r/Blooddonors • u/AutoModerator • Dec 07 '22
This subreddit is for volunteer blood, platelet, and plasma donors, existing and potential, and people who support and encourage them. We strive to be a warm and welcoming community for those who generously give of their very life force.
You can participate here by:
When posting here:
🩸 Can I give blood?
Ask your local blood donation center by giving them a call or visiting. Their website may have a short quiz you can take to determine your eligibility. Don't assume you cannot give blood- eligibility rules can change, so call today and find out!
If you're in the U.S., visit donatingblood.org to search for your nearest center.
🩸 I don't have a "rare" blood type. Is it even worth it for me to donate?
The University of Maryland Medical Center sums it up nicely:
Every type of blood is needed daily to meet patient needs. If you have a common blood type, there are many patients who need it, so it is in high demand. If you have a less common blood type, there are fewer donors available to give it, so it is in short supply.
🩸 How long until I get my donor card or blood type?
Ask your donation center. If your center has an app or online account, try logging in and out again a few days after your donation to see if it will update.
The American Red Cross app and website usually takes 5-8 days to update.
🩸 Why are blood recipients charged if I gave blood for free?
The short answer: operating costs. Blood must be gathered, processed, tested, stored, and shipped. This requires wages and materials. These costs are ultimately passed down from the center to the hospital, then to insurance companies and patients, unless your government covers these costs.
🩸 Why is it important to give blood?
🩸 The needle site is very red, irritated, or even bruised. Is this okay?
Bruising is normal.
If you have bruising or pain, you can apply ice for 10-15 minutes at a time on the first day, then apply warm compresses or soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes at a time on the second day. If you take a pain reducing medication, avoid aspirin or medicines that contain aspirin. (Source: American Red Cross)
You may be allergic to the antiseptic solution or bandages used during the donation process. Make sure your center knows about your allergies before your donation.
If you have specific medical questions about your experience, contact your primary care provider or the donation center.
🩸 I just gave blood. Now what?
🩸 Should I take iron supplements?
🩸 Should I lie to give blood?
No, do not lie in order to give blood. Eligibility guidelines are put in place to preserve the health of blood donors and the health of the patients who receive blood products.
If you are not eligible to give blood:
🩸 Can I get better at giving blood?
Yes, it is possible to have a better blood donation experience. Always prepare beforehand by having a good meal and being well-hydrated. There is a common phenomenon that people have better donations over time, usually because they learn to prepare better, or because they wait some time after their first donation in high school in order to grow.
For more Frequently Asked Questions, see our FAQ wiki page.
r/Blooddonors • u/AutoModerator • Jun 19 '26
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek advice from your physician or another qualified medical professional if you have questions or are experiencing a medical problem. Consult your physician before taking supplements or changing your diet.
Based on the experiences of blood donors here at r/Blooddonors, the following information is provided to inform donors about the importance of iron for frequent blood donors. The statistics and information provided are primarily based on U.S. sources, but many of the points are universal. Ask your physician and blood collection center for more localized information.
Inform your physician: When visiting your physician for any reason, let them know you are a blood donor. They may not ask, since only a few percent of the population regularly donates blood. (1)
Why test hemoglobin? Blood collection centers test your hemoglobin before you donate to make sure that you can safely experience the loss of blood from donation, and to ensure the potency of the collected blood for patients. (2)
Hemoglobin does not equal iron: This test is sometimes called an “iron test”, but that’s not quite accurate. This test checks to make sure you have enough red blood cells to safely donate blood, it does not guarantee adequate iron stores. Iron stores may be low even if your hemoglobin level is sufficient to donate blood. (3)
Replace lost iron between donations: Because red blood cells contain iron, donating blood lowers your body’s iron stores. All blood donors are at risk for developing iron deficiency if the iron removed is not replaced before the next donation. (3)
Know if you are at an increased risk: Frequent donors are at an increased risk of iron deficiency. Blood collection organizations have created guidelines to determine if you are a frequent or at-risk donor. Please review these guidelines, consider your own personal health history, and speak to your physician if you have questions about how you fit into these guidelines.
