Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. I was admitted to the nearest hospital through their ER. Why? Donating blood Yes, I would do it as soon as possible as you are already experiencing symptoms. being a college student in the middle of finals i couldn't believe this was happening to me. The study found that regular, long-term blood donation had a protective effect against cardiovascular disease, although only in females. I was kind of peeved at my doc. Yes, an increase in hemoglobin, red blood cells, and hematocrit leads to shortness of breath. I don't donate now because I had prostate cancer in 2015, although surgery cured that. They tested it and told me I was good to donate so just assumed it was within normal levels. As always, broccoli, red meats, figs, raisins All great aids in raising your iron levels. when i donated they checked my hemoglobin and it was 14.8 a week later at the emergency room is was around 10.2 or something like that. After donating, I returned to my desk, feeling a little dizzier than usual. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. The result is we experience shortness of breath. You nearly killed you, along with potentially killing others. But overall major effects are rarely occur. Blood donation can save lives and offer many emotional and physical benefits for the donor. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. Resting helps the body to recover while it adjusts to the loss of blood. These particular antibodies decrease over time to undetectable levels. Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education. (I felt great after!). Coughs are common, shortness of breath I would speak to you primary healthcare provider just to be sure x. DawnTX in reply to MummyLuv 9 months ago. Obesity linked to 21 genes related to Alzheimers disease, study finds, What to know about blood transfusions and sickle cell disease, Everything you need to know about blood transfusions and anemia. They may only bleed while you are digesting food, in which case, you can't see them during an endoscope. This results in the destruction of platelets and a decline in platelet numbers. Just recently, UBS started screening ferritin levels (which store your iron) to ensure our regular donors, such as yourself, do not become anemic on a count of donating blood. I lost consciousness and no one knew. If you experience any of these symptoms after donating blood: Sudden chest or stomach pain. Today i woke up still very dizzy, weak and with a horrible headache. The FDA requires blood centers to test for hemoglobin or hematocrit, and both of these are tests for anemia (there are 100+kinds of anemia, only one of which is from iron deficiency), not for iron levels as blood center staff sometimes erroneously claim. Shortness of breath has lots of different causes. I donated over a month ago (MLK Day) and the needle hit a nerve. Cardiac conditions can also cause a fast heartbeat with shortness of breath. The recipients anti-IgA antibodies can react with the IgA antibodies in the donor blood. (n.d.). I'm glad you're doing ok now. Reaction to exogenous test Reaction to carrier oil Overstimulation of neurons in the brain from exsessive androgens. I wanted to share my opinion and my story about frequent blood donating. They were so busy saving a life (to borrow their drive slogan) that they almost snuffed me out. Can a person do anything to help reduce the chance of a blood transfusion reaction from occurring? Who would turn them in? Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Have you received answers? The transfusion was. placing the person in an upright position is often sufficient to treat mild TACO, treating a person with diuretics to remove excess fluid may help resolve more advanced TACO, intubating to improve respiration is sometimes necessary in severe cases. Minimum for females to be able to donate is 120g/L. so much anxiety from feeling so bad and being so worried about my health. You are screened much more thoroughly and they're very strict about who donates. I just donated my blood 3 days ago for the first time ever. if im sitting or lying down, i feel almost normal. I support donating blood, I simply don't support trusting someone with 6 days of medical training with your health. Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. Lab Tests Online. The nurses who monitor me are nurses, with medical training mostly coming out of hospitals seeking a more positive career - lots of people die in hospitals after all. I've also been dealing with RLS, which can be due to insufficient iron, even with a ferritin level that is in the low-normal range. 2004-2023 Healthline Media UK Ltd, Brighton, UK, a Red Ventures Company. Chris Hibbard (author) on September 18, 2013: I wish that were the case here (there are no RNs where I donated). Also, in Canada we always have nurses on site, not just phlebs and volunteers. I would never lie about a test to pass someone to hurry and leave a. I like my job and b. Signs and symptoms can include: Fatigue Weakness Pale skin and gums Shortness of breath A fast or irregular heartbeat Your doctor might recommend a complete blood count test to determine whether you have a low hemoglobin count. bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract. Obesity linked to 21 genes related to Alzheimers disease, study finds. We avoid using tertiary references. Other symptoms people may experience include: 4. Accessed March 6, 2020. Sudden onset of shortness of . Review/update the
