Why aren't you donating blood?

Martina1991

Wanderer19 wrote:

I'm more than willing, but because I was living in England in the early 90's I'm not allowed to, due to Mad Cow disease. If they change the rules then I would.

They did change the rules.

That restriction has been lifted for months.

ILoveYourVibes

tuxy wrote: »

I guess it depends on who you are.

Midnight_EG was very happy that he couldn't donate because he has had gay anal sex.

But it does go back to my point about not understanding how they can even get enough blood because of all the rules.
Some of the rules are very important but many make little sense.

I agree.

They can't let people who are overweight donate for some reason ..not sure why ....i don't know what the threshold is either.

I don't think its irish blood they use mostly ..i think they buy it no?

beertons

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

You are also not allowed to donate if you have psoriasis ..

This is not true. I have it, but don't treat it. If you use steroid creams, you'd be sent home.

yosser hughes

Antares35 wrote: »

Do the homosexual men that IBTS discriminates against have to pay the tax too?

They don't discriminate against homosexual men. If you mean they won't accept blood from someone who has had anal sex recently, then there is a good reason for that. They also won't take accept blood from people for all sorts of other reasons too.

ILoveYourVibes

beertons wrote: »

This is not true. I have it, but don't treat it. If you use steroid creams, you'd be sent home.

Ah thank you for the correction ..i got it from the NHS website they obv weren't clear enough. They should said you could not donate if you had it.

HeidiHeidi

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

You are also not allowed to donate if you have psoriasis ..

If you are menstruating you can't unless you pass a haemoglobin test.

Also a lot of women who DO give blood it upsets their period and delays it or makes them miss it.

Some countries don't let menstruating women donate at all until their period is finished.

And if you are having a heavy period they will tell you to wait.

WTF???


I haven't donated in a few years, due to various illnesses and surgeries - but unless things have changed radically since I was there, this is rubbish.


You have to have a pinprick test to make sure your iron levels are sufficient (they are way above anaemia levels) - but other than that, nobody has any way of know if you are/were menstruating..... and I've never seen a question about psoriasis (again, I haven't donated in a couple of years so maybe this has changed)


Can you back up any of the above?

tuxy

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I agree.

They can't let people who are overweight donate for some reason ..not sure why ....i don't know what the threshold is either.

I don't think its irish blood they use mostly ..i think they buy it no?

It's crazy if they buy it from sources with less strict rules.

The weight rules is not that crazy can't be under 50kg or over 158kgs

I think for someone over 158kg any activity in life is too dangerous for them.

Telly

I donated 2’weeks ago. It was really well done considering the social distance rules that were in place then.

Telly

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

WTF???


I haven't donated in a few years, due to various illnesses and surgeries - but unless things have changed radically since I was there, this is rubbish.


You have to have a pinprick test to make sure your iron levels are sufficient (they are way above anaemia levels) - but other than that, nobody has any way of know if you are/were menstruating..... and I've never seen a question about psoriasis (again, I haven't donated in a couple of years so maybe this has changed)


Can you back up any of the above?

No they can’t cause it’s bull. I’m
Female and just donated and all that is shíte.

tuxy

Reading this I'm actually annoyed I can't donate. Although in my case I agree with it, my blood wouldn't be safe.

I do have to give blood for tests sometimes and the experience is actually pleasant. I like the light headed feelings.
Of course they take far more for a donation so maybe I would not like that.

ILoveYourVibes

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

WTF???


I haven't donated in a few years, due to various illnesses and surgeries - but unless things have changed radically since I was there, this is rubbish.


You have to have a pinprick test to make sure your iron levels are sufficient (they are way above anaemia levels) - but other than that, nobody has any way of know if you are/were menstruating..... and I've never seen a question about psoriasis (again, I haven't donated in a couple of years so maybe this has changed)


Can you back up any of the above?

