18 yr old loosing weight and headaches - perspective please I'm struggling

[mags1501]

Hi all,

I'm currently just about to start treatment for GA with talking space. In the meantime my 18yr old son has lost weight, he has gone done a size in trousers. He was always a tiny bit plump and never a skinny boy. I mean do they loose puppy fat at 18?? I've only noticed it in the last few weeks, his jeans are baggy and he's definitely lost weight. He's back at school now in last year of A levels and walks a mile home each day. He complained of a headache at the side of his head last week too and said he felt tingling in one leg. WHen I asked his pain level he said a 7 but he didn't think to take any pain killers or wake us up so maybe it wasn't that bad. This has only happened the once and he seems absolutely fine in himself, apart from I noticed he has a little bald patch of hair at the front of his head where he says he pulls at it when he feels stressed. H says he is fine and to stop worrying but I find myself watching him all the time looking for problems
I'm beside myself and my anxiety is through the roof, thinking he has cancer or a brain tumour etc
I don't want to question him anyone more as I feel I am putting my anxiety onto him. He is eating well and doing well at school. My next counselling appt isn't for another 2 weeks so I'm struggling here.
Has anyone else had issues with their children loosing weight at this age.
I've googled (I know I shouldn't) and all it says is loosing weight is a sign of a serious disease.
Thank you for reading

[ankietyjoe]

Hi all,

I'm currently just about to start treatment for GA with talking space. In the meantime my 18yr old son has lost weight, he has gone done a size in trousers. He was always a tiny bit plump and never a skinny boy. I mean do they loose puppy fat at 18?? I've only noticed it in the last few weeks, his jeans are baggy and he's definitely lost weight. He's back at school now in last year of A levels and walks a mile home each day. He complained of a headache at the side of his head last week too and said he felt tingling in one leg. WHen I asked his pain level he said a 7 but he didn't think to take any pain killers or wake us up so maybe it wasn't that bad. This has only happened the once and he seems absolutely fine in himself, apart from I noticed he has a little bald patch of hair at the front of his head where he says he pulls at it when he feels stressed. H says he is fine and to stop worrying but I find myself watching him all the time looking for problems
I'm beside myself and my anxiety is through the roof, thinking he has cancer or a brain tumour etc
I don't want to question him anyone more as I feel I am putting my anxiety onto him. He is eating well and doing well at school. My next counselling appt isn't for another 2 weeks so I'm struggling here.
Has anyone else had issues with their children loosing weight at this age.
I've googled (I know I shouldn't) and all it says is loosing weight is a sign of a serious disease.
Thank you for reading

I feel this is your answer.

My weight plummets when I'm stressed. 10lbs in a week, easily.

Perhaps something is on his mind, that he's not dealing with very well.

[Scass]

Last year of a levels must be pretty stressful, plus the fact that he’s still growing may mean that he’s going up instead of out maybe?
I think you’re doing all you can, so just keep making yourself available if he needs to talk, and keep your eye on him - although that last bit hardly needs to be said! X

[NoraB]

Hi all,

I'm currently just about to start treatment for GA with talking space. In the meantime my 18yr old son has lost weight, he has gone done a size in trousers. He was always a tiny bit plump and never a skinny boy. I mean do they loose puppy fat at 18?? I've only noticed it in the last few weeks, his jeans are baggy and he's definitely lost weight. He's back at school now in last year of A levels and walks a mile home each day.

Is the walking a recent thing for him?


WHen I asked his pain level he said a 7 but he didn't think to take any pain killers or wake us up so maybe it wasn't that bad.

Seven is a pain level which requires painkillers, so I agree with you in that it probably wasn't that bad.


This has only happened the once and he seems absolutely fine in himself, apart from I noticed he has a little bald patch of hair at the front of his head where he says he pulls at it when he feels stressed. H says he is fine and to stop worrying but I find myself watching him all the time looking for problems

I pick the skin off my lips when I'm stressed. With some people, it's pulling at their hair or they chew their nails..(In any case, it's stress behaviour)


I'm beside myself and my anxiety is through the roof, thinking he has cancer or a brain tumour etc

People commonly get headaches. More so these days because of the way we're hunched over screens all day long. As Joe says, stress equals weight loss for a lot of people. (And your son is always doing a lot of waking every day)


I've googled (I know I shouldn't) and all it says is loosing weight is a sign of a serious disease.

It can be a sign, but there are generally other symptoms with disease..