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Can We Give Blood?

Ashley

By Ashley
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Ashley Enthusiast
Ashley
Posted

I know this has been asked before, but, the site search bar really doesn't like me. Are people with Celiac allowed to donate blood? My county's vocational center has a blood drive every year and I'll be able to donate soon once my 17th birthday rolls around. So, I thought I would ask. Thanks.

-Ash

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jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Hi Ashley :)

Yes, Celiacs can donate blood.

miles2go Contributor
miles2go
Posted

Just one caveat...celiacs can give blood, given that their condition is under control; there's a thread on this forum from 2004 that I found discussing just this issue. For instance, I can't give blood because my anemia is still not under control and I'll never be able to give anyway because of a bout with scarlet fever I had when I was young. But other than that, go for it, by all means! Bring your own snack though, for afterwards.

Margaret

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Ash,

Go for it! Celiac per se will not disqualify you at all. However, if you have something like Margaret mentioned, being anemic, or for some, if they aren't a certain weight...i.e., things that are a "side effect" of Celiac. But Celiac itself is not a problem!

Thanks for doing it....I wish I could (don't weigh enough).

Laura

Viola 1 Rookie
Viola 1
Posted

You also have to check any meds you may be taking. People on anti-inflammatories, and many other meds will not be good.

But, if you are otherwise healthy and a proper weight, go for it! It's a great thing to do :D

miles2go Contributor
miles2go
Posted

Here's the link to the thread I found...the toolbar doesn't seem to like me either, but I'm running Windows 95 on dial-up, so it's kind of like rubbing two sticks together just to get the computer started. I googled it.

Open Original Shared Link

Sorry I didn't provide it previously. :)

Jo.R Contributor
Jo.R
Posted

I am such a goob. I have a rarer blood type, so I feel a responsibilty in giving it. Well for the last couple of years I've been denied for low iron. It just dawned on me it's because of the Celiac. When I get better I'll be able to do it again. I can't believe that I just figured that out. I'll blame it on the brain fog. :rolleyes:

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burdee Enthusiast
burdee
Posted

You have to weigh 110 pounds. If you weigh less, a donated pint of blood will be enough to dangerously effect your blood volume and blood pressure. They also will test your blood for anemia before they take blood AND take your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is too low, they won't let you give blood. I have NEVER donate blood, because I've been under 110 pounds all of my adult life, so I don't qualify. However my husband gives blood all the time and tells me all the gruesome details. LOL

BURDEE

flowergirl Rookie
flowergirl
Posted

The doc told my mother years ago that I'll never be able to donate blood because my blood is too malnurished. Guess I'll stick with that since I am sh&t scared of needles anyway. :lol::blink:

darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

I am such a goob. I have a rarer blood type, so I feel a responsibilty in giving it. Well for the last couple of years I've been denied for low iron. It just dawned on me it's because of the Celiac. When I get better I'll be able to do it again. I can't believe that I just figured that out. I'll blame it on the brain fog. :lol::lol::lol:

Jo, you are not a goob, whatever that is :unsure: ! Believe me, things will "just dawn" on you over and over. I have been gluten-free for almost 6 yrs and things still surprise me! DebM mentioning eating gluten while folding letters for mailings and then wondering if a gluten-free person may open that mail--it never occurred to me that we could possibly get glutened just by opening a letter. Granted, I think the odds are pretty slim, but not impossible!

Going gluten-free is really very overwhelming. There is so much to think about, so much to remember, so much to watch out for--it's a wonder we aren't all loony!!!!! :P

Ashley Enthusiast
Ashley
Posted
  • Author

Thanks so much everyone for the information! I'm so glad I can give blood.

babygirl1234 Rookie
babygirl1234
Posted

if we where all loony then the mentell ward in the hops would all be filled with us looking like zombies lol

jkmunchkin Rising Star
jkmunchkin
Posted
You have to weigh 110 pounds. If you weigh less, a donated pint of blood will be enough to dangerously effect your blood volume and blood pressure. They also will test your blood for anemia before they take blood AND take your blood pressure.

I actually have a kinda funny story about this.

Years ago the place I worked was having a blood drive and I've never had a problem with needles or anything so I was all for giving blood. So a coworker and I went downstairs where they were holding the drive and went to fill out our info. I've always been underweight (although I think I may actually be at a normal weight now that I'm gluten free), and so I never really weighed myself or anything because it was never an issue for me. So basically they took one look at me and asked how much I weighed; telling me I had to be atleast 110 lbs. I told them I had no idea what I weighed, that it was probably close to that. But they wanted to make sure; which ofcourse I was fine with. But they didn't have a scale. The blood drive was being held in one of the rooms in the basement of the building; right by the mail room. So thinking quickly I walked into the mail room and asked if I could use the scale they use to weight packages. They seemed confused but said yes. So I hopped on the scale and weighed myself. LOL!!! I was actually 110 lbs. exactly! Which I proudly came back and declared. Although the irony is that after all this, they tested by blood for anemia, and sure enough I was anemic. Go figure!

Kyalesyin Apprentice
Kyalesyin
Posted

I don't know if this is anything to do with her Celiacs, but my wife has been told that she can donate platelets, because she has an abnormal surplus of them.

Shes the only person in her family that is able to donate platelets, and the only reason we can think that she'd have abnormal ammounts is her Celiacs. Not that we mind, although it means she can donate more often than me...

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

Celiac is not an infectious disease, it can't be passed on, so it's fine to give blood. It's the other issues (low weight, anemia, etc.) that affect whether you can give blood with celiac.

