DEAR DR. GOTT: My mother is 82. When she was 80, she gave blood and immediately afterward felt weak and dizzy, even though she had regularly given blood. She now feels this is the cause of her lack of energy. She is concerned that too much blood was taken, and the experience has drained her of energy. She asked me to post this question to you because she knows I’m not a doctor, and she hasn’t gotten any useful advice as to how to increase her level of energy from her regular doctor. She likes to work in her yard but tires easily. (Much more so than before the above episode.) What can she do to increase her energy level?

DEAR READER: Your mother’s lack of energy is not directly related to her giving blood two years ago. Her initial symptoms of weakness and dizziness can occur following donation as the body adjusts to the decreased volume of blood, but those should abate within a few hours.
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