Has anyone here donated blood before? What was your hemoglobin g/dl count?

General
1

I donated blood for the first time this year in April and did it a second time back in June.  The nurses were really impressed with my hemoglobin count both times (this particular hemoglobin count indicates whether or not you are iron-deficient - it's *NOT* the hemoglobin A1C number we diabetics are so used to seeing!).  The first time I registered 15.8 g/dl and the second time I got 15.4 g/dl.  The average count for women is between 12-16, so I was at the high end of normal (considering up to 20% of women are iron deficient on average according to some citations, my numbers were really considered ideal).

While I didn't doubt that I had good iron levels (I eat a diet rich in both fish, a good heme iron source, and iron-rich vegetables for non-heme iron), I still wondered whether or not there might be some correlation with hemoglobin and diabetes, so I did a Google search and found this:

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/2/341.full

How about the rest of you who have donated?  Were your numbers statistically on the high end of normal?  Do you think our elevated A1Cs (compared to non-diabetics) could be contributing to increased red blood cell production somehow?

(Additionally, another cause of elevated hemoglobin is dehydration - I'll admit I'm not among the biggest water drinkers out there, so that could be contributing to my numbers...)

2

I have actually always been told that T1's couldn't donate blood (and, accordingly, I never have) - so I was surprised to read this!  Sorry I can't lend any experience to answer your question.

3

Sadly, in Canada you can't donate blood if you take insulin. T2's who use pills, exercise, diet can donate but T2's (and of course T1's) who take insulin cannot donate :(

4

I thought T1's couldn't donate blood either.  Now, I'm curious.

5

I let the nurses know I had T1 prior to donating.  They told me it wasn't a problem provided I wasn't using pig insulin, which was on their paper list of things disqualifying donation eligibility.

6

From what I remember reading, it varies from state to state, but most will take you if, like Khendra said, don't use pig or animal-based insulin.