Yes its from the Irish blood transfusion Service about the haem test.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/faqs/health-faqs/health-questions/menstruating-period.html


The psoriasis one i got from here

https://verekeskus.ee/en/donate-blood/restrictions/


But now i think the Irish website explains better if you have generalized psoriasis or use treatment you should not donate.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/faqs/health-faqs/health-questions/psoriasis.html

It seems if you have severe or generalized psoriasis there is an issue ..or maybe its just the way its worded that is making me think that. I dunno.

LaFuton

every time i try give blood they freak me out with all these weird personal questions

who's blood is this, why is it in a bucket..

totally spoils the mood

Ten of Swords

Wanderer19 wrote: »

I'm more than willing, but because I was living in England in the early 90's I'm not allowed to, due to Mad Cow disease. If they change the rules then I would.

The ban on donations from people who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 was removed last October. You can now donate, provided you meet the other criteria.

accensi0n

Telly wrote: »

No they can’t cause it’s bull. I’m
Female and just donated and all that is shíte.

You must have been in a cheery mood.

They changed the rules whereby any woman in a foul mood or who appears overly emotional isn't allowed donate.

HeidiHeidi

Telly wrote: »

No they can’t cause it’s bull. I’m
Female and just donated and all that is shíte.

My worry is that it's bul****e that might put people off donating.


I'm suffering daily guilt-trips because I'm not able to donate at the moment, and haven't been able to for quite a while - I'm sure they need every pint they can get, and posts like this do nothing to encourage people to get out there and donate.


:mad::mad::mad:

tuxy

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

My worry is that it's bul****e that might put people off donating.


I'm suffering daily guilt-trips because I'm not able to donate at the moment, and haven't been able to for quite a while - I'm sure they need every pint they can get, and posts like this do nothing to encourage people to get out there and donate.


:mad::mad::mad:

You would wonder why people set out to deter others from donating like that.

What do they get out of it?

ILoveYourVibes

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

My worry is that it's bul****e that might put people off donating.





:mad::mad::mad:

It definitely does...they did this blood donation day in UCD last year ..they go on campus and ask for donations its all pre arranged etc.

The thought is if people do it once ..in college while young they might do it again later.

s1ippy

All the people making bizarre excuses, just take this test and see if you're eligible.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/blood-eligibility-quiz/

That simple.

ILoveYourVibes

tuxy wrote: »

You would wonder why people set out to deter others from donating like that.

What do they get out of it?

I don't understand the importance of these things questions asked ..i am not a doctor. But obviously the screening is there for a reason.

ILoveYourVibes

s1ippy wrote: »

All the people making bizarre excuses, just take this test and see if you're eligible.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/blood-eligibility-quiz/

That simple.

That would put a lot of people off.

They do par q for fitness ...but a lot of gyms stopped because its not commercially viable. But that just means they don't care if you drop dead on the treadmill.

Telly

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

My worry is that it's bul****e that might put people off donating.


I'm suffering daily guilt-trips because I'm not able to donate at the moment, and haven't been able to for quite a while - I'm sure they need every pint they can get, and posts like this do nothing to encourage people to get out there and donate.


:mad::mad::mad:

They’re getting pretty low they said. I give every 3 months. You’re taken into a private booth and asked the questions that you’ve just filled out. Not once are you asked about your period. I’m giving blood over ten years.

They do a prick test for your iron and if it’s normal you’re good to go. The trick is to drink loads of water that day so you’re not dehydrated.

You get a text the next day to thank you for donating and when your blood is used you get a text to tell you what hosp it was used in. My second last one ended up in cork.

HeidiHeidi

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Yes its from the Irish blood transfusion Service about the haem test.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/faqs/health-faqs/health-questions/menstruating-period.html


The psoriasis one i got from here

https://verekeskus.ee/en/donate-blood/restrictions/


But now i think the Irish website explains better if you have generalized psoriasis or use treatment you should not donate.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/faqs/health-faqs/health-questions/psoriasis.html

It seems if you have severe or generalized psoriasis there is an issue ..or maybe its just the way its worded that is making me think that. I dunno.

