Like getting blood from an very-curious stone.
March 1, 2018 3:01 PM Subscribe
Must a person donate a full unit of blood for it to be used? Can I get better at being a donor? And what's the deal with the dude across from me who spaced the heck out for like 30 seconds, but then was apparently fine after?
I donated blood for the first time yesterday. Yay!
Or, yay-ish.... I had to stop after about 400mL since I started getting pre-syncope symptoms. Light-headed, vision and hearing getting wonky, cold sweat... kind of like when you stand up too quickly. They took out the needle and gave me some cold compresses and I felt much better after a minute.
I do have a history of randomly feeling faint (including actually blacking out once), but have normal (if on the lower end) blood pressure and apparently good iron levels. I'm also a woman of average size, in decent health. The screening tech knew all this, and we decided to give it a try to see how it would go. I had had a good night's sleep, drank about 1.5L of water during the day, ate a large beefy meal about 5h before donation and a Cliff bar right before.
I was somewhat nervous going in (don't love needles) but was feeling fine during the donation until I wasn't. My questions are:
1) Can they still use the blood, even though it wasn't a full unit? I'd like to donate again, but not if I keep having to stop just before the full unit and they keep having to toss the blood.
2) Can I get better at donating? Not feeling faint while I donate is my primary goal, and if that's the only thing I achieve, I'll happily donate again. But I also feel pretty wiped out today, and going up a flight of stairs has my heart beating way harder than normal (miss you, hemoglobin! <3). I'm eating well and drinking lots of water, but with repeated donations, does my body adapt to deal with it better?
3) Right after finishing his donation, the guy across from me got all spaced out while still in the chair. He was staring deadly ahead, his head and neck were slumped onto his chest, and he had a greenish cast. Just as I was wondering if I should say something, the techs noticed and sprang into action. But before they really did anything, he "came to" and then everything seemed fine. The nurse said something like "Oh you slipped off into a bit of a dream on us!" but the guy didn't seem to notice anything odd had happened. What did happen?
I donated blood for the first time yesterday. Yay!
Or, yay-ish.... I had to stop after about 400mL since I started getting pre-syncope symptoms. Light-headed, vision and hearing getting wonky, cold sweat... kind of like when you stand up too quickly. They took out the needle and gave me some cold compresses and I felt much better after a minute.
I do have a history of randomly feeling faint (including actually blacking out once), but have normal (if on the lower end) blood pressure and apparently good iron levels. I'm also a woman of average size, in decent health. The screening tech knew all this, and we decided to give it a try to see how it would go. I had had a good night's sleep, drank about 1.5L of water during the day, ate a large beefy meal about 5h before donation and a Cliff bar right before.
I was somewhat nervous going in (don't love needles) but was feeling fine during the donation until I wasn't. My questions are:
1) Can they still use the blood, even though it wasn't a full unit? I'd like to donate again, but not if I keep having to stop just before the full unit and they keep having to toss the blood.
2) Can I get better at donating? Not feeling faint while I donate is my primary goal, and if that's the only thing I achieve, I'll happily donate again. But I also feel pretty wiped out today, and going up a flight of stairs has my heart beating way harder than normal (miss you, hemoglobin! <3). I'm eating well and drinking lots of water, but with repeated donations, does my body adapt to deal with it better?
3) Right after finishing his donation, the guy across from me got all spaced out while still in the chair. He was staring deadly ahead, his head and neck were slumped onto his chest, and he had a greenish cast. Just as I was wondering if I should say something, the techs noticed and sprang into action. But before they really did anything, he "came to" and then everything seemed fine. The nurse said something like "Oh you slipped off into a bit of a dream on us!" but the guy didn't seem to notice anything odd had happened. What did happen?
I apparently have difficult veins, but everything about giving blood goes much more smoothly if I am very well hydrated. That means drinking sufficient water the day before (and not drinking alcohol) and the day of too. 1.5L would be plenty some days, but not if it was warm out or if I exercised.
If you do decide to try again, I’d definitely try eating more - like having a full meal 1-2 hours before donating, not 5 hrs.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:16 PM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
If you do decide to try again, I’d definitely try eating more - like having a full meal 1-2 hours before donating, not 5 hrs.
posted by insectosaurus at 3:16 PM on March 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Former blood bank employee here. Unfortunately, they can't use it if they don't get a full pint.
It sounds like you're doing everything right. You might want to try hydrating more the day before as well.
You can also try donating with your feet propped up above your heart level, and an ice pack on your head.
