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Why I Have Zero Desire To Eat?
Question: I have serious symptoms and my doctor is sending me for a CT scan to see if I have cancer. I have questions.
These are my symptoms:
1. Change in my voice. It has gotten a lot worse and sometimes very embarrassing. People are commenting on my voice change. Family, friends, XXXXXXX
2. My cough has become much worse and I almost pass out from it. It goes so deep that it hurts bad in my chest, it burns. It feels like I am super high then my whole body trembles, mostly bad in hands and arms. Frightening. This happens every day at least.
3. I have more phlegm and it can be green, yellow or brown
4. I have BAD wheezing. I sound just like my Mother who died of lung cancer 4 years ago.
5. So tired. I can get exhausted for no reason. Often I am exhausted from walking across the room.
6. Loss of appetite- I have zero desire to eat. Just not hungry.
7. I have lost 22lbs without trying (not complaining though…ha ha ha )
8. Shortness of breath is worse and can come on for no reason at all.
9. I have fainted 4 times in this house. I have had warning with all them so I could brace myself so I don’t dislocate my hip. This last time I had no warning whatsoever. I just woke up on the floor in my kitchen. This happened within the last month.
10. Nausea every single day, many times a day and sometimes vomiting
11. Running nose for over a year
12. Last night I lost bowel control and I woke up in the middle of the night and pooped my bed!!!! OMG I have never had this happen. I do have little control of bladder sometimes but I thought it was from my hip.
13. I’m a 47 yr hard core smoker. 1-3 packs a day. Average 2 packs a day.
14. My mother died of lung cancer 4 years ago
15. My oldest brother has throat cancer and you can’t even understand him.
Do all these symptoms point to lung cancer? Thank you.
Bonnie XXXXXXX
These are my symptoms:
1. Change in my voice. It has gotten a lot worse and sometimes very embarrassing. People are commenting on my voice change. Family, friends, XXXXXXX
2. My cough has become much worse and I almost pass out from it. It goes so deep that it hurts bad in my chest, it burns. It feels like I am super high then my whole body trembles, mostly bad in hands and arms. Frightening. This happens every day at least.
3. I have more phlegm and it can be green, yellow or brown
4. I have BAD wheezing. I sound just like my Mother who died of lung cancer 4 years ago.
5. So tired. I can get exhausted for no reason. Often I am exhausted from walking across the room.
6. Loss of appetite- I have zero desire to eat. Just not hungry.
7. I have lost 22lbs without trying (not complaining though…ha ha ha )
8. Shortness of breath is worse and can come on for no reason at all.
9. I have fainted 4 times in this house. I have had warning with all them so I could brace myself so I don’t dislocate my hip. This last time I had no warning whatsoever. I just woke up on the floor in my kitchen. This happened within the last month.
10. Nausea every single day, many times a day and sometimes vomiting
11. Running nose for over a year
12. Last night I lost bowel control and I woke up in the middle of the night and pooped my bed!!!! OMG I have never had this happen. I do have little control of bladder sometimes but I thought it was from my hip.
13. I’m a 47 yr hard core smoker. 1-3 packs a day. Average 2 packs a day.
14. My mother died of lung cancer 4 years ago
15. My oldest brother has throat cancer and you can’t even understand him.
Do all these symptoms point to lung cancer? Thank you.
Bonnie XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
yes, it does point to lung cancer
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query. I have read it and understand your health concerns.
Here are my answers to your queries:
1. Voice change is the most important symptom or sign of cancer of vocal cords. You may or may not have it. There is a high risk of you having it due to your smoking history.
2. The cough is most likely due to your chronic smoking of 47 years.
3. The phlegm is due to chronic bronchitis; the underlying cause is your chronic smoking. The colour difference is due to secondary bacterial, viral, and/or parasitic infection in the lungs.
4. BAD wheezing indicates your lungs are finding it difficult to function. The smaller airways are damaged. You are unable to breathe in and out normally. You exert while breathing. Your mother had a similar problem. It could be due to secondary Asthma or lung cancer by itself.
5. Exhaustion is occurring due to decreased lung and heart function. This again is attributed to your smoking. Slowly, your heart is getting enlarged; it is finding it difficult to pump blood. Hence you are feeling the exhaustion.
6. Loss of appetite could be due to Tuberculosis. However, it is very unlikely in your case.
7. Your body metabolism is decreasing. You need to check why you are losing weight. Again, Tuberculosis is the most common cause of weight loss. You may get tested for the same as well.
8. Shortness of breath, especially at rest indicates a definite heart failure in progress. You need a cardiac evaluation as well.
9. This incident could be a syncopal attack due to sudden drop in your blood pressure. If this happens frequently, your blood pressure needs to be monitored regularly.
10. These are due to your dislike towards food. Your zero desire to eat and just not feeling hungry.
11. It could be allergic in cause. You may want to take Tablet Montelukast with levocetirizine combined with it. This is a prescription drug. Please get it prescribed by your doctor.
12. It happens and it is okay. It is a one-time incident. Please ignore it. Similarly, with advancing age bladder control decreases too.
13. You are at high risk of developing lung cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. It is advisable to reduce or quit your smoking.
14. I am sorry about your mother. You have a little more chance of getting lung cancer due to your family history, smoking history, and your symptoms.
15. Sorry about your oldest brother too.
Yes, all these symptoms point to lung cancer. Please go for the CT scan as advised by your doctor.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more queries.
Wish you well.
Regards,
Dr Shanthi E
yes, it does point to lung cancer
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query. I have read it and understand your health concerns.
Here are my answers to your queries:
1. Voice change is the most important symptom or sign of cancer of vocal cords. You may or may not have it. There is a high risk of you having it due to your smoking history.
2. The cough is most likely due to your chronic smoking of 47 years.
3. The phlegm is due to chronic bronchitis; the underlying cause is your chronic smoking. The colour difference is due to secondary bacterial, viral, and/or parasitic infection in the lungs.
4. BAD wheezing indicates your lungs are finding it difficult to function. The smaller airways are damaged. You are unable to breathe in and out normally. You exert while breathing. Your mother had a similar problem. It could be due to secondary Asthma or lung cancer by itself.
5. Exhaustion is occurring due to decreased lung and heart function. This again is attributed to your smoking. Slowly, your heart is getting enlarged; it is finding it difficult to pump blood. Hence you are feeling the exhaustion.
6. Loss of appetite could be due to Tuberculosis. However, it is very unlikely in your case.
7. Your body metabolism is decreasing. You need to check why you are losing weight. Again, Tuberculosis is the most common cause of weight loss. You may get tested for the same as well.
8. Shortness of breath, especially at rest indicates a definite heart failure in progress. You need a cardiac evaluation as well.
9. This incident could be a syncopal attack due to sudden drop in your blood pressure. If this happens frequently, your blood pressure needs to be monitored regularly.
10. These are due to your dislike towards food. Your zero desire to eat and just not feeling hungry.
11. It could be allergic in cause. You may want to take Tablet Montelukast with levocetirizine combined with it. This is a prescription drug. Please get it prescribed by your doctor.
12. It happens and it is okay. It is a one-time incident. Please ignore it. Similarly, with advancing age bladder control decreases too.
13. You are at high risk of developing lung cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. It is advisable to reduce or quit your smoking.
14. I am sorry about your mother. You have a little more chance of getting lung cancer due to your family history, smoking history, and your symptoms.
15. Sorry about your oldest brother too.
Yes, all these symptoms point to lung cancer. Please go for the CT scan as advised by your doctor.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more queries.
Wish you well.
Regards,
Dr Shanthi E
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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