The first link says absolutely nothing about currently menstruating, heavy periods, or donation causing you to miss periods. You have to take an test to make sure your iron levels are above safe limits. That's it.


The second link is for UK donations?


The third one does not state that you cannot donate if you have psoriasis.


Stop posting scaremongering "information" ffs, people will be screened when they go in to donate (including an interview if you're a first-time donor) - the last thing we need, esp at a time like this, is to put potential or current donors off


/rant

Balmed Out

s1ippy wrote: »

All the people making bizarre excuses, just take this test and see if you're eligible.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/blood-eligibility-quiz/

That simple.

Plenty or reasons beyond the quiz. I had cancer 10 years ago but can never give blood again because of it.

ILoveYourVibes

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

The first link says absolutely nothing about currently menstruating, heavy periods, or donation causing you to miss periods.

You can give blood while menstruating if you pass the Haemoglobin screening test and you are not in discomfort or pain.

The missed periods is something i have heard from women who did donate.

Also if they had regular heavy periods they were advised not to.

ILoveYourVibes

Balmed Out wrote: »

Plenty or reasons beyond the quiz. I had cancer 10 years ago but can never give blood again because of it.

I didn't know that.

tuxy

I wonder is there an estimate of what percentage of the population could give blood and how many do.

ILoveYourVibes

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Stop posting scaremongering "information" ffs, people will be screened when they go in to donate (including an interview if you're a first-time donor) - the last thing we need, esp at a time like this, is to put potential or current donors off


/rant

I don't think you are ranting. I do think you are passionate that is a good thing.

I'm not scaremongering. If people are going to do it ..they will.

HeidiHeidi

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

The missed periods is something i have heard from women who did donate.

Also if they had regular heavy periods they were advised not to.

Will you please STOP!!!


This is all hearsay and conjecture on your part.


The pool of people eligible and willing to donate is tiny already, without potential donors being put off by reading this kind of stuff on a public forum.


Anyone willing to consinder donating will be professionally screened by the staff of the IBTS when they go in, and all bases will be covered.


Please, please do not put people off going in to see if they are eligible to donate.

tabby aspreme

Everybody has to have the haemoglobin/iron test, both men and women.

HeidiHeidi

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I don't think you are ranting. I do think you are passionate that is a good thing.

I'm not scaremongering. If people are going to do it ..they will.

And if they read here that if they have heavy periods they're not allowed donate?


If they read here that if they have psoriasis, they're not allowed to donate?


Etc, etc - do you see where I'm going with this?


Stop posting non-factual information.

tabby aspreme

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

I don't think you are ranting. I do think you are passionate that is a good thing.

I'm not scaremongering. If people are going to do it ..they will.

Go read through some of the utter crap you have posted on this thread

ILoveYourVibes

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Will you please STOP!!!


This is all hearsay and conjecture on your part.


The pool of people eligible and willing to donate is tiny already, without potential donors being put off by reading this kind of stuff on a public forum.


Anyone willing to consinder donating will be professionally screened by the staff of the IBTS when they go in, and all bases will be covered.


Please, please do not put people off going in to see if they are eligible to donate.

Please stop the hand wringing you are putting me off donating right now.

HeidiHeidi

tuxy wrote: »

I wonder is there an estimate of what percentage of the population could give blood and how many do.

"Only three percent of the eligible Irish population are blood donors, providing for four million people "

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/features/life-blood-people-encouraged-to-join-the-1000-polish-people-who-donated-blood-in-ireland-last-year-844035.html


There's a slightly side-related article, but it's a figure I've heard before.

ILoveYourVibes

I will never donate blood.....happy heidi?

Mine mine the red juice is mine.

God if everyone who donates is as serious as you no wonder they have a pr marketing issue.

People don't donate ..because they don't want to ...that's the truth ..

People are selfish.