What's your blood type? You may be a candidate for platelet or plasma apheresis. They use this fancy machine where they collect only one or two components. I donate platelets/plasma, which means I get to keep my red cells and I don't feel crappy after.
posted by radioamy at 3:25 PM on March 1, 2018 [7 favorites]
It sounds like you're doing everything right. You might want to try hydrating more the day before as well.
You can also try donating with your feet propped up above your heart level, and an ice pack on your head.
What's your blood type? You may be a candidate for platelet or plasma apheresis. They use this fancy machine where they collect only one or two components. I donate platelets/plasma, which means I get to keep my red cells and I don't feel crappy after.
posted by radioamy at 3:25 PM on March 1, 2018 [7 favorites]
You have your answer for number 1. Thoughts on your second question as a nurse who sticks 5-10 people a day and a fellow blood donor:
- Hydrate well starting at least 48 hours in advance. Try half your body weight in ounces of water, per day
- No alcohol within 48 hours of donating
- Eat heartily the day before and day of donating
- Eat or drink while donating. I literally bring a tiny bag of candy and eat it a piece at a time (think jelly beans or gummy bears) with the hand they're not using
- Lie flat while donating
- Get those veins juicy! Try a few jumping jacks, push-ups, or burpees just before donation
Good luck!
posted by pecanpies at 4:12 PM on March 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
- Hydrate well starting at least 48 hours in advance. Try half your body weight in ounces of water, per day
- No alcohol within 48 hours of donating
- Eat heartily the day before and day of donating
- Eat or drink while donating. I literally bring a tiny bag of candy and eat it a piece at a time (think jelly beans or gummy bears) with the hand they're not using
- Lie flat while donating
- Get those veins juicy! Try a few jumping jacks, push-ups, or burpees just before donation
Good luck!
posted by pecanpies at 4:12 PM on March 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Oh, wanted to add: pump or squeeze your calf muscles and/or glutes. Raise and lower one leg at a time. This will help send blood back to your brain (vs letting in pool in your larger veins) and help prevent lightheadedness.
posted by pecanpies at 4:18 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by pecanpies at 4:18 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
The guy across from you probably had moderate symptoms of pre-syncope (maybe about to faint), same as you did. Everyone passes out a little differently.
Definitely pre-game for 2-3 days in advance, not just day-of, and you may want to drink some Gatorade or something that will similarly get sugar into your system even faster than a Clif bar right before you start.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:25 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
Definitely pre-game for 2-3 days in advance, not just day-of, and you may want to drink some Gatorade or something that will similarly get sugar into your system even faster than a Clif bar right before you start.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:25 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
The guy across from you probably had a vasovagal episode. (It sounds like you had one, too, from your description of your experience. Not all vasovagal episodes lead to loss of consciousness.)
posted by jesourie at 4:47 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by jesourie at 4:47 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hi, fellow lightheaded donor here, though my blood pressure is on the high end of normal. Hydration is important, as many have noted. Two easy ways to check for proper hydration: your pee should be pale straw in color (colorless is too much water) and when you bend over and stand up, you shouldn't feel lightheaded. But for me what made the difference was going to the "double red" donation. If you're type O, they mainly want your red cells anyway, and the system gives you back everything else, plus some extra saline for good measure. And they use an anti-clotting agent, so you are less likely to get stuck. The appointment takes longer, since it's a larger volume of fluid and they have to return most of it, and I am always dead tired a couple days after, but it's also half as frequent. Also you have to meet hemoglobin and weight requirements. But overall it's way better as far as I am concerned.
posted by wnissen at 5:13 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by wnissen at 5:13 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Multi-gallon blood donor here. The first few times I donated, I was very light-headed afterwards and came close to fainting several times in the hours after giving blood. It helped to schedule my donation for late afternoon, so I could go straight home and put my feet up, then have dinner. The lightheadedness got easier and easier over successive donations, to the point where I would bounce up right after the donation and feel fine. You will, however, always be a bit short of breath and have a racing heartbeat when you exercise in the days following a blood donation. In my case, this lasts for about three or four days but I'm very small (so have a small volume of blood) and tend to work out very vigorously.
posted by DrGail at 5:58 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by DrGail at 5:58 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have no experience with lightheadedness when giving blood, but the first time I went, I couldn't eke out a whole pint. Since then, I've figured out that this works for me to get a full pint fairly quickly:
1. Donate in the afternoon -- I dry out in my sleep and take a while to plump back up.
2. Squeeze the ball they give you more than every 5-10 seconds -- I pretty much keep squeezing / releasing, maybe once every two seconds.
