weight loss

Help! I can't get out of my head that there has to be something seriously wrong with me because I have lost so much weight. Since July 2009, I have lost 35lbs. I have been under a lot of stress. This is the least that I have weighed since probably junior high school. I am 42. I don't know if I am depressed because I think there is something wrong with me or if there really is. I have had IBS Hyanel hernia and a lot of back pain, I have asthma and I smoke. I have wanted my doctor to do a chest xray but she listens to my lungs and says that there is a little wheezing due to my asthma. I am just convinced that I have lung Cancer due to the wheezing and weight loss. Help! Can I really lose that much weight from depression and anxiety and stress.

[M4Y0U]

Indeed you can lost a lot of weight due to anxiety and depression but I think you should go for a chest scan anyway to clear your mind you don't have lung cancer or to know you have it and have better chances of survival due to early detection. Don't let any doctor underestimate the importance of proper tests in order to rule out something you are worried about.

My mom died from lung cancer 2 months ago due to a bad doctor who didn't want to do any tests despite a lot of symptoms and frequent trip to the doctor. She was diagnosed with a stage 4 cancer at the age of 47. This is pretty young to have a stage 4 cancer (which is basically almost incurable). Some cancer can take a while to develop so she might had started to have a tumor growth like 15 years ago, who knows... So early detection is the key and if you are fine it will reduce your anxiety level and therefore I think your doctor was not clever to send you home without any scans.

M4