Its not exactly a fun afternoon ..so they put it off ..and off etc.

Most people don't even know there are restrictions on who can donate ..i didn't until i was told by a dr that i couldn't.

Ten of Swords

Mod

OK let's all take a step back here and stop snapping at each other. This link shows the up to date IBTS criteria for donating blood in Ireland

https://www.giveblood.ie/Can-I-Give-Blood/FAQs/Health-FAQs/

Pauliedragon

tuxy wrote: »

I wonder is there an estimate of what percentage of the population could give blood and how many do.

About 3 per cent of people who are eligible to donate do. That is the stat that matters I reckon. Considering a quarter of us will need a donation that number is poor.

bizidea

Just something else people should know if you have haemochromatosis you can now donate blood if you meet certain criteria before you couldnt so you won't have to pay to have your blood taken if you meet their criteria

Schrodingercat

Deleted User wrote: »

Cheerz

Its something,id like to do....have some minor worries surronding anesthetic...might call their helpline for more info

You join a worldwide register of available bone marrow donors. You are unlikely to ever be a match, but if you are you could be donating to anywhere in the world. You only donate if you are a match for someone, and most matches are family members. They go to the register if no family member is suitable. A sibling has a 1 in 4 chance of being a match

In the majority of cases you don't go under anesthetic, they can extract what they need using a platelets machine. I think you have a daily injection a few days before you donate.

In some cases you do need to have the marrow extracted under anesthetic (it depends on what the patient needs) so in that case its a 2 night hospital stay. Pain relief after that is only panadol if you need it, so its not that painful, just don't do any heavy lifting. The blood board cover your wages for 2 weeks afterwards while you recover (they can pay direct to your employer or pay you) so nobody is out of pocket.

Tick the box and join the register. If you are a match you can always decide not to proceed. The bone marrow people bring you in and explain the whole process first before you proceed. By joining the register you aren't committing to anything. (but the reasons for joining and donating are pretty obvious).

Capt'n Midnight

For anyone wondering about Jaundice. It depends on what the cause was and how long ago it was.

https://www.giveblood.ie/can-i-give-blood/faqs/health-faqs/health-questions/hepatitis.html

Schrodingercat

Schrodingercat wrote: »

You join a worldwide register of available bone marrow donors. You are unlikely to ever be a match, but if you are you could be donating to anywhere in the world. You only donate if you are a match for someone, and most matches are family members. They go to the register if no family member is suitable. A sibling has a 1 in 4 chance of being a match

In the majority of cases you don't go under anesthetic, they can extract what they need using a platelets machine. I think you have a daily injection a few days before you donate.

In some cases you do need to have the marrow extracted under anesthetic (it depends on what the patient needs) so in that case its a 2 night hospital stay. Pain relief after that is only panadol if you need it, so its not that painful, just don't do any heavy lifting. The blood board cover your wages for 2 weeks afterwards while you recover (they can pay direct to your employer or pay you) so nobody is out of pocket.

Tick the box and join the register. If you are a match you can always decide not to proceed. The bone marrow people bring you in and explain the whole process first before you proceed. By joining the register you aren't committing to anything. (but the reasons for joining and donating are pretty obvious).

Thanks for this info....its something that would mean alot to me to do this (even if im unlikely to ever be needed)

Literally only concern i have,is anesthetic (had an allergic reaction to this before) and if this isnt needed,im more than happy to donate

(Maybe there is new/different types anesthetic nowadays anyway)

Schrodingercat

If you were called and were needed for a bone marrow donation rather than stem cell donation (platelet machine) you meet with an anaesthetist before hand in St James to assess you (as well as a chest xray and an ekg and a tonne of blood tests). They won't do anything to put the donor at risk. If there is any risk to the donor they won't proceed. They treat donors really well.


Its a case of having as big a pool of people on the register so if someone needs a transplant they have a better chance of getting a match.


Al Murray has a good video explaining about the register. His nephew is looking for a match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNo9Z8UgBf4

Hoop66

They won't take mine - in the UK in the 80s.