American Red Cross Frequent Donors: (4)
AABB Frequent/Increased Risk Donors: (3)
Donors on plant-based diets
Ask for a ferritin test: If you suspect that you have an iron deficiency or if you are at an increased risk of iron deficiency, ask your physician for a ferritin test.
What is a ferritin test? A ferritin test measures the amount of ferritin in the blood. Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron. This test can be used to find out how much iron the body stores. If a ferritin test shows that the blood ferritin level is low, it means the body's iron stores are low. (5)
Diet & Maintaining Iron Levels: Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet containing foods rich in iron and high in vitamin C. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. There are some foods that prevent your body from absorbing iron. Avoid eating these foods in the same meal. Some examples: coffee or tea, red wine, chocolate, high fiber foods, some medications like antacids, and high calcium foods like milk or cheese. See Iron Rich Foods list. (6)
Iron Supplements: If you are a frequent donor, diet alone may not be enough to maintain healthy iron levels. Consult with your physician to see if taking an iron supplement is right for you. Your physician or pharmacist can help you choose the type of iron that is best for you and suggest when to take it to avoid interaction with other medications.
What should I know about taking iron supplements? (3), (4)
How can I tell if my iron is low? Many people with low iron stores feel fine and have no symptoms. Some people feel tired, lack energy and endurance, or have trouble concentrating. The desire to eat non-food substances like ice, chalk, starch, or clay can suggest iron deficiency. (3)
How much iron do I lose when donating blood? Each time you donate blood, you lose between 220-250 mg of iron. If you donate a double red, you lose twice that amount, about 470 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. (4)
What if I only donate platelets/plasma? Frequent platelet and volunteer plasma donors should also consider their iron health. When you donate, additional vials of blood are taken for testing. While these vials are small, they could add up with frequent donations.
Why is hemoglobin tested for platelet and plasma donations? During the apheresis process, whole blood is taken out of you. The center wants to make sure you'll be okay while your blood is processed, before it is returned to you. It is also possible that the machine may malfunction, cutting your donation short before your red blood cells are returned to you. Some whole blood is also taken for testing purposes. It also helps give a better estimate of the length of your donation, since higher levels slow down the extraction and processing of your blood.
Sources:
(1) America's Blood Centers Statistics
(2) AABB Donor Safety, Screening and Testing
(3) Information on Blood Donation and Iron Health
(4) Iron Information for Frequent Donors
(5) Ferritin Test- Mayo Clinic
(6) Iron Rich Foods
Additional Resources:
FAQs: Iron and Blood Donation for Donors and Parents
Hemoglobin Screening/Iron Management
Anaemia and Iron Deficiency in Blood Donors
r/Blooddonors • u/Pleasant-Medicine888 • 4h ago
Last time i donated was July 8 and the next available one for when im able to donate again is located at a Highschool. Will they take people who aren’t students or staff?
r/Blooddonors • u/AppropriateLobster27 • 7h ago
Background: I donated blood years ago, then had some issues with the percentage. Now I live in a different city, have no issue with the blood percentage and last year I signed up to become a blood donor again. First donation in February went fine. I am female and live in Denmark.
This morning, I went to do my second donation in this blood bank (which is in a hospital). The nurse seemed a bit disinterested (though everyone's bedside manor is different) but he found a vein, got the needle in, filled the small jars and got the donation itself going. Then he went somewhere else (this is not unusual).
After five minutes, I noticed that the strap around my upper arm (not sure what its called) started to feel way too tight. I got the attention of one of the other nurses, she went came and to loosened it, then looked and poked next to the needle and said that there seemed to be a hematoma, and she got another nurse to take a look.
She then said that they had to stop it, and she pulled out the needle and said that this was it. she measured the blood percentage with one of the small jars, it was 8.4 (which is fine for a woman). She didn't really explain what had happened, and I was unsure how to ask except whether the blood can still be used (it cannot) and whether I can try it again when the regular time has passed (I can).
I still feel a little sad about the experience - I am healthy and I want to help but now the blood is wasted, and I don't understand exactly what went wrong. I want to try again but thoughts keep running through my head about this. I also keep thinking what would/could have happened, if I hadn't asked the nurse to come over to loosen the strap.
