mom has lost a lot of weight-scared she has cancer

[scaredpt]

my mom just told me she's lost ten pounds this year without trying, and im worried it is cancer. could there be other explanations? her GP was even a bit worried apprently.

[Fishmanpa]

Ten pounds in a year? Pffft.... I lost almost that much prepping for a colonoscopy! (Apparently, that's how FOS I was! ~lol~)

Ten pounds without trying in less than a month?.. yeah... but a year? Nahhh

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

The NHS regard unintentional weight loss over 5% in a 6-12 month period as cause for investigation. So, from her doctors point of view he would want to rule things out just to be on the safe side.

That doesn't mean it has to be cancer so be wary of jumping to the wrong conclusions and let them do their investigation. Cancer would likely have other prominent signs that a doctor would pick straight up on.

Any depression? Or bereavement? Both are known for this. There are thyroid disorders to consider too and a whole host of less common ones including certai medications, dental problems, ulcers, diabetes, etc.

[scaredpt]

yes, she has had a lot of extreme anxiety this year, we've been trying to. also she has hyperthyroidism, so that could cause weight loss, but she's on meds for that. we are waiting for blood tests to come back so im hoping its just anxiety!

[Annaboodle]

Hi :)

Try not to worry as that's not a lot to lose at all given your mum has been anxious and stressed. I love my food, but when I went through a really stressful time I lost a load of weight (like a few stone) without even realising it or knowing that I wasn't eating properly/enough for my weight. I'm a mum in my 40s by the way.

A stressful time alone is enough to make you shed weight without trying and if someone has anxiety as well then all that nervous energy can burn it off, plus it is really difficult to keep tabs on what you're eating when you're stressed and anxious.

There were a couple of threads on here recently about exactly this same thing - it was people going through stressful times, crammed with anxiety and wondering where the weight was going.

---------- Post added at 17:17 ---------- Previous post was at 17:16 ----------

.... none of them had anything sinister by the way - just messed up eating due to anxiety.

[scaredpt]

yeah to be honest my anxiety has been giving her anxiety. she seems quite healthy otherwise, works out every day, gets up super early, no other symptoms, just has lost some weight. she's also been upset by politics-we are in the US. she said her doctor wasn't super worried and didn't order any special tests

[WiredIncorrectly]

I don't think there's anything to worry about here. When my anxiety is bad I can stop eating, or eat infrequently (which makes the anxiety worse, but hey ho). When this happens I lose weight quickly.

My Dad had Cancer. It took his life. Now that weight loss was totally different. He dropped from 17 stone pure muscle to 12 stone in about a month or two. That's when you need to worry, but in your mothers case it isn't the same. So don't worry :D

[Fishmanpa]

yeah to be honest my anxiety has been giving her anxiety. she seems quite healthy otherwise, works out every day, gets up super early, no other symptoms, just has lost some weight. she's also been upset by politics-we are in the US. she said her doctor wasn't super worried and didn't order any special tests

You have every practical and logical explanation as well as reassurance from the doctor (tests would have been ordered if there was something suspicious going on) but your dragon was talking shite to you.... That's all that's going on here.

Positive thoughts

[pulisa]

yes, she has had a lot of extreme anxiety this year, we've been trying to. also she has hyperthyroidism, so that could cause weight loss, but she's on meds for that. we are waiting for blood tests to come back so im hoping its just anxiety!

Could very well be her thyroid meds which need tweaking.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hyperthyroidism is one of the main listed causes for unexplained weight loss over 5% of bodyweight so I would be considering that, the meds for it and the anxiety you mentioned. It is worth a GP assessing whether it is either of them because of the possible link to her condition and the meds she is taking.