Low Haemoglobin.

I've given up on blood donation now, the last three times the nurses bruised me so badly that they had to give up.

My Hb has been too low to donate a couple of times recently. I'm now in my late sixties and have decided to stop donating; as you get older it does become harder on your body.

I wanted to donate blood as i'm not squeamish about blood/tests etc- but was dissapointed to hear i cannot, due to having previously recieved
2 blood transfusions. It seemed such a shame, as i was eternally grateful 2 receive it to save my life, and felt i'd like to pay it back, so to speak- but its not to be. 🫤

Mirren 👏👏👏
Thank you.
We had a bad experience, symptoms being treated instead of looking for the cause of them.
Cancer, Stage IV.
Christie’s said tumours only bleed when active/inflamed. Best to check, better safe than sorry, like us.

I’ve donated for over 40 years and have failed the iron test a few times. I now just take a good multi vitamin with iron and have been ok since. Although I did fail last time because I was within 6 weeks of having a shingles vaccine 🙄

sazz1

My OH had this and was advised to limit cheese and dairy products to help with iron absorption from meals
Long time ago but it worked

Drinking orange juice or taking a vitamin C tablet helps with absorption of iron, tea and coffee inhibit it (apparently).

However, best to check this out with the ZGP.

I’ll always remember going to donate blood one day and they said they couldn’t use it. I’d been feeling great and I went from feeling 100% to feeling awful and wanting to lie on a chaise longue with smelling salts. Turned out it was just because I was on my period. Wonder if, like many of us, the OP is eating less meat etc? Still a good idea to ask for a blood test though.

Greciangirl

I’m surprised he’s still able to donate blood.
I enquired at the age of 78, and they refused me saying I’m too old.

I think you are not permitted to start donating after the age of 70, but if you have been a regular donor in advance of that then continued donation is allowed.

I’m surprised he’s still able to donate blood.
I enquired at the age of 78, and they refused me saying I’m too old.

Hi ,I am a GP.
PLEASE , PLEASE , PLEASE make him see his GP.
Anaemia ( low blood count ) is a symptom , not a disease in itself.
If he's not had it before then there's a reason.
It's common in younger women having periods but older women and men it means there's a problem.
He may just not have enough iron on his diet but he could not be absorbing it , he may have a marrow problem and is not making good blood cells.
However, the commonest reason, and I don't want to scare you , is that he's bleeding somewhere internally.
Even a small stomach ulcer or hiatus hernia may bleed drop by drop until anaemia develops.
More worrying is a cancer bleeding away unknown.
Kidney problems also cause anaemia.
He needs a lotof blood tests, a poo test for hidden blood and probably a referral.
Don't delay, do this tomorrow !

As we get older apparently we don’t make as much B12
A quick boast for iron is Black Pudding,but definitely a visit to the Doctor before anything else.

polnan

I do dislike it when I read/hear "stuff" that says "speak to your gp" if only!

Yes seeing a gp here is nearly impossible plus heaven help anyone not on line or who cant hear on the phone or if they dare to turn up at the surgery. My friend was told to ring an ambulance by reception staff when she turned up unwell (she lives opposite surgery).

Calendargirl I'm sure that he was disappointed. If the GP suggests iron meds for a short time, that should sort the issue out for him. The high end of the normal range at the donation centre is/can be annoying, especially when you see that the sample was 0.1 or 0.2 below the range! I hope he can donate again to reach such a wonderful milestone. Well done, and many congratulations to your DH.

Colonoscopy will delay donating again ilovecheese, maybe check how long with them? My camera diagnosed bowel cancer, so no more donating for me.

Definitely see your GP. Happened to me - endoscopy and colonoscopy followed - problem found and dealt with. I now need to take iron tablets.

Thank you all for further replies.

He has heard back from surgery, waiting for an appointment date.

I accept that as we age, we may not be able to keep donating as we probably need the blood ourselves!

(Should add, it would have been DH’s 100th donation, he was disappointed to miss out on giving this time).

Be sure to take Vitamin C with iron rich foods or iron tablets as this will help iron absorption

FWIW, I had the same problem donating. Saw practice nurse, had full blood tests. Results all in normal range, haemoglobin on low side of normal range. Charge nurse at donation centre had said that for donor safety they need to show levels at the high end of the range. I showed my results to a friend who is a retired haematologist - she said haemoglobin levels reduce with age, she would have ticked me a perfectly fine in ordinary circumstances, it’s just that blood doning requires a bit more. So try not to worry.

I do dislike it when I read/hear "stuff" that says "speak to your gp" if only!

Same thing happened to me. The first time the GP gave me iron tablets and sent me for a colonoscopy and the camera down the throat test (can't remember the name of the test) to check that there was no internal blood loss. Both test results were fine. I have been turned down from donating twice since then, iron tablets have more or less solved the problem. I see it as just one of those things.

The donation unit have very strict parameters for Hb prior to donation. Usually the drop of blood into the tube will suffice, but if that refuses to behave, they will do a drop of blood onto a little machine, and that will be more precise. This happened to me several times (vegetarian) over the years, and following advice, I took a multivit with added iron, and all was good for next time.

However, it is best that he will chat to GP, and have a full blood screen done.

My OH had this and was advised to limit cheese and dairy products to help with iron absorption from meals
Long time ago but it worked

I have donated blood 65 times. Occasionally my hb level was too low, usually when I hadn’t eaten sufficiently before my appointment. I never worried about it.

Urmstongran

Discuss with a GP (not a nurse) is my advice.

Bearing in mind all you are going through, Urms, sound advice and I have listened.

Thanks all. Good advice.

Have just done an ‘Ask My GP’ request.

They will probably say to book a blood test, but have made a start.

You need to get him to your GP asap. Could be a small internal bleed somewhere in his body.