testboner
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- Oct 10, 2010
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FYI, Donating plasma will not lower hematocrit levels, taking out plasma may slightly increase the level for a short time before plasma is replenished due to the fact it is only the liquid part of the blood and not the RBC, which too many are the prob for us.I’m on the therapeutic draw list, which means I can donate blood pretty much whenever I feel like it.
I hadn’t done it for a while and it took 3 pints over the course of 3 weeks to get down to where the average male should be.
I really need to just do it every 6 weeks or so.
Donating blood has other benefits too. It‘s basically the only way to drop your levels of those forever chemicals that build up in your system. Donating plasma works for that too.
How long is this process?I always donate double-reds. They take just the RBC's and return the rest back through same line that took the blood. Actually just did it yesterday.
But I don't see how anyone isn't going anemic dumping a pint so often. I struggle with iron/ferritin levels and blood metrics (MCV, RDW, etc.) even donating like once a quarter. And I take ProFerrin ES three times a day. Donating whole blood or just RBC's hits my ferritin stores hard.
Hematocrit was 51 before donating.
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