Has anyone tried something similar either as a donor or as a phlebotomist?
r/Blooddonors • u/purina_tea • 4h ago
I just wanted to see if anyone else has this problem:
I have donated blood a few times to the American Red Cross with no issues at all. I do have rolling veins that can be hard to stick, but Red Cross always had a senior phlebotomist that could get me no problem. I've donated at least five times with them successfully.
The new office I work with only has a community blood center come in for donations (the last office I worked for brought in Red Cross hence why they are the only center I've donated to), and I've tried donating twice now, both being failed attempts. The first time I had a needle go straight into a tendon and then they didn't move forward with trying my other arm because the bruising was immediately bad and I was not okay with the pain levels. If you've never had this happen, it takes a bit to recover and gets pretty sore.
Today was my second attempt at donating with them. I had one phlebotomist get my tendon again after digging around in my arm, thankfully not as bad as last time. I let them try my left arm (which I've never donated from so I was interested to see if there would be a difference). The supervisor took over doing my second poke, which started out successfully after digging in my arm with the needle for a bit and then part way through my vein rolled out which caused the donation to fail as my vein started clotting. The needle didn't feel very secure when she left me, but if it was going, I wasn't going to ask any questions because I'm not a phlebotomist.
I also received not great service after the donation failed and the supervisor started in essence blaming me as she talked about how she knew my water intake wasnt high enough and saying that there was no way I have donated before XYZ. I understand that she was upset about the failed donation (me as well because ouch), but it seemed odd. Again, I've donated a handful of times to Red Cross with no issues, my diet and water intake (other than going up because it's summer and I am sweaty lol) hasn't changed much at all since I last donated to Red Cross a couple months ago. I also let them know I had the issue with the rolling veins, but that information did feel a bit disregarded when they went to poke me the first time. The second time I think they actually believed me.
I'm just wondering if this is a common issue with Community Blood Center and if they tend of have newer phlebotomists in off site donations. I'm planning on just going back to Red Cross as there is a center near me now to avoid this in the future, but after a handful of successful donations, I have now had back to back failed donations with not very preferable care which has been disappointing. Also, were in a blood shortage and I'm a B+ so I wanted to do my part and I know it's not a super common blood type.
Note: I did have my blood work done a month ago, and everything came up as usual so I'm pretty certain nothing has changed with me. I will be bringing this up at my next appointment because I feel like I don't hear about failed donations like this often. Also, I'm a bit of a gym nerd so I do track my nutrition and water intake pretty closely, so that's how I know that hasn't changed. I've been on the same nutrition program since last November. My last donation with Red Cross would have been in January.
r/Blooddonors • u/quinnrem • 23h ago
Whoops. I'd felt fine when I stood up. There were a ton of nurses/techs around me, waving smelling salts in my face and covering me with ice when I came to. Everyone was concerned but friendly. I was mortified beyond belief, but okay after about thirty minutes back in the chair with ice, snacks, and drinks.
EAT A GOOD MEAL BEFORE. LIKE. FOR REAL.
That is all.
r/Blooddonors • u/BranchWonderful197 • 23h ago
It's my third time donating only whole blood! I have A+ CMV- and I was hesitant about donating because I can't do apheresis (which I heard is best for A+) So I am here to tell you something is better than nothing!
r/Blooddonors • u/sudynim • 1d ago
r/Blooddonors • u/yujiem1949 • 1d ago
I'm so excited, this is my 25th donation🥳 After donation I got goodie bags of snacks, Kue Pastel (similar to empanada), and free drink refill. Also free iron supplements.
Swag or merch for the 25th donation takes some weeks say the staff. Need customization they said.
As a 24 year old girl I'm grateful. Donating with an irregular menstruation period takes much patience.
r/Blooddonors • u/DIANNpdg51 • 10h ago
donated my 13th pint since 2023 last weekend
r/Blooddonors • u/angie13 • 1d ago
r/Blooddonors • u/Witty-Drummer2955 • 1d ago
Hi, first time poster. I donated blood for the first time last summer, was super happy and the donation itself went smoothly. About a week later I started feeling really sharp pain in my hands and feet. Doctors checked for arthritis but that wasn’t it. Eventually it sort of went away, but it’s come and gone a few times since then and now it’s stuck around for a month. It’s pretty debilitating since I can’t type, exercise, or do anything that involves my hands or feet.
