Question about donating platelets, also known as apheresis?

Question

I regularly donate blood and have been told I'm a good candidate for platelet donation...besides taking longer, how different does it feel than donating blood?

Please share your experiences.

A few more details...

--does it hurt more or less?

--is the needle size the same or different?

--does it bother you to have needles in both arms? can you move at all?

Thanks,

Amy

Answer 1

I am a 10 galloon donor of blood, platelets and plasma.  I also work at a blood bank.  I really like giving platelets.  It doesn't hurt any more or less than giving blood.  The needle is generally a bit smaller than giving blood.  At the blood center I work at, we only use 1 arm, but we used to use 2.  It didn't bother me to do it with both arms tied down, but you can't really move your arms much.  The biggest problem my donors (and myself) have is with the anticoagulant.  It binds with the calcium in your blood, causing a tingling sensation in your lips.  The best defense against this is to eat/drink something with calcium in it beforehand.  Hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy giving the gift of life!