Giving Blood

[4getmenot]

How long does it take for me to replace the blood I lost?

[Lil O'lady]

It depends on your own metabolism and fitness and what you eat. A big plate of ox liver and broccoli should sort you out.

[4getmenot]

I'm sure I'd read somewhere before how long approx

[Octavius]

You will be given juice to drink and cookies or crackers to eat to begin replacing fluids and increase your blood sugar levels. You will be told to drink plenty of liquids to replace lost fluids and to avoid strenuous activity for the remainder of the day.

Your blood volume will return to normal within hours after donating blood if you follow the guidelines for drinking liquids. It takes several weeks, however, to replace donated blood cells and platelets.

[4getmenot]

yes Oct I have done all that and often give blood I just wondered how long, I thought it was a day I'm sure I've asked before but forgot

[4getmenot]

amazes me that people will take money to help people out

[Octavius]

You only donate about a tenth of what you have in your body, so it is only a matter of hours. The advice they give is to take it easy for the rest of the day.

[4getmenot]

I think you donate an 8th. and yer wasnt allowed to play on wii :-(

[Octavius]

4get, you are meant to refrain from heavy muscular or strenuous activity, such as lifting or pushing heavy objects, for at least four hours afterwards.

I imagine the wii involves something along those lines, depending on the game I s'pose.

[whiskeysheri]

Oh, bum, 4get! You've just reminded me that I missed the latest session on Monday. :( Well done, you, though. :)

[grasscarp]

The quality of the blood takes about 3 months to get back. Which is why people like pilots are not supposed to donate blood. The haemoglobin which is necessary for transporting oxygen takes time to be replaced. You have had a number of flippant and useless replies to this quite serious question.

[JonnyBoy12]

Did not know that pilots could not give blood, but I am only a bus driver, so no kudos there then. For more details please see official website at:

www.blood.co.uk


I give blood platelets about every 3 or 4 weeks, which is the most that is recommended, but do not get paid for it. You have to have given blood at least once, and then pass additional blood tests after this.

[grasscarp]

The difference with pilots is that they are operating at altitude. The oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is therefore more critical. People who live at high altitudes develop more red blood corpuscles to more efficiently transport the lower amounts of oxygen. Nothing wrong with being a bus driver. My sister is one!

[Octavius]

Pilots can donate blood, but doing so means they have to leave 72 hours after donating blood or 12 hours after donating plasma, before being able to fly again, but it depends on their ops procedures/guides.

Some say 14 days and some say longer. But the 72/12 seems to be the generic rule.

The CAA states: Aircrew are advised that in order to prevent the very slight risk of post-transfusion faintness or syncope they should refrain from donating blood or plasma if they are required to fly within twenty four hours.

[grasscarp]

OK Octavius, but because the quality of the blood is depleted for a few months, and at altitude you need as many red blood corpuscles as possible some airlines do not advise their pilots to be blood donors. (and I used to work for one of them).