I'm losing weight unintentionally and am worried

[Anonymous]

Diabetes is more common. Rule that out today with a simple finger prick. Good luck op.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all. I went to another PCP in practice. She was hesitant but agreed to order the fasting blood glucose and asked me to come in tomorrow morning. She also asked me to see an oncologist due to the rapid weight loss and it is beyond her expertise since I've already had an MRCP, Colonoscopy, EGD, abdominal ultrasound.

I guess I now need a good oncologist in MoCo. No one is picking up the phone in the office she gave me.

She also said I seem very anxious and has prescribed an anxiety medicine. I mentioned that nortryptiline did not agree with me so she said it wont be that high of a dose and it is a different medicine. Will know when I pick it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be very worried about cancer , and would consider going to the ER rather than waiting on your primary care doctor to refer you to someone else, wait to get another scan, etc.

Will they do scans in ER just for weight loss and abdominal pain?

RN here. Yes BUT if everything comes back normal, they are very likely to just discharge you and to tell you to follow up with a specialist. They likely aren't going to take the time to try to diagnose anything unless your labs are out of whack or you're unable to keep anything down (I say unlikely but I've also seen people admitted for less). They will likely just rule out anything emergent and/or critical and then have you follow up. Which isn't necessarily a bad way to get a CT scan, I just don't want you to get your hopes up too much that you'll walk out with any answers.

Do they do MRI/MRCP in the ER if you have had those already? My next one is due in Jan. I would rather have the MRI since the CT Scan did not pick up my IPMN.

[Anonymous]

Also curious if they do endoscopic ultrasounds in ER since only specialists do those.

[Anonymous]

Good job advocating for yourself, OP. Let us know how the fasting blood sugar works out. Although diabetes sucks it would be a better outcome than cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all. I went to another PCP in practice. She was hesitant but agreed to order the fasting blood glucose and asked me to come in tomorrow morning. She also asked me to see an oncologist due to the rapid weight loss and it is beyond her expertise since I've already had an MRCP, Colonoscopy, EGD, abdominal ultrasound.

I guess I now need a good oncologist in MoCo. No one is picking up the phone in the office she gave me.

She also said I seem very anxious and has prescribed an anxiety medicine. I mentioned that nortryptiline did not agree with me so she said it wont be that high of a dose and it is a different medicine. Will know when I pick it up.

That is very unusual to have a referral to an oncologist without a cancer diagnosis. Are you sure she said oncologist and not endocrinologist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also curious if they do endoscopic ultrasounds in ER since only specialists do those.

The ERs job is really to stabilize - they aren’t going to do many advanced diagnostics most likely, if you are stable. So unlikely to get much more than an xray, ultrasound, and/or CT along with some bloodwork. But those tests combined will pickup the majority of cancers so it’s not a bad idea

[Anonymous]

Hi OP- are you the same person that posted at the end of September about weight loss and IPMN?

Either way- call the cyst clinic and ask them for an order to repeat the MRI/MRCP sooner.

If you have not had pancreatic elastase checked, do that.

It sounds like you had a CT of abdomen and pelvis and all of the other diagnostics have been normal.

I have referred people to oncology for weight loss, so that is done but not regularly.

You need your glucose, thyroid, liver, kidneys, albumin, ESR, CRP and possibly cortisol checked.

The good news is that nothing has been found that is concerning. IPMNs are not rare and rarely become anything of concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all. I went to another PCP in practice. She was hesitant but agreed to order the fasting blood glucose and asked me to come in tomorrow morning. She also asked me to see an oncologist due to the rapid weight loss and it is beyond her expertise since I've already had an MRCP, Colonoscopy, EGD, abdominal ultrasound.

I guess I now need a good oncologist in MoCo. No one is picking up the phone in the office she gave me.

She also said I seem very anxious and has prescribed an anxiety medicine. I mentioned that nortryptiline did not agree with me so she said it wont be that high of a dose and it is a different medicine. Will know when I pick it up.

You're anxious and losing weight. What was your TSH and T4? Did they check your thyroid???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP- are you the same person that posted at the end of September about weight loss and IPMN?

