weightloss

[tkshanson]

I have been diagnosed with IBS for a yr.  My weight has been declining every since.  About a month ago I caught some kind of stomach flu and since then eating is painful and I feel nausea when I eat.  I have dropped from 118 to 100 since April.  I also have MS and I am getting weaker everyday.  I am really getting frightened.  Protien drinks etc don't help much.  Could there be something more serious going on?  The other factor is my thyroid is very active but not overactive.  If I admitt myself to the hospital can they give me something to helpmy strength?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I would certainly discuss this finding with your personal physician.  You may want to be referred to a dietician to ensure your caloric intake is appropriate.  

There are various tests to consider, including thyroid tests as well as tests for malabsorption - including fecal fat tests and blood tests for celiac disease.  You may also want to consider markers of inflammation (such as a sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein) to suggest if there are rheumatological disease, infection or cancer present.  

The decision to admit you to a hospital rests with your personal physician - I would advise discussing this possibility, along with the other tests for further evaluation.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
Medical Weblog:
kevinmd_b

[hollyd28]

Have you had your gallbladder checked?  I had what I thought was the stomach flu years ago, and now realize that it was a really bad gallbladder thing.  After that, I had a lot of nausea and pain in my stomach and lost a lot of weight.  I just recently found out that it was my gallbladder.  Might be worth looking into.  Good luck.

[yoshi]

You may want to check out your thyroid gland,how active is active??

[tkshanson]

I did have my thyroid checked in July.  It went from 1.5 in January to .8 in July.  My GP says that is normal for it to fluctuatte.

[yoshi]

did you check for h pylori bacterial infection??
it should be pretty simple breath test done in doctor office.