On the other hand, if you had an infectious disease (like Lyme Disease), then you wouldn't want to give blood. Though the scary thing is they don't test the blood supply for Lyme .... I wonder what other infectious diseases can be in the blood supply.

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

I was told here in Pittsburgh that they don't use your blood if you have any autoimmune disorders.

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
Bring your own snack though, for afterwards.

Dear m,

That is a very good suggestion. They have juice of course which is gluten-free I would suppose (although can one ever use that word again), but they usually have crackers, cookies, things such as that. So what would you bring? Maybe a muffin, some gluten-free poker chips? Fruit?

Ashley,

Giving blood is great. I always found it to be quite therapeutic. Your doing something good and helping overcome fears at the same time (Hope it's not just me that's more than a little anxious every time). Your putting complete trust in a total stranger, albeit a professional (hopefully). I've given many times during blood drives, but also for a program whereby one signs up for a recipricating supply based on family need. Like blood insurance for your family. Keep up the good work.

best regards, lm

p.s., Demain le coeur se rappelle!

miles2go Contributor
miles2go
Posted

>Dear lm,

crackers, cookies, things such as that. So what would you bring? Maybe a muffin, some gluten-free poker chips? Fruit?

>Hi, I know this quote isn't going to work right...

I would bring a ginormous gluten-free cheeseburger and smile big while the grease dripped down to my elbows. :)

That and all of the above.

Bests backatcha,

Margaret

Demain, le monde!

Ashley Enthusiast
Ashley
Posted
  • Author

Yes, I'll have to remember that snack. I saw some of the snacks the Red Cross were given away. My friend spotted a piece of some resturant's bread roll. She was going about how gross it was and I was thinking blankly "I'd kill for that bread if I could eat it."

LC- That feel of doing something good is what I aim for. :) I couldn't donate at this semester's blood drive (Still 16. Gotta be 17). I can understand getting nervous, though. The doctors have had my blood draw a billion times and it just makes me uneasy when you have to have a stranger take your blood.

Sorry! English is the only language I speak, so, I have no clue what you are saying. The phrase in my signature is from this pretty poem by Paul Verlaine I found translated in a book. I thought it was pretty neat so I just added it on in my signature.

-Ash

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted
I was told here in Pittsburgh that they don't use your blood if you have any autoimmune disorders.

Interesting. This is one of the several places I've read that it's ok--

Open Original Shared Link

Run-4-Jesus Rookie
Run-4-Jesus
Posted

Ashely -

I'm in the same boat as you. I can't give blood until next year because you have to be 17. The blood drive at our school is on March 14th and I'll be 17 on April 3rd so I just barely missed it. Luckily I weigh enough, I'm like 115 or something.

miles2go Contributor
miles2go
Posted
Yes, I'll have to remember that snack. I saw some of the snacks the Red Cross were given away. My friend spotted a piece of some resturant's bread roll. She was going about how gross it was and I was thinking blankly "I'd kill for that bread if I could eat it."

LC- That feel of doing something good is what I aim for. :) I couldn't donate at this semester's blood drive (Still 16. Gotta be 17). I can understand getting nervous, though. The doctors have had my blood draw a billion times and it just makes me uneasy when you have to have a stranger take your blood.

Sorry! English is the only language I speak, so, I have no clue what you are saying. The phrase in my signature is from this pretty poem by Paul Verlaine I found translated in a book. I thought it was pretty neat so I just added it on in my signature.

-Ash

Hi Ash,

If I'm remembering correctly, you can give blood at your local Red Cross anytime, whether or not they're having a blood drive, but I'm not a donor, so I could be wrong. Remember that snack whether you're giving or not; I've been on a cheeseburger kick these last few weeks and it is all about the goodness. I can't recall if you can eat dairy or not, but a hamburger would do in a pinch, too, I figure. Sorry about all the French, I thought and probably lm, too, that you were fluent, because it is a beautiful quote in your sig. I'm guessing that you know that your quote reads "It rains upon my heart", lm's reads "Tomorrow, the heart will remember me" (or "I'll remember my heart" or a variation thereof) and mine reads "Tomorrow, the world". I guess I was just feeling big when I wrote it. 'Twas the cheeseburger thoughts, I swear. ;)

Sorry you have to research this so much. You should be able to just show up and donate blood, methinks.

Margaret

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
.....I thought and probably lm, too, that you were fluent, because it is a beautiful quote in your sig. I'm guessing that you know that your quote reads "It rains upon my heart", lm's reads "Tomorrow, the heart will remember"... and mine reads "Tomorrow, the world".

Hi Margaret & Ashley,

You, Margaret, are the only one that speaks French. I thought Ashleys signature was intriguing, did a quick google on it. Discovered the poet Paul Verlaine. Googled "translator", went to:

Open Original Shared Link

Translated her "Il pleure dans mon coeur" into ""It cries in my heart". Felt compelled to compose my own French saying using said translator, and Viola, here we are.

I always figure someone puts something mysterious in their sig, someone should respond to it.

best regards, lm

miles2go Contributor
miles2go
Posted

Mais oui, je parle le langue, kind of.

Je pense qu'Ashley est un guy.

Bet you don't need babelfish for that. ;)

Ash, correct me if I'm wrong...

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
Mais oui, je parle le langue, kind of.

Je pense qu'Ashley est un guy.

Bet you don't need babelfish for that. ;)

Ash, correct me if I'm wrong...

Now this is getting interesting. Margaret, you sure are fun! lm

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