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Excessive Hunger, Greenish Stool, Nausea, Headache. Stomach Viral Infection?

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Posted on Thu, 28 Jun 2012
Question: I have been feeling hungry all the time for the past week and a half, my stool has also been a greenish color,have not had a fever,throwing up, or diarrhea.I dont think I've had nausea unless the hungry feeling is slight nausea, also had slight headaches every now and then.Have no pains in abdominal areas.Could this just be a stomach virus?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (1 hour later)
Hello,

Thanks for posting your query.

Feeling hungry frequently or polyphagia can be a symptom of diabetes, anxiety, sideeffects of medications, hyperthyroidism, or due to frequent motions and stomach emptying.
XXXXXXX Stool may occur due to a number of benign and non-benign conditions. It may arise because of various ailments like:
1. Celiac Disease,
2. Bacterial or viral or parasitic Infection of gut or gastroenteritis,
3. Eating disorders like abusing laxatives and binge eating,
4. Malabsorption, Irritable Bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disorders.

Stool usually turns XXXXXXX when food passes through the intestine at more than normal speed. The time of transition of foods through bowel is thus decreased. The stool cannot change color from XXXXXXX to brown due to this short bowel transit time. The bile juice fails to have an impact on the stools and make them change color. Such rapid transit may also cause increased frequency of hunger pangs.

The most probable causes in your case could be a viral infection, side effects of wellbutrin/lisinopril or a hormonal imbalance (diabetes ) or anxiety itself.

Considering you have no other symptoms of infection like fever, pain in abdomen, diarrhoea stomach flu or viral infection is less likely though still possible. In such case the symptoms will resolve in another week or less time.

But if it persists for longer than that, you definitely need to get evaluated and investigated by your doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

The doctor after thorough physical examination and few tests like stool routine, blood counts,
blood sugar, liver and thyroid profile and ultrasound scan of the abdomen may come to an exact conclusion.

Meanwhile you should watch for development of any other symptoms for infection (mentioned
above), for diabetes (increased thirst& urination, weight loss etc) or drug side effects (temporal
relation or dose related worsening). These would help in establishing the diagnosis and decreasing the investigational work up.

As of now the situation doesn't seem that worrisome.

So I would advise you to continue a balanced diet, plenty of water, minimise stress and if feasible get your drug doses adjusted to minimal as per your doctors advise.

Hope I have addressed all your concerns. please revert back if have any additional queries or doubts.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hema Yadav (1 hour later)
I took a consideration of diabetes but I havent increased thirst or frequent urination and I bought a home tester last night and tested my blood sugar this morning after 8hrs with no food or drinks and the reading I got was 107 which everywhere I have seen seems to be a normal range,do you think that is normal?

Thanks
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (11 hours later)
Hello,

Thanks for the follow up.

Yes, this reading will be termed normal as per the latest criteria of blood sugar values for diabetes.

Following are the criteria, for established diabetes.

Fasting blood sugar more than 126 mg%
Post lunch blood sugar more than 200 mg%

However values above 101 fasting and 140 post-lunch should have future checkups as they may have early or latent diabetes. They may repeat the test after a month or alternatively go for Hba1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin) test which can determine early diabetes too.

As of now I think you need not worry but it’s advisable to document a normal post lunch blood sugar value (2 hrs after lunch) as per feasibility for the record.

If that value is less than 200 it does rule out an established diagnosis of diabetes in your case.

Hope that answers your query.

Regards.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Hema Yadav

Pediatrician, Infectious Diseases

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 1528 Questions

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Excessive Hunger, Greenish Stool, Nausea, Headache. Stomach Viral Infection?

Hello,

Thanks for posting your query.

Feeling hungry frequently or polyphagia can be a symptom of diabetes, anxiety, sideeffects of medications, hyperthyroidism, or due to frequent motions and stomach emptying.
XXXXXXX Stool may occur due to a number of benign and non-benign conditions. It may arise because of various ailments like:
1. Celiac Disease,
2. Bacterial or viral or parasitic Infection of gut or gastroenteritis,
3. Eating disorders like abusing laxatives and binge eating,
4. Malabsorption, Irritable Bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disorders.

Stool usually turns XXXXXXX when food passes through the intestine at more than normal speed. The time of transition of foods through bowel is thus decreased. The stool cannot change color from XXXXXXX to brown due to this short bowel transit time. The bile juice fails to have an impact on the stools and make them change color. Such rapid transit may also cause increased frequency of hunger pangs.

The most probable causes in your case could be a viral infection, side effects of wellbutrin/lisinopril or a hormonal imbalance (diabetes ) or anxiety itself.

Considering you have no other symptoms of infection like fever, pain in abdomen, diarrhoea stomach flu or viral infection is less likely though still possible. In such case the symptoms will resolve in another week or less time.

But if it persists for longer than that, you definitely need to get evaluated and investigated by your doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

The doctor after thorough physical examination and few tests like stool routine, blood counts,
blood sugar, liver and thyroid profile and ultrasound scan of the abdomen may come to an exact conclusion.

Meanwhile you should watch for development of any other symptoms for infection (mentioned
above), for diabetes (increased thirst& urination, weight loss etc) or drug side effects (temporal
relation or dose related worsening). These would help in establishing the diagnosis and decreasing the investigational work up.

As of now the situation doesn't seem that worrisome.

So I would advise you to continue a balanced diet, plenty of water, minimise stress and if feasible get your drug doses adjusted to minimal as per your doctors advise.

Hope I have addressed all your concerns. please revert back if have any additional queries or doubts.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Regards.