wouldn’t stop asking where I got it from.
Bureaucracy ruins everything.
The only thing I can tell you is that based on how much blood is in this bucket, you are in desperate need of blood.
O+ over here so I know I am able to help a lot of people. When I donate, I do a “power red” which gives more than a standard pull. Using the American red cross app makes it a bit more fun since I collect badges and can track all my visits. Also, since I read it can reduce plastic in your system, I see that as a double win.
Ive donated about a dozen times, mostly when its convienent like when they call our local donation bus out to where ever im working.
For the feeling, almost no effect. I mostly spend my time there cracking jokes about how this is a good way to lose weight, or how im only really there because I want a juice box and a cookie. Its more of an excuse to not have to be 100% mentally there for the rest of the work day.
As for the why, Ill sign up and donate when I can, but I dont seek it out. I know its important, but it is a donation, which because of the US insurance and medical industries will be sold to the person who needs it most. (Someone who knows more about this please correct me on it if that assumption is wrong).
Yeah same here, just whenever work brings a bus out. I feel a little icky that they’re just gonna turn around and sell it into the system at exorbitant prices, but I at least feel better that someone who needs it will get it.
I’ve never experienced any side effects either, other than just taking the bandage off too soon and having a leaky arm.
I do. I donate as often as I’m allowed, which is about 4 times a year. The only effect I’ve felt is that exercise, especially cardio, is a bit harder. My time on a 5k run dropped noticeably.
Donated 60 times in total so far, which means there’s more of my blood in other people, than in me. By quite a lot.
I used to. “Why not?” would be the reason. I never felt anything at all afterwards. I would schedule my donations so I don’t have any hard exercise later the same day, but otherwise it wouldn’t impact my life at all.
I stopped after going to my GP for an entirely unrelated reason and being told that I had severely low iron levels. I don’t believe it was related to donating, but it does mean they couldn’t use my blood.
You lose quite a lot of iron when donating blood:
Each time you donate blood, you lose between 220-250 mg of iron. It may take up to 24-30 weeks for your body to replace the iron lost through a blood donation. That time may vary, depending on what your iron level was before donating and if you take iron supplements or multivitamins with iron.
AFAIK many people are fine (no symptoms) with having low iron levels.
