Giving blood....

[erin-x]

Can you give blood if you are taking iron tablets?

[starone]

I think they test it don't they, before you give the main lot and they will tell you if it is all right or not.

[Sheenamf]

I expect so but ask when you go

[erin-x]

Thanks for answering :) It's on Sunday and I just started taking them yesterday! I've been wanting to donate for ages!

[Buenchico]

No problem:
http://www.blood.co.u.../who-cant-give-blood/
and
http://www.blood.co.u...nors-are-turned-away/

Full checklist here:
http://www.blood.co.u...d/donor-health-check/

Chris

[Sheenamf]

They won't take it if you've had your ears (or anything else) pierced recently, tattoo, or acupuncture, even from an accredited practitioner.

[SpikeyBush]

I was told in Ireland that I couldn't give them any of my claret because I lived in England from 1974 to 2000 and therefore had a risk of carrying CJD.

[excelsior-1]

erin.

as a regular donor (number 69 last time) i am proud that i can.
i sincerely hope that you will be able to do so, and i congratulate you on your decision.
will you please come back and let us know if you were successful?

[joggerjayne]

There's an advert at the moment saying that blood stocks fall when there's a major event like the Olympics.

By coincidence, I missed an appointment a couple of weeks ago. It's the first time in years that I've forgotten to donate.

[ummmm]

They give you an iron test before they take blood.

[Smowball]

I havent given blood for years, but should as I have quite a rare blood group. Where do I find out where my local blood donating unit is??

[ummmm]

Here

http://www.blood.co.uk/

Once you've been they will send you reminders.

[Smowball]

Great, thanks for that

[cassa333]

My husband gives blood regularly. He has had a rescent diasgnosis of Prostate Cancer and is due for treatment next week and wondered if he should still give blood before treatment.

[ummmm]

I would say no, Cassa.

[erin-x]

I will do, Excel :-)

I'm actually looking forward to it. Finger crossed they let me! x

[carlton23]

cassa333, so sorry to hear your hubby has what I`ve had since 2003, so don`t despair as things have improved since I was diagnosed, although they have left it too late for me,and my prognosis is now less than nine months. I`m sure he will get heaps of encouragement from my friends in AB to face the future and get well again. Good luck and God go with you both.

[maggiebee]

Remember going to give blood but when they tested it, it "floated". They kindly suggested that I probably needed all my own blood! I then had to go to my doctor and was put on iron tablets. Maybe not at this time erin?

[LazyGun]

An easy, quick if somewhat rough and ready method of screening prospective blood donors to ensure that have a sufficiently high Hb to tolerate a blood donation safely is to introduce a drop of blood to a tube of copper sulphate solution. If the Hb is greater that a nominal level, the drop will have a greater specific gravity than the copper sulphate solution, and drop to the bottom of the tube. If the specific gravity is less than the copper sulphate solution, this means that the Hb is below the nominal level and the donor could be deferred.

Just thought you might be interested, following Maggies post :)

http://www.ehow.com/h...g-copper-sulfate.html

[Traci66]

Why won't they let you give blood if you are under a certain weight?

[ummmm]

Maybe because you need it yourself.