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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Does Lack Of Appetite In An Elderly Person Indicate?

My friend (aged 70) hasn t been able to eat for about 3mos. And has lost close to 25#. She is a small woman to start so this has caused her to be very thin and weak. She has had multiple tests (blood,MRI, etc.) including an endoscopy which revealed a cluster of white dots I think surrounding a nucleus. The smell of food, especially meat products, nauseates her. She was told she may have an ulcer from taking Aleve daily. I find it hard to believe this could cause a lack of appetite. She has no pain. This really is about a friend, not myself. (I have other, less dramatic, issues.)
posted on Tue, 2 Aug 2016
Twitter Wed, 14 Aug 2019 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 16 Aug 2019 Last reviewed on
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello,

A peptic ulcer may cause a patient to have a lack of appetite and a lot of weight loss. It may be beneficial to have a treatment for peptic ulcer disease and see if this will help with her appetite. If no improvement, she will need to be tested for any hidden cancer as she is losing so much weight.

I hope this answers your query. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed.

Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
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What Does Lack Of Appetite In An Elderly Person Indicate?

Hello, A peptic ulcer may cause a patient to have a lack of appetite and a lot of weight loss. It may be beneficial to have a treatment for peptic ulcer disease and see if this will help with her appetite. If no improvement, she will need to be tested for any hidden cancer as she is losing so much weight. I hope this answers your query. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed. Regards, Dr. Antoneta Zotaj General and Family Physician