Reg blood donation vs Double RBC

[sportsfan8724]

My hemoglobin and hematocrit are always good. However have been reading alot about health benefits of donating blood. Is a double RBC better for lowering ferritin? And will it not change WBC ? My WBC is always low end has been my whole life.

 

[KSPhD]

Double RBC - One thing I never here discussed is that pushing your blood through plastic results in an inflammatory response. I don't want that blood being returned to my body as I don't want the subsequent inflammatory response. The more common objection, is that you can't donate as often....

 

[Vince]

Before I started TRT, I would do double blood cell donations. But it always cause my iron to drop very low, sometimes to a point where I could not donate any blood.
A double RBC donation will drop HCT 5-6 points.

 

[Vince Carter]

As Vince says you can reduce the HCT 5-6% points but can only do it 12 weeks vs whole blood every 6 weeks (3%) so in twelve weeks it's a wash of better for reducing HCT. Plus one double red session is 3x as long as a whole blood session. (according to my blood bank)

 

[Saul]

My hemoglobin and hematocrit are always good. However have been reading alot about health benefits of donating blood. Is a double RBC better for lowering ferritin? And will it not change WBC ? My WBC is always low end has been my whole life.

A double RBC donation takes out two units of blood, 'filters' out the red cells and keeps them. The process inserts 1 unit back into your body of liquid, usually saline, to replace fluids. It will drop your ferritin by double that of a whole blood donation. it is also more draining because you lose two times as many RBC, but only 1 unit of liquid.

As to overall effect, you can give whole blood donation about every 2 months, but must wait four months between double RBC donation, so net effect is the same. I recommend whole blood donations, but YMMV.

 

[codus2112]

Ive done double reds the last two times, Im done in 25 minutes (although she did say that is unusual) and feel no different than after whole donations. Interesting about the inflamation response though.

 

[Vince Carter]

last time I was in my blood bank they didn't need B+ for dbl red as I was just a little curious but I do whole blood any way.