I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else has ever had this? I can’t say donation caused it (and I’m still glad to be a donor), but the timeline and the fact that blood loss seems to make it worse (menstruation, etc) kinda lines up. For reference, all the other stuff (iron, diabetes, autoimmune markers, B12) are normal. Doctors have no idea and I’m kinda going crazy here.
PS this is not meant to scare anyone about donating. If donation did play a role, I suspect its cause I was already low in something. Donating is still one of the best things you can do.
r/Blooddonors • u/Ill_North_4855 • 1d ago
I just wanted to drop a line and say that every time i donate either Platelets or WB( whole Blood) i leave with my body feeling amazing not bc i donated but bc i have a high iron contentvand it literally makes me feel so great for avout 72 hours afterwards then simply back to normal. I do recommend eating before you give and take tuns before during and after they will have pkenty at your donation place just ask and bc you cant move they will feed them to you. Lol the tums has so many extra benefits luke anticoagulate abd ut you feel itchy on your nose or face or anywhere the tums provude extra calcium and magnesium to your body and its great for the plates you donate as well. Usual time is approximately 2 to 3 hours however i am done in about an hour sometimes and longest ever was 2 hours i tend to fill my bag up really fast same when i give whole blood WB it Usually takes average of 30 mins im in and done in galf the time. So if you have ever dated or thinking about it ask all the questions you want while you are there to make your experience better and they willl be very open honest and helpful even a bit catering to you. Also Thank you for everyone who has donated either WB or Platelets. The world needs more people to donate. I also donate person to person no matter the time if i am called to the hospital for anyone 18 and under. It really helps the little kids stay calm and you can talk to them if old enough things like what they like to do, favorite tv show, songs, and sometimes we sing lol to help them stay calm parents love that when i do it bc the child forgets what is going on for a little while and ive got great kid jokes so that helps too. I hope my long message here gets read and it offers some help to anyone thinking about donating or possibly help if you've had a bad first experience.
r/Blooddonors • u/Moriastera • 1d ago
Hi!
Location: United States via Red Cross
Just donated for the 3rd time- the first time I donated had a mild vasovagal reaction (dizzy/ lightheaded). Donation took less than 5 minutes.
Second time, needle placement wasn't as good, so it took longer(7 minutes maybe?) plus i had a nasty bruise after lol, but no dizziness or anything.
This 3rd time, took 4 min 32seconds. I started getting a little dizzy in the chair right at the end, had them recline me, then felt better. While eating my snacks I got very lightheaded and had to lay down, and got the whole cold towels on the neck thing.
Is there a way to slow the donation down? I feel like the relatively fast donation times correlate to me getting dizzy- does anyone else have that experience?
If relevant I am a 125lb woman. I always joke it impacts me worse than my husband because he has more blood (taller) but lol, don't know if that is true or not.
r/Blooddonors • u/MilangaKing • 2d ago
Hi. I just wanted to share my experience the first time donating blood. English is not my mother tongue so sorry in advance for any spelling mistakes.
For the past week my 2 year old niece has been in the ICU with some health issues regarding her kidneys. I previously got scared with other family member's health issues but never as much as with her. Honestly it has been a terrifying experience that's not quite over yet, so that's why im posting here trying to distract myself in a way lol.
I've honestly never thought about donating blood, not because im selfish or scared of needles, just that the thought never really crossed my mind. This weekend she wen't through some surgery to set up her dialysis and needed some blood to be transfused, which luckily they had enough of.
So today I went to the pediatric hospital to donate blood for the reserves and all in all it was a pleasant experience. I arrived at 12, filled some paperwork, and then they cleaned my arm found my vein and began extracting! Unfortunately I was not as though as I thought and my vision started blurrying for a bit. They reclined my seat and I got back to normal in like 5 minutes while they finished the procedure. They gave me an overly sweet coffee with an equally sweet muffin and then i went on my way. I was asleep until i napped a bit and then went on with my day. The staff was really nice.
