Yesterday I went and donated plasma for the first time. I went through all the exams, etc, everything was fine. I'm in the 1st category, and my protein level was 8 out of 9. I went through my first cycle of giving and receiving, and there was a small air bubble in the bag during my receiving, so they had to fix it.
Then I started feeling this really warm sensation as I was starting the next cycle, it literally felt like I was peeing myself, but I wasn't. Then my lips started getting really numb, and my machine made a weird noise and everything went down hill from there. I started getting very faintish and was telling the nurses I was going to faint, then my chest got really tight and I couldn't breathe, and then my body just froze up, my hands were stiff and locked in position, I couldn't move my legs, and when I spoke I had a lisp. This happened for about 5-10 min, then my hearing started going out and I couldn't hear anything for about 30 seconds, then the nurses gave me 3 tums and a glass of water and gave me my blood back and then took the IV out. I felt fine afterward. It was a very scary experience, and they didn't seem to know any details as to why it happened. They told me I should drink a glass of milk before I come in next time because it could have been that I didn't have enough calcium, but they didn't seem so sure! They also said they don't think it was a reaction to the anticoagulant because I would have had side effects on the first cycle and not the second one.
I would just like to know why this happened, and if this can be a sign of calcium deficiency or what! It was extremely traumatic and I had like 4-5 nurses all over at me and they hardly told me anything. I want to keep donating plasma but am terrified because I don't want it to happen again.
I'm 20 years old, female, about 135 lbs. I have a fairly good diet, I eat alot of meat, and ate a good meal before I went and donated but didn't have any milk.
Then I started feeling this really warm sensation as I was starting the next cycle, it literally felt like I was peeing myself, but I wasn't. Then my lips started getting really numb, and my machine made a weird noise and everything went down hill from there. I started getting very faintish and was telling the nurses I was going to faint, then my chest got really tight and I couldn't breathe, and then my body just froze up, my hands were stiff and locked in position, I couldn't move my legs, and when I spoke I had a lisp. This happened for about 5-10 min, then my hearing started going out and I couldn't hear anything for about 30 seconds, then the nurses gave me 3 tums and a glass of water and gave me my blood back and then took the IV out. I felt fine afterward. It was a very scary experience, and they didn't seem to know any details as to why it happened. They told me I should drink a glass of milk before I come in next time because it could have been that I didn't have enough calcium, but they didn't seem so sure! They also said they don't think it was a reaction to the anticoagulant because I would have had side effects on the first cycle and not the second one.
I would just like to know why this happened, and if this can be a sign of calcium deficiency or what! It was extremely traumatic and I had like 4-5 nurses all over at me and they hardly told me anything. I want to keep donating plasma but am terrified because I don't want it to happen again.
I'm 20 years old, female, about 135 lbs. I have a fairly good diet, I eat alot of meat, and ate a good meal before I went and donated but didn't have any milk.