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What Causes Severe Abdominal Discomfort And Weight Loss In A Diabetic?
Question: My Dad is having severe stomach discomfort, nausea, generally feeling unwell and losing weight rapid. He was 19 stone 3 pounds and in 4 months he is now 16 stone 6 pounds. Dad is a Type II Insulin Diabetic and has a complexed history of spinal osteomyelitis.
Dad has a gastroscopy which has come back unremarkable just showing fundal cystic polyps. Biopsies were taken but there are no abnormalities. To be safe they have referred him for a CT scan of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis.
I am really worried my Dad has cancer. What else can it be and if it was cancer would the biopsies of detected it.
Dad has had 12 months of Augmentin antibiotics but now osteomyelitis is under control these have now stopped. Can his problems be due to long term antibiotics and/or his Diabetes? Dads Diabetes is now in control and has been uncontrolled for many years but it is finally under control
Please help asap as I am absolutely worried sick
Dad has a gastroscopy which has come back unremarkable just showing fundal cystic polyps. Biopsies were taken but there are no abnormalities. To be safe they have referred him for a CT scan of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis.
I am really worried my Dad has cancer. What else can it be and if it was cancer would the biopsies of detected it.
Dad has had 12 months of Augmentin antibiotics but now osteomyelitis is under control these have now stopped. Can his problems be due to long term antibiotics and/or his Diabetes? Dads Diabetes is now in control and has been uncontrolled for many years but it is finally under control
Please help asap as I am absolutely worried sick
Brief Answer:
Cancer has to be ruled out.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Unfortunately cancer is the most probable reason of sudden and unexplained weight loss. No doubt in that.
As he is over the age of 50, he should have colonoscopy done as the first test. If he smokes, chest CT is very important. Also pancreas should be checked with abdominal CT.
It would be good to check cancer markers including CEA, Ca 19-9, PSA. He should also consult urologist.
Long antibiotic treatment can not be the reason of such sudden weight loss. If its about Diabetes II, characteristic for this condition is weight gain, not weight loss.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Cancer has to be ruled out.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Unfortunately cancer is the most probable reason of sudden and unexplained weight loss. No doubt in that.
As he is over the age of 50, he should have colonoscopy done as the first test. If he smokes, chest CT is very important. Also pancreas should be checked with abdominal CT.
It would be good to check cancer markers including CEA, Ca 19-9, PSA. He should also consult urologist.
Long antibiotic treatment can not be the reason of such sudden weight loss. If its about Diabetes II, characteristic for this condition is weight gain, not weight loss.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
What else can it be? You are just pointing to cancer
He seen a Urologist and had tests plus blood tests and all is normal
Colonoscopy also normal
He seen a Urologist and had tests plus blood tests and all is normal
Colonoscopy also normal
Brief Answer:
Its really hard to find any other reason.
Detailed Answer:
I am pointing to a cancer because its the most probable reason. As he eats normally, low calories intake or malabsorbtion seem to be not the case. I assume he has no fatty stools, so chronic pancreatitis is also not the case. Chronic stress and mental illness can cause such weight loss, but it is connected with lower calories intake.
He may have thyroid checked, but other symptoms, like nervousness or hair loss would also appear.
So its really hard to point anything else than a cancer. I am sorry, but this is truth.
When was the colonoscopy done? Has he had mentioned cancer markers? Does he smoke?
Its really hard to find any other reason.
Detailed Answer:
I am pointing to a cancer because its the most probable reason. As he eats normally, low calories intake or malabsorbtion seem to be not the case. I assume he has no fatty stools, so chronic pancreatitis is also not the case. Chronic stress and mental illness can cause such weight loss, but it is connected with lower calories intake.
He may have thyroid checked, but other symptoms, like nervousness or hair loss would also appear.
So its really hard to point anything else than a cancer. I am sorry, but this is truth.
When was the colonoscopy done? Has he had mentioned cancer markers? Does he smoke?
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Yes cancer markers normal.
Colonoscopy was last week. Never smoked. Our GP thinks it is becuase his insulin has been cut on half to what it was. Dad was trying to lose weight then when antibiotics stopped and we got his insulin right his weight has gone down
Colonoscopy was last week. Never smoked. Our GP thinks it is becuase his insulin has been cut on half to what it was. Dad was trying to lose weight then when antibiotics stopped and we got his insulin right his weight has gone down
Brief Answer:
Insuline can not be the reason.
Detailed Answer:
As you can see his doctors are also looking for a cancer. That is why they have ordered the CT.
If its about the insuiln, first he should gain lots of weight when the insulin was cut on half and then loose it when it has gotten back to normal. IN other words, he should suddenly gain and than suddenly lose weight.
If its about diabetes type II, the main problem if this disease is tissues resistance to insuline. It is normally produced by a pancreas, but as the patients eats too much, tissues do not respond to normal level of insuline. So we give some extra insuline, to deliver glucose to tissues.
Being simple, diabetes II is caused by too much eating and obesity. It is even possible to get rid of this disease when you loose weight. So insuline can not be the reason of weight loss in his case. Rather weight loss should cause less insuline need.
It seems that abdominal CT will be very important.
If he has dark skin and weakness, Addissons disease can be also the case. But for sure you would notice dark skin.
Insuline can not be the reason.
Detailed Answer:
As you can see his doctors are also looking for a cancer. That is why they have ordered the CT.
If its about the insuiln, first he should gain lots of weight when the insulin was cut on half and then loose it when it has gotten back to normal. IN other words, he should suddenly gain and than suddenly lose weight.
If its about diabetes type II, the main problem if this disease is tissues resistance to insuline. It is normally produced by a pancreas, but as the patients eats too much, tissues do not respond to normal level of insuline. So we give some extra insuline, to deliver glucose to tissues.
Being simple, diabetes II is caused by too much eating and obesity. It is even possible to get rid of this disease when you loose weight. So insuline can not be the reason of weight loss in his case. Rather weight loss should cause less insuline need.
It seems that abdominal CT will be very important.
If he has dark skin and weakness, Addissons disease can be also the case. But for sure you would notice dark skin.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Brief Answer:
Insulin intake should be verified.
Detailed Answer:
Hopefully they wont find any cancer.
As he lost lots of weight right now, he should have insulin consumption verified. Maybe he needs less of it right now. Shingles can be from low glucose level. Please make sure he is getting correct dosages.
Insulin intake should be verified.
Detailed Answer:
Hopefully they wont find any cancer.
As he lost lots of weight right now, he should have insulin consumption verified. Maybe he needs less of it right now. Shingles can be from low glucose level. Please make sure he is getting correct dosages.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you very much
Brief Answer:
Yes, it can be something else, but a cancer has to be ruled out.
Detailed Answer:
Hopefully its not a cancer. But this must be treated seriously until it wont be ruled out.
Yes, it can be something else, but a cancer has to be ruled out.
Detailed Answer:
Hopefully its not a cancer. But this must be treated seriously until it wont be ruled out.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So it not necessarily cancer
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