By donating your cells, you've done something absolutely exceptional
We've put together this guide to explain what happens next.
We hope it'll answer your questions, but if you have any others, contact us on 020 7424 6568 or email donor@anthonynolan.org
In an emergency
If you need to contact someone urgently after leaving the collection centre, please call the emergency contact on 07710 599 161.
Read on to discover
- Taking care of yourself after donation
- Your journey - what the road ahead looks like
- Sharing your experience
What happens next?
How will I feel over the next few days?
No two people are the same after donating. Some may feel tired, while others ache. Some may have no side
effects at all. See our advice further down the page for how to take care of yourself if you've donated lymphocytes, stem cells, or whole blood.
What if I need some support?
Donating is an amazing thing to do, but we understand you might also need some support afterwards if you feel physically or emotionally under the weather.
You can contact our Donor Follow Up team who will be happy to help. Just email donor@anthonynolan.org, or call 020 7424 6568.
When can I donate blood again?
These rules are set by the NHSBT, so please do speak to them before donating blood.
You can give blood 6 months after a stem cell donation, and 3 months after a lymphocyte or whole blood donation.
Taking care of yourself
There are lots of things you can do to look after yourself after donating. Make sure you rest up and take it easy.
If you've donated lymphocytes
Bruising at the donation site
You may have some bruising at the donation site, especially if it took a few attempts to place the needle. Avoid strenuous activity, and try to keep the bruised area slightly elevated where possible.
Feeling tired
Rest and avoid strenuous activity for 48 hours after you’ve donated.
If you've donated PBSC (stem cells)
Mild flu-like symptoms (headaches, muscle aches, and bone pain)
Take pain-relief medication like paracetamol. Don’t take ibuprofen or anything that contains aspirin for 2-3 days post-donation – it stops your blood clotting properly, which can be dangerous after you’ve donated.
Bruising easily
Low platelet levels post-donation may cause you to bruise more easily, but don’t worry, your platelets will return to normal within a couple of days.
Feeling tired
Rest and avoid strenuous activity for 48 hours after you’ve donated.
If you've donated whole blood
Feeling faint
Make sure you lie down, rest until you feel better and drink plenty of fluid.
Feeling tired
Avoid exercise for at least 24 hours.
Your Journey
It’s really important that as a donor, you’re healthy and feeling okay. Here’s what to expect over the next few days, weeks, months and even years…
24-48 hours post donation: In the first few days after donating, you may be feeling some side effects. See our advice above to find out more.
Week 1: You’ll get a call after a few days to check you’re well. If you donated via PBSC, we’ll send you a questionnaire to complete and return to us as soon as you can.
Month 1: Whatever method you donated by, we’ll drop you an email with a few questions about how your experience went. It’s really important you fill this in and send it back to us as soon as you can.
Year 1 and beyond: If you donated via PBSC, we’ll send you the occasional questionnaire for up to 10 years to see
how you’re doing. It’s crucial you fill these in, so we know how you’re getting on.
Share your experience
You’re doing something amazing and it’s great to share your experience of donating for research. Tell your friends, family and followers that you could be helping to unlock new discoveries and shape the future of treatments! Don't forget to tag us so we can support your post on any platform.
You can also share your story with us and it could be featured on our official social media pages or our donor stories page.
Share your story with us
Just complete a story consent form and we'll be in touch!
We just ask that you follow these guidelines:
- DO share your experience of donating and how it works. Lots of people have misconceptions about donating, especially about donating stem cells, so it’s great to share what it’s really like
- DO say that you are donating for research. There will be people posting about donating to a specific patient as well, so it’s great to highlight that you’re doing something a bit different.
- DO tag us in your post so we can follow your story and say hello!
- DON’T share the details of the study you are involved in. These studies may be confidential, so we just ask that you hold off sharing any details until the results are officially published
- DON’T share any photos of the label on your bag of cells. It could contain confidential information.
If you have any questions about these guidelines, or would be interested in sharing your story further and becoming an Anthony Nolan Research Donor case study, please chat to your coordinator.