Been trying to lose some weight but now worried about it beinc cause of cancer

[scared88]

I've had swollen nodes in my armpits and groin for 11 years, actually it's nearly 12 years now.

I've gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years with comfort eating when dad was sick with Alzheimers, he passed in August.

But I've now been trying to maybe lose some of the weight I put on, I was at my highest 97kg (213 lbs) but leveled off at around 95 (209).
It seems since I started to change my diet a little bit I've dropped down to 92 (202) and I've started comfort eating again cause of the anxiety, it isn't rising again the weight. At least I'm not seeing it.
I have been under a lot of stress lately cause of huge family drama that ensued after my dad passed and now on New Years Day his brother passed away too. Now in the middle of funeral plans.
Could I be having this weight loss cause of the anxiety despite eating like a pig?

[WiseMonkey]

I've had swollen nodes in my armpits and groin for 11 years, actually it's nearly 12 years now.

I've gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years with comfort eating when dad was sick with Alzheimers, he passed in August.

But I've now been trying to maybe lose some of the weight I put on, I was at my highest 97kg (213 lbs) but leveled off at around 95 (209).
It seems since I started to change my diet a little bit I've dropped down to 92 (202) and I've started comfort eating again cause of the anxiety, it isn't rising again the weight. At least I'm not seeing it.
I have been under a lot of stress lately cause of huge family drama that ensued after my dad passed and now on New Years Day his brother passed away too. Now in the middle of funeral plans.
Could I be having this weight loss cause of the anxiety despite eating like a pig?

Sorry to hear about the deaths of your family members. Anxiety can cause your metabolism to speed up and you can continue to loose weight even if you are eating lots. Once the crisis passes, you system normalises and the weight goes back on. However, you definitely don't want that to happen, so cut back on your intake after the funeral. Loosing weight (with no other symptoms) certainly does not indicate cancer, believe me, it's just the stress/anxiety.

[scared88]

Sorry to hear about the deaths of your family members. Anxiety can cause your metabolism to speed up and you can continue to loose weight even if you are eating lots. Once the crisis passes, you system normalises and the weight goes back on. However, you definitely don't want that to happen, so cut back on your intake after the funeral. Loosing weight (with no other symptoms) certainly does not indicate cancer, believe me, it's just the stress/anxiety.


I do kinda feel right now that I'd like it to go back up to "prove" it's not cancer.
I've also had this sensation of having this need to take a deep breath and not making it. This started just before the holidays again after having been going on and off since 2007.

[jojo2316]

So sorry about your dad and uncle. Of course you are anxious. Your weight loss isn’t cancer- you’ve been on a diet AND you have been under a lot of stress. Both of those things alone can cause weight loss

[scared88]

So sorry about your dad and uncle. Of course you are anxious. Your weight loss isn’t cancer- you’ve been on a diet AND you have been under a lot of stress. Both of those things alone can cause weight loss


I haven't been doing great on my diet though. Lately I've reverted back to crappy eating.

By my rough measurements it looks like I've lost around 5% of my weight in just few weeks.

[Shadowhawk]

I am truly sorry for your loss, and i can imagine how hard that is on you. Anxiety and depression both can cause reduced appetite and weight loss; i would highly suspect all things considered, you have not been eating and/or drinking as much as you had been, even if you don't realize it.



As FMP likes to (correctfully and rightfully say) - "Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells". If this was genuinely a cancer for the last 12 years, as you acknowledge has been a fear, you would not be experiencing weight loss NOW as a first symptom. I have no doubt in the 12 years you have been worried about this illness, that you haven't seen a single doctor or had some sort of regular blood draw, meaning i am sure the doctors that have seen you haven't seen anything to worry about (and if you really haven't seen a doc in that long, you should go, as routine physicals are good to make sure there are no problems in general, not just for cancer worries).



Stay strong, and don't let this linger on your mind. Unfortunately you have enough on your plate to worry about, please don't stress over something else that isn't there.

[scared88]

I am truly sorry for your loss, and i can imagine how hard that is on you. Anxiety and depression both can cause reduced appetite and weight loss; i would highly suspect all things considered, you have not been eating and/or drinking as much as you had been, even if you don't realize it.