3. Dress warmly -- sure, you have to be able to roll up your sleeve, but I had to remember not to wear a dress, e.g., in order to not freeze in the bloodmobile.
posted by batter_my_heart at 8:09 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
1. Donate in the afternoon -- I dry out in my sleep and take a while to plump back up.
2. Squeeze the ball they give you more than every 5-10 seconds -- I pretty much keep squeezing / releasing, maybe once every two seconds.
3. Dress warmly -- sure, you have to be able to roll up your sleeve, but I had to remember not to wear a dress, e.g., in order to not freeze in the bloodmobile.
posted by batter_my_heart at 8:09 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
I stopped donating for a long time because I would always get pre-syncope symptoms and end up feeling awful. I'm small and have blood pressure on the high end, so I think it just leaves me too fast. Then one of the staff told my husband to suggest that I lie down from the beginning. It's easier to prevent those symptoms than it is to get them to go away once they start. It's like magic. I've now been donating every 3 months for the last 4.5 years, and only had one issue where I felt woozy after I had left the donation center. Here's my process:
Drink tons of water the day before and the morning of the appointment.
Eat an hour or two beforehand.
Ask the nurse to lay me down as soon as we start.
Flex my calves and legs during the donation. Every so often I'll bend one knee up and flex all my muscles, then do the other leg.
Stay on the bed for a few minutes after I'm done.
Stop and sit for a while at the recovery station, and have a drink and a snack.
posted by thejanna at 8:00 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Drink tons of water the day before and the morning of the appointment.
Eat an hour or two beforehand.
Ask the nurse to lay me down as soon as we start.
Flex my calves and legs during the donation. Every so often I'll bend one knee up and flex all my muscles, then do the other leg.
Stay on the bed for a few minutes after I'm done.
Stop and sit for a while at the recovery station, and have a drink and a snack.
posted by thejanna at 8:00 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Lifelong blood donor here... Remain consistently hydrated for a couple of days before donating, and have loads of water to drink on the day. Dress warmly, and be active before you donate. Not like running a marathon active, but if you are cold and have been immobile, your body's natural desire to preserve core temperature will see your peripheral veins naturally constrict. Eating a small amount before/during can also help, but not a full meal.
The feeling of being short of breath or your heart racing is down to the fact that you're missing about 10% of your o2 carrying capacity in the day or two after donation. I'm told you make up the blood volume within a day or so, but the haemoglobin replacement takes about a week. So just take it a little easy for a few days.
As an aside, I also have veins the size of drainpipes, and can donate a full unit in a shade over 5 minutes. I got asked by the nurse last time I donated why I continue to do so. I pointed to my veiny popeye forearms and said 'because I've got no excuses not to'. 'Fair call' was her sage reply, as the machine beeped to tell her the donation was complete, 6 minutes after she put the needle in.
posted by tim_in_oz at 12:45 AM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
The feeling of being short of breath or your heart racing is down to the fact that you're missing about 10% of your o2 carrying capacity in the day or two after donation. I'm told you make up the blood volume within a day or so, but the haemoglobin replacement takes about a week. So just take it a little easy for a few days.
As an aside, I also have veins the size of drainpipes, and can donate a full unit in a shade over 5 minutes. I got asked by the nurse last time I donated why I continue to do so. I pointed to my veiny popeye forearms and said 'because I've got no excuses not to'. 'Fair call' was her sage reply, as the machine beeped to tell her the donation was complete, 6 minutes after she put the needle in.
posted by tim_in_oz at 12:45 AM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I work for a bloodbank, but am not a phlebotomist.
Thank you for being a blood donor. It is one of the most selfless things you can do. Please keep up the habit and take people with you, if possible.
Where I work a less-than-full unit is still usable. If it meets a minimum threshold (I believe it's 350ml where I work, but, again, I don't do phlebotomy) it is considered "low volume." It is still transfused the same as any other unit, as I understand it, just using more product to make up for it. You get credit for a whole donation whether you succeed or not, so, again, thank you for your good deed.
The person next to you had what we call a "reaction." That can encompass a number of behaviors, from losing consciousness to vomiting to voiding your bladder. If any of that scares you, then you should know that you are surrounded by people who are so good at dealing with reactions that they are paid to do it, and that should you have a reaction you will likely be assisted by three or more people who will do e everything to protect your privacy and dignity. If you want to prevent a reaction, make sure you have eaten recently before you donate and stay well hydrated. If wetting yourself is a concern (it's happened exactly twice in the eight years I've been here) ask to be excused and use the restroom after you are screened but before you donate.
