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So I just donated blood sooner today and now, 6 hours later, removed the tissue covering the extraction point. My question is that while discussing the events, I felt some side effects to it.

The short list includes heart burn which subsides as fast as it came, alternating neck and head hot spots and sudden sound dampening.

What effects can the process of donating blood have, to cause these symptoms? Is there something I should have done, but missed to do?

I am guessing it's simply something I should have done that I missed but I don't know what.

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    You'll be fine. Relax and have some food and water. But I don't see a question here. Please clarify what you're trying to ask.
    – Carey Gregory ♦
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 3:52
  • I guess I should word it better. I was asking more or less what would be the causes of it all.
    – Volvary
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 3:56
  • Blood loss. Your body should have recovered fully by now and be back to normal.
    – Carey Gregory ♦
    Commented Apr 1, 2016 at 15:07

1 Answer 1

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Be sure to supplement enough iron (about 18 mg per day)! Take your iron with vitamin C and avoid tea and coffee. American Red Cross: "The American Red Cross now recommends that individuals who give blood frequently should take a multivitamin with iron or an iron-only supplement to replace the iron lost through blood donation. Before taking a multivitamin with iron or an iron-only supplement, you should consult with your health-care provider." About 200 mg of iron will be lost during your donation: "A donor generally donates approximately 450 ml blood at the time of donation. One gram of haemoglobin contains 3.4 mg of iron. In a normal individual with 15 g of haemoglobin per dl, 100 ml of blood contains approximately 50 mg of iron. Thus removal of only 2 ml of blood results in the loss of 1 mg of iron3. If 450 ml of blood are taken in a donation approximately 225 mg of iron will be lost." Vitamin C helps iron absorbtion. You need about 90 mg of Vitamin C per day - feel free to take more as it won't hurt - vitamin C is soluble in water and body can easily get rid of excess. Watch out for coffee and tea, they block iron absorbtion: "Recommendations with respect to tea consumption (when in a critical group) include: consume tea between meals instead of during the meal; simultaneously consume ascorbic acid and/or meat, fish and poultry."

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  • Why? Who says those things will help?
    – Carey Gregory ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2016 at 0:16
  • Science! And also doctors and other professionals... Even American Red Cross: "The American Red Cross now recommends that individuals who give blood frequently should take a multivitamin with iron or an iron-only supplement to replace the iron lost through blood donation. Before taking a multivitamin with iron or an iron-only supplement, you should consult with your health-care provider." Iron is needed to replace the lost blood (red cells to be specific). Each blood donation means about 200 mg of iron lost. Vitamin C increases iron absorbtion, coffe and tea decreases.
    – user433966
    Commented Apr 2, 2016 at 0:20
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    If that quote was in your answer along with links showing where it came from, and if you provided sources backing up your assertions about vitamin C, coffee and tea, you'd have a great answer and I would reverse my downvote. :-)
    – Carey Gregory ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2016 at 0:23
  • Much better but I think you should spend some time learning how to post quotes and links. The way you did it works but it's pretty cumbersome.
    – Carey Gregory ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2016 at 0:37
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    Yup, bearing with you. Trying to toss out pointers here and there. :-)
    – Carey Gregory ♦
    Commented Apr 2, 2016 at 0:41

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