As FMP likes to (correctfully and rightfully say) - "Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells". If this was genuinely a cancer for the last 12 years, as you acknowledge has been a fear, you would not be experiencing weight loss NOW as a first symptom. I have no doubt in the 12 years you have been worried about this illness, that you haven't seen a single doctor or had some sort of regular blood draw, meaning i am sure the doctors that have seen you haven't seen anything to worry about (and if you really haven't seen a doc in that long, you should go, as routine physicals are good to make sure there are no problems in general, not just for cancer worries).



Stay strong, and don't let this linger on your mind. Unfortunately you have enough on your plate to worry about, please don't stress over something else that isn't there.

I think I've been eating the same really.

I did of course have numerous doctors check out my nodes, including a hematologist. Starting in 2007 then 2011 and 2012. Had ultrasounds, blood tests and CT scan and appertnly they looked normal. Also had some docs feel them 2 years ago
But they are always the same size.

[WiredIncorrectly]

I've had swollen nodes in my armpits and groin for 11 years, actually it's nearly 12 years now.

I've gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years with comfort eating when dad was sick with Alzheimers, he passed in August.

But I've now been trying to maybe lose some of the weight I put on, I was at my highest 97kg (213 lbs) but leveled off at around 95 (209).
It seems since I started to change my diet a little bit I've dropped down to 92 (202) and I've started comfort eating again cause of the anxiety, it isn't rising again the weight. At least I'm not seeing it.
I have been under a lot of stress lately cause of huge family drama that ensued after my dad passed and now on New Years Day his brother passed away too. Now in the middle of funeral plans.
Could I be having this weight loss cause of the anxiety despite eating like a pig?

How active are you at home/work/school? It's pretty normal to eat a lot and lose weight if you're active. The calories get burned.

You're under a great deal of stress. Happened to me 24 months ago when I lost my Dad and then 12 months ago when I lost my stepdad. I don't even remember much of my existence over the past 2 years but I both lost weight, and gained it, throughout.

Stress is likely the culprit.

And swollen nodes for 11 years is probably not Cancer. You'd know by now if it was.

[scared88]

How active are you at home/work/school? It's pretty normal to eat a lot and lose weight if you're active. The calories get burned.

You're under a great deal of stress. Happened to me 24 months ago when I lost my Dad and then 12 months ago when I lost my stepdad. I don't even remember much of my existence over the past 2 years but I both lost weight, and gained it, throughout.

Stress is likely the culprit.

And swollen nodes for 11 years is probably not Cancer. You'd know by now if it was.


I'm not amazingly active but I try to move around a bit to get things done though. I've been getting very anxious in the middle of the nights and hardly sleeping. I just hope my breathing thing and the weighloss is cause of stress

[Carlton]

I know this feeling well. I lost about 10 pounds off my extremely overweight body quite suddenly in the last 3 weeks, since I started Sertraline. Now my cancer fears are on overdrive. Like you, I am actually trying now to put on weight to "prove" I can and that it isn't cancer. Yet gaining weight is the last thing I should be doing. I am weighing myself 20 to 30 times a day.

[WiredIncorrectly]

I know this feeling well. I lost about 10 pounds off my extremely overweight body quite suddenly in the last 3 weeks, since I started Sertraline. Now my cancer fears are on overdrive. Like you, I am actually trying now to put on weight to "prove" I can and that it isn't cancer. Yet gaining weight is the last thing I should be doing. I am weighing myself 20 to 30 times a day.

This happened to me when I was on sertaline too. The loss of appetite is perfectly normal.

Here's me giving you advice but I am the same. I notice if I lose even a tiny amount of weight and start questioning and then I purposely eat more to put on weight to prove it's not Cancer. But that makes me annoyed because I go to the gym and I hate putting on weight. It's a nasty feedback loop.

I purchased a pair of good scales just to be able to weight myself daily with accurate readings. I've had to put them away to stop myself.

[Carlton]

This happened to me when I was on sertaline too. The loss of appetite is perfectly normal.

Here's me giving you advice but I am the same. I notice if I lose even a tiny amount of weight and start questioning and then I purposely eat more to put on weight to prove it's not Cancer. But that makes me annoyed because I go to the gym and I hate putting on weight. It's a nasty feedback loop.

I purchased a pair of good scales just to be able to weight myself daily with accurate readings. I've had to put them away to stop myself.

I threw out my scale a couple of months ago, then turned around and bought a new one last month, just in time to start the Sertraline. Ugh.