I took the test linked above - they don't ask about living in the UK anymore? It used to be to do with BSE. Maybe I can donate then.

Lollipops23

I gave blood countless times until I got put on my MS meds.

Such a simple but wonderful thing to be able to do. Please consider it if you're eligible.

De Danann

Has anyone here donated both platelets and whole blood (not at the same time obviously)?

I used to be a regular whole blood donor but low blood pressure issues meant I kept fainting. Thy cautioned me that if I fainted the next time, I'd be banned from donating again for good.

I read up on platelet donation and it might work for me even with the low blood pressure since the blood leaves one arm and returns into the other arm.

If anyone has done both, can you compare the two? Is platelet donation much easier?

wench

Hoop66 wrote: »

They won't take mine - in the UK in the 80s.

I took the test linked above - they don't ask about living in the UK anymore? It used to be to do with BSE. Maybe I can donate then.

yes, they updated the rules last autumn, so that doesn't rule you out anymore

HeidiHeidi

De Danann wrote: »

Has anyone here donated both platelets and whole blood (not at the same time obviously)?

I used to be a regular whole blood donor but low blood pressure issues meant I kept fainting. Thy cautioned me that if I fainted the next time, I'd be banned from donating again for good.

I read up on platelet donation and it might work for me even with the low blood pressure since the blood leaves one arm and returns into the other arm.

If anyone has done both, can you compare the two? Is platelet donation much easier?

I've done both, but the platelets never worked for me. You need really good veins (and I think blood pressure) to do the platelets - I always got so far into the process and the alarms would go off because the pressure wasn't enough, and that was donation over. They tried about 4 times, and then sent me back to full blood donation.

The platelets session is a lot longer than the blood donation (Up to an hour? Might be remembering that wrong though, and as I said I never managed a full platelet donation).

You could contact the centre in James's and see if they'd give it a go with you, but I have a feeling low blood pressure might rule you out.

De Danann

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've done both, but the platelets never worked for me. You need really good veins (and I think blood pressure) to do the platelets - I always got so far into the process and the alarms would go off because the pressure wasn't enough, and that was donation over. They tried about 4 times, and then sent me back to full blood donation.

The platelets session is a lot longer than the blood donation (Up to an hour? Might be remembering that wrong though, and as I said I never managed a full platelet donation).

You could contact the centre in James's and see if they'd give it a go with you, but I have a feeling low blood pressure might rule you out.

Damn, that's a pity. I was also trying to find out how to increase my blood pressure but it seems the only methods of doing that are rather unhealthy

I'll give them a call and see though. I'd assume platelets goes under the same Blood Donor card number as whole blood donation? Presumably they'll bring my record up on the system, see the notes about me fainting and tell me to take a hike :pac:

It's pretty annoying as I donated without a problem for several years and then out of the blue this started happening. It's a brilliant thing to do. I especially liked donating at Christmas in the local pop-up clinic with the neighbours, it's a great community feeling.

Alun

wench wrote: »

yes, they updated the rules last autumn, so that doesn't rule you out anymore

They did, but for some reason didn't contact former donors. Unless you were actively monitoring the website or caught it on the news or in a newspaper, most donors in that situation wouldn't know. I'm due to donate next Tuesday so I'll maybe mention it to them.

FatherTed

I'm in the US and used to donate when I was in Ireland and when I came to the US at first. But then the US brought in new rules due to mad cow disease that if you had spent more than 3 month cumulative in the UK that you couldn't donate which is a bummer.

However, I could still donate bone marrow so I signed up. Then a few years ago I got matched with someone so I ended up donating bone marrow stem cells. I'm not sure what happened to the recipient as they wouldn't tell me.

bizidea

Something I often wondered about was how much per unit of blood do they charge the hospitals to supply it.I understand they would have huge expenses from collecting to producing usable product to screening and it would never stop me donating id be just curious.