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Donating Blood

Kimbalou

By Kimbalou
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Kimbalou Enthusiast
Kimbalou
Posted

I donated blood yesterday. I was anemic last time, so I couldn't donate. This time my hemoglobin was 12.8...which is still a little low. I think they require it to be at least 12.5. Today I feel exhausted. I am pretty sure it's from donating. I like donating because I know the American Red Cross is always needing donors and I have a rare blood type. Does anyone here donate blood routinely? i don't think I can do it very often due to a low hgb....and the exhaustion that follows.

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Kimbalou Enthusiast
Kimbalou
Posted
  • Author

Also, I take iron and vitamin supplements

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

I used to, but then couldn't when I became anemic. I did once, post-everything-fixed, but the guy did such a horrible job at the needle stick I haven't been back. My iron was back up to normal for me, and I didn't really feel all that tired.

captaincrab55 Collaborator
captaincrab55
Posted

I use to donate blood fairly regular, but I got a letter from Red Cross not to donate again back in 1994.. They went on to say they had destroyed my last 3 donations... My Doc couldn't figure out any issue other then a high liver enzyne count... In 09 I was diagnosed with DH and went gluten-free... All Liver Function tests are normal now.. Several months back I tried to contact Red Cross several times about donating again... Each time I ended up on Hold for 30 plus minutes and then click before I could even talk to a person... Looks like I'm a retired donor...

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

The first time I donated, I fainted afterwards. Embarrassing.

I tried to donate a few years ago and because I was anemic, they turned me down. :(

I will try again, in time, but I have "lousy veins" and the phlebotomist always starts to sweat when she cannot get the stick just right at first or the second time or the third.....

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Sometimes I would fail the anemia test. When I did donate, I still found it very draining. After I almost passed out after one donation the Red Cross suggested I stop because it was harder on me than they preferred to see.

Kimbalou Enthusiast
Kimbalou
Posted
  • Author

I felt fine right afterward. I have good veins. But today I am exhausted and I know it's from the donation. I will probably only donate twice a year...they call me every 3 months lately...feels like an annoying salesman sometimes. :(

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Googles Community Regular
Googles
Posted

I have donated blood, actually only after going gluten free. I did feel weak the next day the first couple times. And still a little now. But I put up with it. Are you making sure to stay hydrated (both before and after) and eating well? Those are important.

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

I've been turned down more times for being anemic than I can count. The exhaustion after donating is just too much right now. I always have had some one to drive me home after donation too, just in case I pass out.

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

I've donated a few times. I kept getting turned away for a while, have been thinking about going again now that I've been suplementing for a while with iron. My veins are so easy I could probably do the needle myself. It does leave me dizzy for a day or two. I don't mind so much. i just plan ahead for when I'll have a few days of downtime.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I wonder if there is any chance of people becoming celiac by using our blood? We would have the trained antibodies to gluten in our blood, and it seems like it would not be impossible for those to influence a persons own antibodies in the celiac direction. Just curious if anyone has heard or read anything about this. Could we spread celiac through blood?

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

I wonder if there is any chance of people becoming celiac by using our blood?

:o

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Celiac is not communicable via blood transfusions.

Univ. of Maryland Center for Celiac Research states this emphatically on their website.

captaincrab55 Collaborator
captaincrab55
Posted

:o

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Celiac is not communicable via blood transfusions.

Univ. of Maryland Center for Celiac Research states this emphatically on their website.

But can blood donated from a person that ate gluten cause a reaction in one with Celiac/DH ???

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

But can blood donated from a person that ate gluten cause a reaction in one with Celiac/DH ???

I don't possibly see HOW? :blink:

Ninja Contributor
Ninja
Posted

But can blood donated from a person that ate gluten cause a reaction in one with Celiac/DH ???

That's why it gets digested and metabolized before entering the blood stream. :)

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted

That's why it gets digested and metabolized before entering the blood stream. :)

That's right, things do not go directly from your stomach to your bloodstream. Which is why some supplements are sublingual, because it gets into your blood better as a specially formulated liquid under your tongue than it does in your stomach.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

:o

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Celiac is not communicable via blood transfusions.

Univ. of Maryland Center for Celiac Research states this emphatically on their website.

Hmm, ok, what about vampires then? Would our blood kill vampires?

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Hmm, ok, what about vampires then? Would our blood kill vampires?

Since the majority of us are battling anemia,

the vampire would probably spit it out and scream

"Blech! what the hell is this crap!? :blink:

Where's the good stuff?"

:D

cahill Collaborator
cahill
Posted

Since the majority of us are battling anemia,

the vampire would probably spit it out and scream

"Blech! what the hell is this crap!? :blink:

Where's the good stuff?"