You burn about six hundred calories when you donate. Double up on those snacks and, if you like them, ask if you can take some extra with you.
Thank you again for being a blood donor.
posted by Mr. Fig at 8:00 AM on March 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Thank you for being a blood donor. It is one of the most selfless things you can do. Please keep up the habit and take people with you, if possible.
Where I work a less-than-full unit is still usable. If it meets a minimum threshold (I believe it's 350ml where I work, but, again, I don't do phlebotomy) it is considered "low volume." It is still transfused the same as any other unit, as I understand it, just using more product to make up for it. You get credit for a whole donation whether you succeed or not, so, again, thank you for your good deed.
The person next to you had what we call a "reaction." That can encompass a number of behaviors, from losing consciousness to vomiting to voiding your bladder. If any of that scares you, then you should know that you are surrounded by people who are so good at dealing with reactions that they are paid to do it, and that should you have a reaction you will likely be assisted by three or more people who will do e everything to protect your privacy and dignity. If you want to prevent a reaction, make sure you have eaten recently before you donate and stay well hydrated. If wetting yourself is a concern (it's happened exactly twice in the eight years I've been here) ask to be excused and use the restroom after you are screened but before you donate.
You burn about six hundred calories when you donate. Double up on those snacks and, if you like them, ask if you can take some extra with you.
Thank you again for being a blood donor.
posted by Mr. Fig at 8:00 AM on March 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks to you all for your very helpful advice! I felt pretty much back to normal after a couple days. Next time I'll definitely pregame with the fluids a couple days in advance (plus an excuse to eat lots of oysters and clams, which I love!). I'll get a bigger meal in before I head down to the clinic, try get them to lay me down right away (vs. half way) and try the muscle clenching too.
I wasn't super nervous about my own reaction, except I was told that if I black out, I can't donate again since I'll have passed out twice in my life at that point. I figured I was basically in the best possible place to pass out, etc., since everyone was so well-trained to deal with it. But in reading your comments, I realize it probably didn't help to see the person across from me have an episode -- it didn't upset me and I was more curious than anything, but it may have added to whatever subconscious stress was in that situation. I feel better for understanding what (probably) happened and that he would've been well taken care of.
Thank you again, I look forward to giving this another try in May!
posted by miss_kitty_fantastico at 12:12 PM on March 5, 2018
I wasn't super nervous about my own reaction, except I was told that if I black out, I can't donate again since I'll have passed out twice in my life at that point. I figured I was basically in the best possible place to pass out, etc., since everyone was so well-trained to deal with it. But in reading your comments, I realize it probably didn't help to see the person across from me have an episode -- it didn't upset me and I was more curious than anything, but it may have added to whatever subconscious stress was in that situation. I feel better for understanding what (probably) happened and that he would've been well taken care of.
Thank you again, I look forward to giving this another try in May!
posted by miss_kitty_fantastico at 12:12 PM on March 5, 2018
Response by poster: Oh, an update, if anyone cares: I went again a few weeks ago, drank tonnes of water the day before and the day of, and ate unreasonably-heartily the day of, including a small burger about an hour before the donation. I brought a scarf to cover myself with to stay warm, and warned them about almost fainting last time. The nurse was so helpful and kind and friendly, elevating my legs at the start and chatting with me the entire time. I squeezed that little ball like it was going out of style (and realized my hand is ... not strong) and tried to move/flex my legs and feet throughout.
Great success! Filled that bag in like 10 mins, with no ill effects. Thanks mefites, I'm very grateful for your advice!
posted by miss_kitty_fantastico at 1:30 PM on August 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Great success! Filled that bag in like 10 mins, with no ill effects. Thanks mefites, I'm very grateful for your advice!
posted by miss_kitty_fantastico at 1:30 PM on August 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
After that happened a couple of times, and one time of being too anaemic to donate, I stopped for a while. Actually much longer than I intended to - several years in the end. I just went back recently for the first time in ages, and had no problems at all. So things can definitely change, but it's not always easy to say what the cause of the change is.
I'd say go back one more time and see what happens, maybe you just had an off day. If it was 5 hours since you'd had a full meal, and you'd only eaten the Clif bar right before, maybe try eating a proper meal an hour or two before next time?
posted by penguin pie at 3:10 PM on March 1, 2018 [1 favorite]