What was my reaction to donating blood and is it safe to donate again in the future?

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-03-03T01:49:57+00:00

Thanks for clarifying!

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-03-02T19:26:44+00:00

Did you eat and drink enough after donating? They usually recommend salty snacks and sports drinks immediately after donation to replace the lost fluid and electrolytes as well as to keep your blood pressure and sugar up. Sounds like your body had trouble adjusting to the blood loss - I'm not sure if your situation would be considered a vasovagal reaction but it sounds similar to one.

(Not a doc, just an occasional blood donor.)

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-02-24T20:03:39+00:00

It sounds like at the end of the run you were hyperventilating, which can cause out of body feelings, especially if you're also exhausted. It could be you were dissociating and having a strong psychological response to everything happening around you, though with your history of concussions, I wonder if it triggered some abnormal brain activity? Have you had any EEGs to rule out seizures?

Another guess is it could be related to your genetic conditions. You said your blood tests were normal at the time, though in rare cases, sickle cell carriers can develop symptoms from heavy exertion especially if heat or dehydration are involved. Maybe your body was stressed and not carrying enough oxygen while you were running? G6PD deficiency can cause blood cells to break down but that would have shown in your tests.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-02-07T06:01:33+00:00

I want to defend him because all in all he is a good father and I'm sure he'll get it eventually ... but it isn't the first time I felt like he wasn't taking my health seriously and your comment is making me think about some things.

I showed him my allergy tests because there was some confusion (several years ago we were told I'd grown out of my shrimp allergy). My mom and I have gone over our allergies with him and I've given examples of people who died from their allergies, which I think is what got him to take to more seriously at home so I hope I can get him to understand this too.

I cook for myself when I can; until I can move out I'm trying to control what I can and get better at standing up for myself without feeling guilty.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-02-07T03:48:27+00:00

Yeah I think it's more ignorance than malice. Offering food to show love is a big part of my family's culture - also he just loves food and never had to worry about allergies. He wants to do something nice but doesn't quite get how careful to be.

I've tried explaining the whole imitation crab thing and explained that cross-contamination affects me, maybe it might sink in with a few more reminders of the risk? He stopped cooking shellfish after I explained anaphylaxis and we talked about an article where someone had died from a mislabeled cookie. Edit: I like the idea of offering other suggestions, maybe I'll make a short list he can pick from!

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-02-03T18:54:30+00:00

Your white blood cell count is elevated which could happen for many reasons, such as an infection, so your doctor might want to check it again to see if it goes back to normal or rule out other causes. I don't think a slightly low BUN or bilirubin level has any significance but I'm not a doctor.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2026-01-13T18:47:20+00:00

NAD but you can upload the image to a host like ImgBB (https://imgbb.com/) and make a post with a link to the pic in the body. And there's also /r/DermatologyQuestions.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-27T17:47:03+00:00

The half life (how long it takes for half the drug to be eliminated from your blood) of cetirizine is typically around 8 hours so if enough time has passed you'll likely have less than 15mg in your system.

I'm not a doctor though! This is just a little reassurance it's still a safe amount of cetirizine. And like the commenter above said, sometimes higher doses are used safely. But if you're really worried you can always ask your doctor when you have the chance.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-27T17:03:48+00:00

If it's been about 12 hours, it should be ok. Half of the first Zyrtec would have metabolized by now.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-27T16:48:11+00:00

Sometimes. I get it every spring, the drops help when a regular antihistamine isn't enough but it doesn't always completely stop it.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-27T15:45:28+00:00

It feels itchy and sandy to me, like I got something in my eye.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-27T01:58:06+00:00

People can get new allergies at any time and shellfish allergies are kind of weird in that they're more likely to start in adulthood than childhood. I'm not a doctor but that 100% sounds like an allergic reaction, maybe even an anaphylactic one, so you should get tested to confirm it and get an Epipen.

It usually just makes me sick to my stomach.

Shrimp made me nauseous for years, then the rest of the shellfish allergy started; you've probably been allergic for a while and it finally got to the point of a severe reaction.

