# How many pints of blood have you donated? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269 "2010-11-19T21:32:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/41 "2010-11-21T18:16:28Z")
zero. I don’t care about anyone except myself. I don’t like needles. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/42 "2010-11-21T18:47:43Z")
> [@Peeta\_Mellark](#): > > Zero. I’m quite healthy, but I’m a man who’s gotten nekkid with other men. My blood is forbidden! In the USA, just mark the appropriate boxes. Even though they won’t give your blood to a patient, they can still use it for research purposes. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/43 "2010-11-21T19:08:44Z")
I am a survivor of an internal cancer, and it has not been long enough since my last treatment for me to donate blood. In addition, I have horrid veins. HORRID. It’s usually very difficult for technicians to draw my blood; even a small amount for a test. (Before my last surgery, I told them I had bad veins and they sent in the “hard stick” nurse to start my IV. I don’t know what they pay that woman, but they should double it. She got it immediately, and I barely felt it. I actually cried with relief. IVs are generally a really, really miserable experience for me.) So … me giving blood is not fun for anyone, and I am relieved that I’m disqualified for the moment. And I feel guilty about being relieved. It’s possible that I feel a little conflicted about this topic. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/44 "2010-11-21T22:14:34Z")
I’m O- and wish I could donate, but I used to always be too iron deficient when I’d try, and then I had bariatric surgery after which I was strictly forbidden to ever donate, due to my inability to reabsorb iron in a reasonable timeframe. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/45 "2010-11-22T05:18:55Z")
Check with your local blood agency but often you can donate plasma after 6 months of return from malaria risk areas. It goes to make the non transfusable products. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/46 "2010-11-22T05:53:13Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > Check with your local blood agency but often you can donate plasma after 6 months of return from malaria risk areas. It goes to make the non transfusable products. I’ll do that! **The Geoff** , ugh, I’m sorry to hear that! I feel lucky I didn’t get it, because I stopped taking my anti-malarials after a couple weeks in India because my coworkers thought it was so funny that I was taking them. Worse give in to peer pressure _ever_. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/47 "2010-11-22T06:19:29Z")
I gave twice in HS and once in college. The last time, I got woozy afterwards. That was in the late 1990s and I haven’t gone back. I want to try again, but I’m a lazy old man now. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/48 "2010-11-22T06:42:19Z")
I went once in high school, promptly got very dizzy afterward, and felt like crap the rest of the day. I haven’t been back since. I know that it was probably my own fault I nearly passed out (I had my appointment in the morning and had NOTHING to eat beforehand), but I’m afraid the psychological effects of my first visit will have negative affects on future ones. Like, I’ll get dizzy and start feeling ill even before they start drawing blood. I might try again in the future, if just because my blood type’s slightly on the less common side (B+), and to prove that I’m not a big wuss. I should consider checking my iron levels before I go, though, since my mom has had trouble with that in the past, and she usually gets some sort of dizzy/fainting spell after donating. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/49 "2010-11-22T08:17:44Z")
They say they want my O+ blood, they call and call and call and call, but whenever I go in, my iron levels are too low. I’ve still managed to do 3 gallons, but it would be nice if I didn’t have to worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/50 "2010-11-22T12:01:36Z")
I’ve donated about three times a year for over thirty years. I haven’t kept track of the exact number of times. Does anyone know of a way I can find out the exact number? All of my donations have been to the American Red Cross. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/51 "2010-11-22T13:09:14Z")
Right about two gallons, near as I can tell…I have a gallon pin somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/52 "2010-11-22T13:22:21Z")
> [@Maiira](#): > > I know that it was probably my own fault I nearly passed out (I had my appointment in the morning and had NOTHING to eat beforehand), but I’m afraid the psychological effects of my first visit will have negative affects on future ones. Like, I’ll get dizzy and start feeling ill even before they start drawing blood. > … > I should consider checking my iron levels before I go, though, since my mom has had trouble with that in the past, and she usually gets some sort of dizzy/fainting spell after donating. How do feel after having a doctor draw normal blood samples? I mentioned about that I pass out 100% of the time when donating blood, but I also pass out nearly 100% when blood is drawn for any reason. The work clinic doctor explained it to me once, but I can’t remember what the condition was called. It’s not an aversion to needles (inject me all day long, if you want), nor an aversion to my blood (I cut myself from time to time). It might be psychological because no one ever finds the vein the first five or six times. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![TheBori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheBori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBori)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/53 "2010-11-22T13:37:40Z")
Looks like I’m the first one in the top end. I recently received my 20 gallon pin. I was underage for my first donation, so I went out to the car and forged my mother’s signature onthe permission form. I did whole blood for anumber of years, then moved over to platelets. The don’t want me to do whole blood anymore as it takes you out for 56 days. You can do platelets every 2 weeks. C’mon people! Jump in! Is there any simpler way to save someone’s life? ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/54 "2010-11-22T20:42:11Z")
I’ve honestly lost track. Somewhere between 4 and 8 gallons. I think. I’d have to call the blood center for an accurate count. Being both a B neg and being CMV-free makes me a favorite target. I’m not quite so free with the donations as I once was, however. About ten years ago I’d gotten to the point where I’d given so much I developed a type of anemia where the binding agent in the blood gets higher than the red blood cell count. But nobody knew it for months. I’d had several red cell checks through my local hospital lab, which kept saying I was normal, but I was continually dragging myself home from work and dropping into a dead sleep until the next morning. Lather, rinse repeat. Something wasn’t right. Finally, at my next blood donation screening, the little blood ball drop in the prescreening part _didn’t_. News flash, genius, you’re anemic. :rolleyes: The kind of testing the hospital lab was doing wasn’t as rigorous as the blood center’s, and yours truly had to undergo four weeks of transfusion to repair the low red count. The blood doc said I’d over-donated, thus depleting the count and allowing the binding agent to knock the balance out of whack. He said to cut back a bit. Today, I donate about every six months and so far, things have worked out fine. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/55 "2010-11-22T21:04:19Z")
As I said in the blood type thread, I have only donated 2 or 3 times. I swapped over to platelets after my first time and only went back to blood after a really bad experience with the platelets. I haven’t done either since my last tattoo, mainly because I got out of the habit. When I go back (and I will), it will be for platelets. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/56 "2010-11-22T21:28:11Z")
I was working on my two gallon pin in the mid-90s when the nurse managed to fuck up my arm to the point where I still feel effects from it today. I’ve only got two arms so that was the end of that. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/57 "2010-11-22T21:30:46Z")
I haven’t donated since 1976. I had a bleeding ulcer at that time and have not been allowed to donate since. Maybe I should ask again. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/58 "2010-11-22T22:02:39Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I’ve donated about three times a year for over thirty years. I haven’t kept track of the exact number of times. Does anyone know of a way I can find out the exact number? All of my donations have been to the American Red Cross. Call 1-866-236-3276. ---
**Author:** ![TheBori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheBori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBori)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/59 "2010-11-23T19:53:11Z")
Am I really the ONLY person who has donated more that 15 gallons? I figured everyone was doing it…it’s easy, safe and saves lives. Am I just THAT old? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269/60 "2010-11-24T01:27:54Z")
Pushing 4 gallons now… Was on a fairly lengthy hiatus whilst my blood pressure was out of control. That’s handled now, so I’m going back to the vampires. These days, I mostly do fill-in for other family members whom can’t donate on schedule. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-pints-of-blood-have-you-donated/561269.md?page=4)