Donating Blood...And Passing Out

[xks201]

Does anyone else get this reaction when they donate blood? To my memory (for sure since I have had CFS) I have always started sweating profusely and felt extremely dizzy and nauseous to the point of wanting to pass out about midway in donating blood. After a certain amount of blood has left me it starts, like ten minutes into the procedure sometimes. It made me think of a possible connection between the enhanced vagal reflex and the cause of that... hypovolemia? Just curious if anyone else has gotten this before, and if they had that response before they actually felt sick. Because when my CFS has been the worst it literally feels like I am having that response 24/7. Dizziness, slight nausea, wanting to pass out with fatigue, and body temperature dysregulation.

 

[Little Bluestem]

I do not donate blood because I do not want to give anyone else this hideous illness. I know that it is not thought to be contagious, but I am not taking any chances.

 

[Sushi]

Does anyone else get this reaction when they donate blood? To my memory (for sure since I have had CFS) I have always started sweating profusely and felt extremely dizzy and nauseous to the point of wanting to pass out about midway in donating blood. After a certain amount of blood has left me it starts, like ten minutes into the procedure sometimes. It made me think of a possible connection between the enhanced vagal reflex and the cause of that... hypovolemia? Just curious if anyone else has gotten this before, and if they had that response before they actually felt sick. Because when my CFS has been the worst it literally feels like I am having that response 24/7. Dizziness, slight nausea, wanting to pass out with fatigue, and body temperature dysregulation.

I wouldn't donate blood because I have hypovolemia and who knows what else that could be passed to another thru blood.

But I do sometimes get a vasal-vagal response when blood is drawn, so I always lie down so as not to pass out.

Sushi

 

[acer2000]

I got ill after having surgery where I received several units of blood. I can't know for sure that something in that blood is what caused me to get ill, but I have abstained from donating blood since then because I don't want to put anyone else at risk for this awful illness. I would suggest you do the same.

 

[snowathlete]

I don't give blood, we don't know what we might be passing on, but I do have blood tests. Never had a problem till I had ME.
I was sat in a chair chatting to the nurse and then suddenly gelt sick, sweat started, then next thing I know I come round to a loud alarm going off and I'm slouched forward almost on the floor really with the nurse trying hard to stop me landing on my face.
Doctor came and they got me lying down. Felt dreadful and was soaked in sweat. Stated there about an hour or so before getting a taxi.
My arm really hurt because I had fallen forward on the needle while it was still in my arm, digging it right into my arm. It was very bruised for quite a while after that.

I always lay down for tests now...

 

[xks201]

yes....I knew it. There has to be a) hypovolemia and or b) enhanced sympathetic nervous activity . I don't donate blood but I get blood taken out of me as a therapeutic phlebotomy they just throw away.

 

[Marco]

Very much so.

I was a keen blood donor. I donated twice a year every year as we had a unit visit the workplace. Never had any problems and I always enjoyed watching the process (i.e. I was never squeamish).

The very first time I tried donating after becoming ill I passed out.

I haven't tried since as I figured that I needed the blood more than they did.

 

[xks201]

INTERESTING

 

[Esther12]

I used to faint at the sight of blood as a child (only rarely).

Since getting CFS, I've been more likely to feel odd in those sorts of circumstances again. I think that Julia Newton has touched upon problems with syncope and CFS, but I've not read enough about it to know if it's important.

 

[xks201]

Found a study showing it was low serotonin causing it. Problem is SSRIs are too potent. Dr. Mariano recommends 1/8th a pill of lexapro. That is a big difference compared to the whole pill they dole out to everyone as a starting dose. You take too much of an SSRI and it will have the opposite effect and produce aggression etc.