With all this i've experienced I just wanted to say thank you. Thanks to everyone who's ever donated to help other people. Walking through the hallways of a children's hospital really puts one's own life in perspective. This time i've donated in name of my niece, but im really looking forwards to keep being a donor as long as my health allows me to.
r/Blooddonors • u/AMarie0908 • 2d ago
I did a whole blood donation and got to eat ice cream after. It's a win-win!
r/Blooddonors • u/Big-Meeting5821 • 1d ago
Just donated blood for the first time. Usually when I get a needle I get dizzy, my vision blacks out, and there’s so much buzzing I can’t hear. I’m not even scared of needles so not sure why this happens but it always seems to.
Today I went in and everything went fine until after I got the needle out and my arm wrapped, I felt my usual symptoms so I didn’t say anything but then I wake up and I’m lying down with 5 people above me. Based on the number of people around I assume I was out for more than a few seconds. Anyways I lie down for however long, they feed me and get me to drink, and by this point it’s been a good hour since I’ve felt better but they still won’t let me leave. They gave me some sort of taxi discount and sad they’d call one I finished eating. I kinda felt like an absolute mega burden and said bye to the lady at the front desk and left. Then later I get a call going “where are you your taxi is here we searched all over for you” and I go “holy shit I didn’t know you called one im so sorry” but the lady is NOT happy and I feel so terrible.
Point is, knowing myself I’ll probably faint again if I donate again. Will they accept me back? Should I continue to go if I bother them so much? I made sure to go when not busy it was only me and one other person the whole time do I just do that again?
r/Blooddonors • u/Infamous_Increase220 • 2d ago
(TW: vomit) Hello, I badly need advice!!! In 2023, after a mass shooting in my town, I decided to donate blood for the first time. I ended up having to stop halfway through the donation due to blacking out, being unable to hear, and feeling sick. Since then, I donated my stem cells, easy peasy! Then, in May, I tried to donate again after my stem cell success. I was fine during the donation (unlike the first time), but immediately after the donation, I just started to uncontrollably vomit. Like, it was aggressive and terrible. I throw up quite frequently day-to-day, so it's not horrible, just super embarrassing. Any tips for how I can avoid this during my donation so I can get that Hello Kitty merch LOL?
r/Blooddonors • u/Express-Stop7830 • 3d ago
I have been donating since I was old enough (almost 3 decades ago). I have never received a "message my donor." (Not that I need that...I just love hearing about people who survived. It keeps me going, even on morning I don't feel like getting up early for hours on the amicus machine.)
This weekend, it hit close to home. A dear friend's mother is on ICU and has received several units to stabilize her enough to be in ICU.
She is an amazing woman. A wonderful mom. A most incredible grandma. And a wonderful lady who loves me simply because I'm her daughter's friend.
THANK YOU. Thank you, donors. Please know her family is so very appreciative. They have thanked me for being part of the donor community - a thing they acknowledged was important but now have lived first hand. So, please take this post as an extension of their appreciation.
You all are wonderful people who restore my faith in humanity. And this weekend, some of us saved my friend. Thank you thank you thank you 💞
r/Blooddonors • u/gravityhomer • 3d ago
13.3 today. Was telling the screening woman how I was rock steady for years on hemoglobin until they switched to the non finger pick method, now I can be 15.9 one time, then 13, then over 14.5, now back down to 13.3.
When the number popped up she was more excited than I was.
r/Blooddonors • u/psyduck0054 • 3d ago
Tomorrow will be my anniversary of donating platelets. Since I’m AB+, Red Cross informed me that my platelets would be more useful rather than whole blood. I’m hoping to encourage more people in the Philippines to donate platelets especially if they’re AB since it’s quite rare. By helping others, I am also helping myself by looking out for my physical health, making sure that I’ll be qualified for my next donation 🥰
r/Blooddonors • u/Any-Corgi-6948 • 3d ago
As in, the lifestyle system that will turn me into a reliable donor. I made my first donation in late 2017 and have only managed 11 since then, because I keep getting deferred for low hemoglobin, ferritin, and once for a whole year for a weird-looking mole. So this averages to probably about 1.1 donations/year for the last decade (11 donations, 16 attempts).
