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View Full Version : Sudden Weight Loss triggering CA fears again



Carlton
05-01-19, 19:24
Well, not that my CA fears have gone away.


I started Sertraline 17 days ago, after being off anti-Ds for a month, a very bad month in which I was severely depressed, crying constantly, in a heightened state of panic, and having suicidal thoughts.


My main recent CA fears have been due to the blood I had in my urine in Sept, on the 4th, and again in Nov, on the 13th and 14th. None since then, but every time I go I am worried I will see blood again. I literally worry about it constantly since I drink about 5 liters of water a day, no joke, and therefore go the bathroom all the time. I was checked by a urologist that did the full invasive workup on me looking for CA but nothing was found which of course means that I have no reason for having had blood, and the uncertainty just messes with my head nonstop since blood in urine is such a high predictor of urinary tract CA. Just typing that makes me sick to my stomach.


Now, since I started the Sertraline, 50 mg the first week, 100 mg the last 10 days, I have lost 10-12 pounds in those 17 days, despite eating normally. The sudden dramatic weight loss coupled with my already present CA anxiety has sent me to another level of worry. I always have a hard time losing weight, and have not done so on other antidepressants. In fact, I always read about people gaining weight on these meds, not losing it.


The Sertraline is also making me jittery, and maybe more anxious, yet has eliminated the ability to cry and feel sadness, and I am very worried about death, but not having bad thoughts about self harm anymore. My sleep is weird. I just feel awful overall, anxious but numb, scared, but tired.



Doc says I have to give this med a solid month or more to see if it can truly work on the OCD HA thoughts, but of course in the meanwhile, I am worried that it isn't HA, but real CA that's been missed and is killing me. I just don't know how to calm down anymore, and I'm mentally at the end of my tether.

RadioGaGa
05-01-19, 20:22
What was your weight before the weight loss?

Carlton
05-01-19, 20:34
What was your weight before the weight loss?


I'm 6'1 354....I was 366


No idea what that is in stone weight, but obviously it's a lot.


I mean, I'm a big fat guy, I know that, but still it's the suddenness when I've never been able to lose weight, and I'm not doing anything to lose weight.


Could starting the Sertraline cause this much of a sudden change? I mean, it would be too much of a coincidence for the sudden weight loss to coincide with starting the Sertraline and it NOT be from the Sertraline, right?


Weight loss is listed as a side effect of Sertraline, even more so than weight gain, but I guess since people usually don't mind dropping a few pounds you don't read about people complaining about it, whereas anyone who gains weight while on it usually does complain about it. Just trying to think about it logically. And I know doctors say you need to lose 10% of your weight or maybe it's 5% of your weight in a certain time frame before they would even give it a second thought.

RadioGaGa
05-01-19, 20:40
You've lost about 4.6% of your body weight. You're correct in that its >10% before they'll want to look into it further.

Weight loss is associated with sertraline, and certainly logic would dictate that because the weight loss has coincided with you commencing treatment, it's the cause.

Certainly, 366lbs is 26 stone, so definitely look towards weight loss. This could be a nifty side effect of sertraline, which could assist you in losing weight.

I will say if the weight loss continues, see your doctor for evaluation

Good luck

Carlton
05-01-19, 20:59
Ha....if only you knew how often I see doctors!

---------- Post added at 15:59 ---------- Previous post was at 15:48 ----------

BTW...12 as a percentage of 366 is only 3.28% of my weight, so I guess I'm slightly better off when it comes to my worries. Anyway thanks for responding.


Honestly, at this point I'm just tired of worrying....I wish I could just stop, not monitor anything about my health, and not care. I mean, a big fat guy like me who also happens to be diabetic could drop dead of a heart attack any time I suppose, but I don't worry about that. Nope. I only worry about CA, and specifically some kind of hidden urinary tract CA at the moment. I consider CA to be the worst thing you can get, or at least it's my worst fear, and totally my obsession, much to my dismay.

RadioGaGa
06-01-19, 15:04
Lol for some reason I read you as having lost 17lbs... When it was actually 12.

I really need to stop skim-reading lol

ankietyjoe
06-01-19, 15:47
Weight loss is at least as much hormonal as it is energy deficit. I would imagine the medication has altered the way your body stores fat.