Blood donation

[biggs682]

I was told by donation people to have a year off due to low iron.
I upped my iron intake through diet and dropped from 3 to 2 times a year once I was allowed back.
No issues over the last couple of donations, happily.
The blood being taken for the second test is a new thing, apparently.

My iron levels are good but it never shows that on the drop test and now where they do a Venus test to prove it from the your not donation arm my veins in my right arm go into hiding and they can't get a sample

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Well for the second time running my donation failed this time , they couldn't get any blood from my right arm to do the second iron level test ( new process ) 😔

So need to re think donating

When I last tried and failed I was told that failing 3 times in a row brought a lifetime ban for safety reasons

I have not tried since as I know my iron is low - not as bad as it was but I felt it was a signal to stop trying

 

[Ming the Merciless]

When I last tried and failed I was told that failing 3 times in a row brought a lifetime ban for safety reasons

I have not tried since as I know my iron is low - not as bad as it was but I felt it was a signal to stop trying

Do you take iron tablets?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Do you take iron tablets?

Yes - I was taking them for 2 years and still had low iron

That was why they tested me for Coeliac Disease - turns out I was just not absorbing a lot of things and iron was just one of them
The diet (gluten free - no cheating) is a right pain - but it is making a lot of difference
but iron is still borderline and probably not high enough for blood donation

 

[T4tomo]

squeezed out pint no 25 last night according to this mornings email.