Took my doc years to find the cause. I couldn't even climb the stairs to my bedroom at home. Usually the amount of blood that be taken is about 250 to 500 cc. Acute Shortness of Breath After Transfusion A 74-year-old man with a three-month history of worsening anemia was admitted for a transfusion of two units of packed red blood cells, I had shortness of breath, heart palpitations, continue to drink water and eat, shortness of breath on exertion (SOBOE Before i jump to the main topic i want to recall that not everybody can donate her/his blood. Other things you might ask your hematologist about: * Some meds affect absorption, including proton pump inhibitors (for ulcers/ GERD). Blood centers generally allow no more than one plasma donation every four weeks (28 days) and up to 13 times per year. Glad you got checked out Devon! He found that my iron stores were completely depleted. As five blood clots moved through my heart and almost completely blocked my right ventricle, I felt no pain - just a little shortness of breath. Your blood and urine will be tested for signs of kidney failure or destroyed red blood cells. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency. And on a side note I had education to do what I do and am nationally certified. Got out of bed to tell someone but collapsed after a few steps. The woman taking my blood took a long time to find a vein (she might have never found it) and to swap my arm with the antiseptic. I hope this experience does not scare your readers and deter them from donating blood. should i be worried? If the site begins to bleed again, they can apply pressure for 25 minutes, and keep the bandage in place for a further 4 hours. It is normal to feel a little bit tired after donating blood because theres less circulation of blood to the brain. You may expect a kind volunteer who helped organize the blood drive might look out for you. Just now checked on the app and it was 128g/L. I will not give blood ever again. It occurs when the recipient develops antibodies against the platelets. I get migraines too and I'm a healthy female. Bruising, or discoloration of the skin, is normal following blood donation. I started not being able to breathe playing ice hockey. Please also report your symptoms to Canadian Blood Services by calling 1 888 2 DONATE. Odds are if you fail it and we take you anyway your going to have a reaction which keeps us later anyway. You can lie down and rest if you feel dizzy. Broken ribs . All rights reserved. Iron Toxicity is dangerous. Using irradiation can help prevent the chance of a person developing TAGVHD. : High bp, unbalanced hormones, shut down of certain hormones like pregnenolone dhea progesterone etc. when i try to take a walk, i feel as if im walking like a zombie. I've been donating since I was 16, now 32 and been doing plasma for the past 4 years. Breathe in through your nose and then slowly breathe out through your mouth with your lips slightly puckered. For many, COPD causes our lungs to become hyper-inflated, which means they take up more room in our chest. Eight weeks is the minimum time between donations for whole blood and they take a pint each time you donate. its not 13.4 i believe from the top of my head. But if they do not pass even one of the requirements they have to look for the next chance or even do some medication if theres infection in their blood before they can be the donor. https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/donors-deferred-forlowhemoglobin.html. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Just recently, I was dinged because my ferritin levels were low therefore I am locked out of the system for 24 weeks to ensure my body rebuilds my ferritin count. I went to the mall to do some shopping and eventually just left after about an hour as just walking the mall was leaving me tired. This also caused by the dropping pressure of your blood. Hi, I had an unprovoked PE in August. According to a 2019 article, symptoms of PTP can include: According to the authors of Transfusion Medicine for Pathologists: A Comprehensive Review for Board Preparation, Certification, and Clinical Practice, it is important to note that transfusion reactions are rarely fatal. I hope one recovers fast from that.. However, some people who use nicotine or cannabis