Scuba and Blood Donation

[Scuba Do]

I am a regular blood donor. Is there any reason this is not compatible with diving? I would like to donate blood this Thursday, but I am scheduled to dive Saturday and Sunday (and am flying to Denver on Monday from the East Coast). Should I be concerned?
thanks,

 

[boulderjohn]

I am a regular blood donor. Is there any reason this is not compatible with diving? I would like to donate blood this Thursday, but I am scheduled to dive Saturday and Sunday (and am flying to Denver on Monday from the East Coast). Should I be concerned?
thanks,

According to the Red Cross, you should be back to normal in 24 hours. No problem with the schedule you describe.

Follow normal time restrictions before flying to Denver.

 

[sarita75]

I am a regular blood and apharesis donor and I have asked this of DAN as well. I have been assured that you should be fine as well. Although, as a precaution, I generally wait at least 1 week AFTER diving before donating. I know, a bit overkill. As for donating before - 24-48 hours I have been told. Make sure that you drink plenty of water to make up for the plasma loss, however.

Have a good couple of dives!

 

[Scuba Do]

Thanks. Always good to hear it from people in the know.

 

[DaFireMedic]

I am also a regular blood donor, and since we are talking about it I just wanted to encourage everyone else who is able to donate to get out and save a life by donating blood.

 

[divingmedic]

I use to donate every chance I had, but now this stupid mad cow thing they will not let me donate. Since I spent two years in the UK and Germany (mostly pickeling my liver).

 

[almitywife]

same here... when they make you sign a form before donating you have to read the bit about no diving 24hrs after donating

i do an office donation drive here so always arrange it early in the week

Bneg for me..... nice to know something about me is kinda rare

 

[trucker girl]

I give blood as often as I can- I even drove 20 minutes to where the bus was set up at a business and the guards wouldn't let me in! I'm not home enough to do it every time the blood center is in town, but I give whenever I can.

My husband's niece is a heart and lung transplant patient- without blood, she'd never have made it through the operations. She had her transplant shortly after we got married 12 years ago and is doing great!

 

[hollywood703]

Our team was going to give blood, and they recommended not to dive for atleast 24 hours, but more importantly to not have dove within 24 preferably 48 hours prior. They said this was to make sure your Blood gasses had returned to complete normal. Abnormal Blood gas levels can not be used in a lot of cases, so your basically just throwing blood away. It makes sense to me...I usually shoot for 2-3 days.

 

[Gary D.]

I donate a lot of blood on dives as well. The problem is most of it is unexpected and not going into a container.

Gary D.