Either way- call the cyst clinic and ask them for an order to repeat the MRI/MRCP sooner.

If you have not had pancreatic elastase checked, do that.

It sounds like you had a CT of abdomen and pelvis and all of the other diagnostics have been normal.

I have referred people to oncology for weight loss, so that is done but not regularly.

You need your glucose, thyroid, liver, kidneys, albumin, ESR, CRP and possibly cortisol checked.

The good news is that nothing has been found that is concerning. IPMNs are not rare and rarely become anything of concern.

Yes I am that poster. My CT scan was in 2023. Follow up MRI was in Jan 2025. I have now lost weight for the second time sice May - and this time I actually took pictures of the weighing scale at home which is how I know the exact time frame and how much I lost.

They checked my TSH in May and it was normal but I asked for it today and she told me not to google much and gave me the anxiety meds. Not sure what she has written out for me when I go in tomorrow. They have an inhouse lab.

I will write down the tests you mention, thank you!

Chatgpt suggested some of them and some additional ones - I mentioned I have palpitations and tremors occasionally, burning pins and needles, weight loss, ipmn:

Symptoms can indicate hyperthyroidism, malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, or nutritional deficiencies - ask for the following tests:

TSH, Free T4, Free T3
Vitamin B12, Folate, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Iron/ferritin
CBC, CMP, CRP
Stool pancreatic elastase, fecal calprotectin

I did call the cyst clinic and left a message for 2 doctors but did not hear back today. Hopefully tomorrow. My next MRI is in Jan. I would rather have an EUS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all. I went to another PCP in practice. She was hesitant but agreed to order the fasting blood glucose and asked me to come in tomorrow morning. She also asked me to see an oncologist due to the rapid weight loss and it is beyond her expertise since I've already had an MRCP, Colonoscopy, EGD, abdominal ultrasound.

I guess I now need a good oncologist in MoCo. No one is picking up the phone in the office she gave me.

She also said I seem very anxious and has prescribed an anxiety medicine. I mentioned that nortryptiline did not agree with me so she said it wont be that high of a dose and it is a different medicine. Will know when I pick it up.

You're anxious and losing weight. What was your TSH and T4? Did they check your thyroid???

They checked TSH in May before my weight loss and it was 2.26. T4 not checked.

[Anonymous]

1. Have you been tested for celiac disease?

2. When you had the colonoscopy did they do biopsies to test for microscopic colitis?
If not, on your next colonoscopy make sure you get biopsies to test for microscopic colitis.
Watery loose stool is a strong symptom.

3. Switch from cows milk to almond milk for your cereal. Cows milk is way too harsh on the gut if you have loose stools.

4. Try the methylguard plus b vitamins for the pins and needles feeling.

5. Chronic loose stool can cause rapid weight loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate gluten and dairy while you wait for a Dr appointment. Many of your symptoms sound like celiac or a bad intolerance that’s been ignored.

Second this. Give it 8 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How old are you? Male or female? With the prediabetes diagnosis I would he concerned about pancreatic cancer. Please push for a scan. I hope it’s IBS op.

Female over 50.

Female over 50 is another risk factor for microscopic colitis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be very worried about cancer , and would consider going to the ER rather than waiting on your primary care doctor to refer you to someone else, wait to get another scan, etc.

Will they do scans in ER just for weight loss and abdominal pain?

RN here. Yes BUT if everything comes back normal, they are very likely to just discharge you and to tell you to follow up with a specialist. They likely aren't going to take the time to try to diagnose anything unless your labs are out of whack or you're unable to keep anything down (I say unlikely but I've also seen people admitted for less). They will likely just rule out anything emergent and/or critical and then have you follow up. Which isn't necessarily a bad way to get a CT scan, I just don't want you to get your hopes up too much that you'll walk out with any answers.

Do they do MRI/MRCP in the ER if you have had those already? My next one is due in Jan. I would rather have the MRI since the CT Scan did not pick up my IPMN.

No, they will not do an MRI/MRCP in the ER.