Finally managed to gather the data from all the bloodwork I have ever had done in my life, in the hopes that it will help me figure out A System to keep myself reliably eligible. But the data is super noisy - as far as I can tell my hemoglobin can just randomly be anywhere between 120 and 140 on any given day, and my ferritin refuses to go above 30 (or, at least, ever since 2014). Yes, I’m seeing a doctor about this, but most of them have said the same thing, which is that unless I have anemia symptoms all they can really say is to eat healthy, and they don’t book more frequently than about every 3 months.
So I’m looking for advice on how to turn my decade of data into a useful System, a System that will tell me what to eat and when to book donation appointments so that I can be reliable and not be constantly playing roulette with my eligibility. I’m not really looking for advice on what to do, but on how you developed Your System - what kind of data did you collect over what period of time, how did you analyze it, whom did you seek reference from, etc. Especially if you started off as an unreliable donor but managed to get yourself to be reliable.
Thanks!
r/Blooddonors • u/Jking11501 • 3d ago
A couple weeks ago, I went to donate platelets, and it was awful. Because you can't move your arms the whole time, my arms were in extreme pain throughout most of it. They put little slits under my arms when I brought it up, but it didn't help much. I also had to pee really badly for most of it, and I couldn't finish it with 24 minutes left cuse I had to pee so badly. If I donate platelets again, is there something I can do to make it better. Cuse if I can't, there is no way I'm putting myself through that again.
I'm in Boston, Massachusetts, USA
r/Blooddonors • u/KaylaBlair20 • 3d ago
I successfully donated platelets for the first time today. I am glad as I was differed twice for platelet donation before this. It was colder than I expected, I did experience mild/brief/intermediate muscle twitching, and I felt the slightest bit off after it was done but I survived. A bit different from how I've felt after blood donations but I recovered quickly. The phlebotomist who handled all but the last part was apparently happy to see I was a young healthy person. They gave me stuff which I had kind of forgotten was a thing and I've included a picture of it because why not. 10/10 would do it again.
r/Blooddonors • u/Ok-Lawfulness1263 • 4d ago
This was my "donation" experience from a few days ago with the American Red Cross that I really need to over dramatically share to vent my frustrations. To start things off, there was a massive waiting time to donate because there is a national blood shortage right now for the US. I totally understand that, but still, showing up at 5:30 to get pricked at 8 was a slog. All my stats were good, and my donation time was a beautiful 4 1/2 minutes.
And then, disaster struck.
Another phlebotomist comes around after I'm patched up to fetch my blood test tubes, and she then realizes... They were never done. Mind you, the needle was already taken out and my arm was freshly bandaged. They ask if I'm willing to have my other arm pricked, and I accept.
New needle, new arm, and almost immediately we're hitting another hurdle. My blood is coming out sloooowly and it takes forever, and a lot of finicky to fill the first tube of two up. At this point I'm surrounded by basically every phlebotomist there because I'm basically the final donor in the place. The next and final tube was an even worse draw, and they eventually came to the conclusion that there is a "skin plug" in the needle. To my understanding, when they stabbed me, a little piece of my skin got in the needle, which was basically messing up the flow of blood like an evil, cursed dam.
Despite a lot of fidgeting and maneuvering both the tube and the needle (OUCH), the blood basically stopped juuuust below the white label on the tube, and for the tube to count for testing, it needed to intersect with that very same label. It was like being on your tippy toes and still being too short to ride, except the ride is an anemic form of generosity. There's a total air of defeat as they take the needle out, and inform me that not only can they legally not prick me a third time, but without the two correctly full tubes, my entire donation is utterly void and nil.
As a final nail in the blood drained coffin, the very same arm that was pumping high and dry in its hour of need proceeded to bleed through three bandaids, which if we could ethically squeegee that into the final tube, it probably would've been that final needed centimeter of blood.
So yeah, after almost 2 1/2 hours of waiting, both my arms getting stabbed (the second one is bruised like a banana on the bottom of the bunch btw), and an entire Ben and Jerry's worth of ice cream taken from my body, I saved not a life or aided a soul despite all the right preparations on my part. As some form of consolation, at least it makes a very memorable donor story and I will of course be right back to try again as soon as I'm ready.
Note: I really don't blame the phlebotomist that much. It seemed like an honest mistake after they had been working otherwise diligently all day. It was an unlucky accident that they apologized for profoundly.