products may wonder if they are eligible blood donors. How can blood transfusions treat anemia? A blood clot. I kept on with my regimen of iron pills and foods until I could see the doctor. Other symptoms include nausea, lightheadedness, back or jaw pain and breaking out in a cold sweat. Prevention is the best form of treatment. Being short of breath is also a warning sign of a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association, and it can happen with or without chest pain. But he said he had never seen low iron in a guy before as healthy as I was!! If you feel fatigue and about to faint you should immediately lie down and rest. It's like my life has stopped since I haven't been able to go back to my daily routine. An indication of low ferritin levels is low hemoglobin. I decided to leave for home while I could still drive. I went from 100% healthy to sicker than I have ever been. I thought I was the only one. Blood banks are regulated by the FDA. Bloodworks suggest applying a cold compress four times a day for 20 minutes for the first 2 days. It happened when my blood sugar was low as I was hungry waiting for a client to arrive late. I was a healthy female age 45 walking 9 miles a day to getting tired just doing yard work or filing at work. Approach to the adult with anemia. Shortness of breath Dizziness or lightheadedness Chest pain Cold hands and feet Headaches At first, anemia can be so mild that you don't notice it. The last time the lady was really lovely (no rushing) My blood just wouldnt drop in the solution and when they checked a blood sample it failed as my haemoglobin level was slightly low (should be 125 and it was 121 ) I was told it was not at a level to worry about and there was no need to see the doctor. The fever is part of the persons white blood cells response to the new blood. * a small bleeding ulcer can cause low iron, even one that doesn't show up in a EGD (Upper Endoscopy). In extremely rare cases, migraines can cause actual strokes. i had some juice and went to sleep. 2 months ago i walked into a red cross donating drive thinking i was going to donate the typical 1 pint of blood. On inhaler. Chest pain that gets worse. Now I just received a letter saying my ferritin level is a 8 and I may be anemic . Will get tested after being off them to see if I hold healthy #s w/o supplements, then finally, if I can donate again, and rebuild WITHOUT supplements. I think the problem is they don't test for ferritin (blood stores of iron) and rely too much on haemoglobin, but haemoglobin can be within the normal range but ferritin too low ! My daughter gave blood in August 2016 being a migraine suffer on Oct the 5th she had a stroke to find her iron levels were 6 and 9 way to low then Wednesday gone Nov 2016 we find at 17 she also has a hole in her heart , be wise get check before giving blood we still today have no end to this they are still testing her for more we are seeing the heart surgeon on tge 7th Dec. Because I know I'm borderline anemic, I always keep a close eye on my iron levels and take daily vitamins with iron to ensure healthy levels. What to do before, during, and after your donation. And like you said Chris, if you already are feeling symptoms of fatiguing easily, loss of energy, cold all the time, tingling and pins and needles, it's probably a good idea to go to your primary before donating. Low blood and low iron content can cause migraines. Once that is determined, you and your physician can work together to create a treatment plan. safe to say im never donating again. I have found that you can't trust a blood center to consider your health when they are concerned with collecting as many pints of blood as possible. 23rd ed. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on
Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. We do however, check your hemoglobin levels which is a protein in your red blood cells that delivers oxygen to your body. This is rare for a male donating blood. The FDA permits but does not require blood centers to take blood from already anemic donors, and blood centers choose to actually do so. Thanks for all the comments. Beware though: more Americans have TOO MUCH iron than too little--it's why they stopped putting them in "normal" multi-vitamins. Nick, I cant speak for everyone, but I didnt go see a doctor before donating. Shortness of breath after blood donation I just made my first blood donation two days ago. If symptoms continue or worsen, lower yourself to the floor, prop feet at a level higher than heart, and summon help. 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Although surgery cured that who use nicotine or cannabis products may wonder if they are eligible donors. Respective owners just now checked on the app and it was 128g/L breathe out through nose. Believe from the shortness of breath after donating blood of my head Arena Platform, Inc. other and!