:lol: :lol:

I always feel like I am going to pass out when they take it.

I mean just walking in to my endo's office I give 6 to 8 tubes. I do not have that much left on any given day :P

My blood type is uncommon (AB) and for years I gave blood regularly. They would call and remind me that enough time had passed and I could give again. :lol:

Then they reluctantly started to decline my blood.

I no longer give blood.With my recent liver issues and other problems they will not except my blood. I an not sure it would do any one any good any way :huh:

Kimbalou Enthusiast
Kimbalou
Posted
  • Author

I wonder if there is any chance of people becoming celiac by using our blood? We would have the trained antibodies to gluten in our blood, and it seems like it would not be impossible for those to influence a persons own antibodies in the celiac direction. Just curious if anyone has heard or read anything about this. Could we spread celiac through blood?

Of course not!! I asked before I donated, just to make sure.

JoeBlow Rookie
JoeBlow
Posted

That's why it gets digested and metabolized before entering the blood stream. :)

Gluten, or any food for that matter, does not necessarily get digested and metabolized before entering the blood stream. That is only what is supposed to happen. I have been shown partially digested fragments of food in my blood, under a microscope. That's from a leaky gut, with a lot of damage. People can have a leaky gut from other things, like a medication, I've been told. I've also been told, by a doctor addressing a local Gluten Intolerance Group meeting, that people don't fully digest wheat, barley, rye or oats, because some of the proteins are just too large and complex. It only takes a small fraction of a gluten molecule to cause a celiac reaction. There are multiple short chain peptides of gliadin, sequences of only 4 or 5 amino acids that can cause a reaction. There are multiple instances of each of these several peptides in one gliadin molecule. Partial digestion can make these peptides more available for our immune system to react to.:unsure:

captaincrab55 Collaborator
captaincrab55
Posted

Gluten, or any food for that matter, does not necessarily get digested and metabolized before entering the blood stream. That is only what is supposed to happen. I have been shown partially digested fragments of food in my blood, under a microscope. That's from a leaky gut, with a lot of damage. People can have a leaky gut from other things, like a medication, I've been told. I've also been told, by a doctor addressing a local Gluten Intolerance Group meeting, that people don't fully digest wheat, barley, rye or oats, because some of the proteins are just too large and complex. It only takes a small fraction of a gluten molecule to cause a celiac reaction. There are multiple short chain peptides of gliadin, sequences of only 4 or 5 amino acids that can cause a reaction. There are multiple instances of each of these several peptides in one gliadin molecule. Partial digestion can make these peptides more available for our immune system to react to.:unsure:

Sounds like blood from a donor that ate Gluten could set off DH, in one that has DH...

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Whoa, what a second.... :)

One more time:

Celiac is not communicable via blood transfusions.

People who eat gluten cannot "contaminate" us.

Univ. of Maryland Center for Celiac Research states this emphatically on their website.

Do you really think that we would be allowed to donate or receive a blood transfusion if it were a HEALTH HAZARD??

Read a medical journal to see how the digestive process works for you to have an autoimmune reaction to gluten when you have Celiac.

Please, guys.... let's not get all crazy over this NON-ISSUE.

We have enough bogus crap/ myths to bust on this site. :P

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

Sounds like blood from a donor that ate Gluten could set off DH, in one that has DH...

Capt. honestly..... I would not make that statement, based on one person's post.

that is not how the gluten antibodies OR the digestive system works.

Please read this:

Open Original Shared Link

I have seen NO medical evidence supporting any of this.... Have you?

Ninja Contributor
Ninja
Posted

Gluten, or any food for that matter, does not necessarily get digested and metabolized before entering the blood stream. That is only what is supposed to happen. I have been shown partially digested fragments of food in my blood, under a microscope. That's from a leaky gut, with a lot of damage. People can have a leaky gut from other things, like a medication, I've been told. I've also been told, by a doctor addressing a local Gluten Intolerance Group meeting, that people don't fully digest wheat, barley, rye or oats, because some of the proteins are just too large and complex. It only takes a small fraction of a gluten molecule to cause a celiac reaction. There are multiple short chain peptides of gliadin, sequences of only 4 or 5 amino acids that can cause a reaction. There are multiple instances of each of these several peptides in one gliadin molecule. Partial digestion can make these peptides more available for our immune system to react to.:unsure:

Do you have any articles you could direct me to, to substantiate these statements? This thread indirectly deals with the digestion of gluten proteins...if you are interested. :)

As far as donation and the above logic – I don't know many newly or un-dx'ed Celiac's who would be up to giving blood (presumably the less recently dx'ed ones would have less damage due to the healing). :P

My 3 cents (inflation!). B)

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