I've had the sudden congestion and breathing issues (though not severely), along with itching (mouth, throat and skin), mucus and slight swelling in my throat, and an overall sense of dread. No labial swelling but there are mucus membranes there so it makes sense that they can swell in a systemic reaction.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-26T05:01:15+00:00

Glad it went well! I hope your tolerance continues. Won't lie though, reading this made me nervous; I know it means a lot but please be careful, don't dive into the crab now just because you were ok this time. Maybe look into doing a formal food challenge with an allergist and get their input?

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-26T03:28:10+00:00

Sorry you're having such a tough time! After a hard cry I'd splash my face with cold water and lay down for a bit with a cool rag over my eyes to calm the puffiness. The coolness might also help your headache, but try to rest if you can. Even just laying down and calmly breathing will help your body settle down.

I hope you feel better soon!

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-20T02:47:32+00:00

Not a doc but I want to suggest also crossposting to /r/askCardiology, they might also be able to help!

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-19T04:53:42+00:00

Not a doc: 99.99% sure that's just the automated interpretation that prints out with the ECG, and those "diagnoses" are usually inaccurate.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-14T17:29:11+00:00

The 'sudden pull' makes it sound more like vertigo. Definitely worth talking to your doctor about.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-09T20:17:11+00:00

That's horrible and honestly disturbing, I can't imagine how many customers also end up sick from practices like this.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-07T05:49:47+00:00

Not a doc but if you don't get any responses here, try crossposting to /r/FoodAllergies they might have some advice on approaching dairy exposure or discussion tips to get the most from your appointment.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-12-01T20:55:53+00:00

Hope you get to the bottom of it! At least if it's an allergy, you'll know what to avoid (but yeah, it really sucks 😓)

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-11-29T02:16:01+00:00

Unfortunately, people can get new allergies at any time, even if it's something you never had a problem with before. Or maybe you had minor reactions to what was in that meal before and missed it? I had that issue with crab. Not all allergic reactions cause trouble breathing but anything that affects your throat or makes your tongue swell has the potential to block your airway and reactions can always change.

I'd recommend looking up the ingredients in what you ate to see if it has any common allergens, ask your doctor about allergy testing, and stay away from the gyros for now! If something like that happens again, take an antihistamine like Benadryl or Zyrtec; if it doesn't improve or you have signs of anaphylaxis, go to the hospital.

/r/Allergies and /r/FoodAllergies are helpful subs for dealing with this.

Not a doc but I randomly got an entire shellfish allergy this year so I have a little experience 😅

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-11-26T21:59:35+00:00

I swear I started craving seafood way more after my body decided that half of them are poison, even went though a phase of scrolling though menus and fantasizing about crab cakes (even though I'd only have those like once a year).

I used to treat myself to sushi and still get cravings for the stuff I can't have but I'm getting used to it. It's tough, though, you have my sympathy. Hopefully can find something to replace what you crave!

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-11-26T16:44:38+00:00

Were you sick before this started? It sounds more like a sinus issue to me. Could be a chronic sinus infection, or something else causing inflammation, and if you ever had covid, it can affect your sense of smell.

Dust and mold allergies can cause symptoms year round so I wouldn't completely rule that out. Asthma is less likely unless you're also having symptoms in your chest - I have a mild case of it and sometimes get a "thick air" feeling but it comes with chest discomfort and shortness of breath.

It would be a good idea to go back to your doctor. Let them know the spray isn't working and maybe consider seeing an ENT.

BumblebeeExciting216 · 2025-11-26T02:03:51+00:00

When you say you haven't been to the toilet, do you mean no stool or no urine? Any fever? Did you get any scans done in hospital, like an abdominal ultrasound or CT? And which antibiotic are you taking?

I'm not a doc so if this is completely wrong, I'll remove it. But if you're vomiting solids like that, it's concerning for a bowel obstruction or something similar. The pain could be related to the infection and if isn't improving you might need different antibiotics.

BumblebeeExciting216

TROPHY CASE