Lost nearly half a stone in 2 months, what to do?

[Clingingontomyforties]

I’ve lost nearly half a stone in weight over the last couple of months. I’ve gone from a size 8 to a size 6. My bones are sticking through and it’s uncomfortable lying in the bath and now in bed. I have no appetite at all, I can go all day without eating and have no hunger pangs. I have been suffering with really bad anxiety and think I am peri menopausal.

A couple of weeks ago I had indigestion for nearly 24 hours and had been having night sweats. I phoned my GP for an appointment for an appointment to get my hormone levels checked and they told me to go to A&E incase I was having a heart attack. I didn’t want to waste A&E’s time so went to the walk in centre and everything was fine. I’m taking propranolol for my anxiety but it’s this weight loss that’s really concerning me. I tried to make an appointment with my GP last week but it’s a four week wait, the receptionist thinks I might be having a reaction to propranolol so made me a telephone appointment with the pharmacist for next week. So what do I do, I really need to start eating.

[Bluntness100]

Op it’s a weird thing but when you stop eating you basically loose your appetite.

Start forcing yourself to eat, little snacks, your appetite will come back.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

This is probably going to sound ridiculous but I’m worried I’m going to get pressure sores It doesn’t sound silly; I’d be worried about the lack of cushioning too. Could you drink those shakes like Build Up or Sustagen, or whatever they’re called?

[m0therofdragons]

The less you eat the less you feel like eating. Make yourself have 3 meals a day with a mix of food types but make sure it's got protein and carbs. You can also buy build up drinks that are like milkshakes so between food, sip on them. Food is often a good medicine, is essential whether you feel hungry or not and malnutrition is far worse for your healthy than obesity.

Think of food as medicine rather than a solution for hunger pangs!

[icantstop]

Op you need to eat calorie dense food.

When you stop eating you do loose your appetite.

Start small. Nuts, choc, cheese, avocado on a slice of toast. Force yourself. You have to eat. And yes you will end up with pressure sores. I did when my body weight dropped to a similar weight to I guess you are.

Book doctors app for when you can. But you do need to get eating. It'll get easier as time goes but there's no magic pill for that.

[QueenOfOversharing]

Not RTFT but have you had your thyroid checked? Only ask as I became unwell suddenly 2 weeks ago - thyroid went overactive - symptoms of that are weight loss, anxiety, tremors, palpitations (but propanolol would mask this - it's treatment I'm on for it). I'd try to get appt as soon as poss.

[BobbyBlueCat]

OP, you sound rather 'proud' in a twisted kind of way about your weight loss.
You need to eat if you don't want these issues. Simple.

I'm not hungry right now. No appetite at all. But I could eat a meal or my life depended on it.
Just swallow some food. You don't have issues swallowing, just no appetite. So just eat anyway!

[Clingingontomyforties]

No not proud or twisted. I’m scared, worried and fucking ashamed that I’ve let myself get to this point. I don’t really have anyone to talk to in RL, my husband doesn’t understand anxiety so it’s best not to say anything, I’m the sole carer for my 82 year old Mother and I try not to show anything infront of my children. My siblings all live away and my friends have their own stuff going on. So today, on here is the first time I’ve talked about my weight loss.

[BobbyBlueCat]

So go and eat something!

I don't mean to sound harsh, because there's obviously an underlying issue.
But if you losing weight is your main concern, then EAT!
You've no issues swallowing, you're not throwing food up, you're not allergic to anything you're eating. You've just no appetite, which needs explored but you can still physically put food in your mouth and swallow it.

[Bibidy]

I don't understand OP, even if you don't feel hungry you know you need to eat.

Do you feel like you may have issues with eating? Only as from your posts you haven't mentioned anxiety around food or gaining weight, but I wouldn't expect someone without those anxieties to stop eating and then wonder why they're losing weight.

You will continue to lose weight until you start eating, so you need to eat if you want to stop this. Even if you're not hungry.

[AJPTaylor]

You don't feel like eating but can you?

[SallyWD]

I can easily eat when I'm not hungry. Can you? Do you have a fear of eating?

[ClientQueen]

Even if you don't feel like eating, something like ice cream, or a pudding and custard or soup. Any calories you can get - milkshakes, coffee and cream

[MissSmiley]

I'm sorry you're struggling, how old are you? Do you think you're menopausal? I was prescribed propanalol for anxiety last summer, had an ecg because my heart was feeling so weird. I'm going through divorce as well as other stressful life events, in the end my GP gave me HRT patches a month ago and within 24hrs the heart racing had stopped, I slept through the night for the first time in ages, all things I had put down to stress, turns out it was lack of oestrogen, i feel much much better now.
I would suggest going to walk in, don't wait any longer

[Clingingontomyforties]

I’m 49 and did bring up peri menopause with the GP, but he dismissed it. In terms of eating the only way I can describe it is I do everything I need to do, work, mother, dogs, shopping etc and then look at the time and it’s say 4pm and I realise I have n’t eaten. So then I will make something to eat, I’m not getting any hunger pangs, the prompt to eat isn’t there. I don’t have an issue with food, I want to feel hungry.

[HowlsMovingBungalow]

I'd go back and see another GP OP. I've lost my appetite through anxiety before and lost lots of weight (went down to 6.5 stone) it is an awful circle to get into to.
Someone up the thread mentioned having your thyroid tested - your gp needs to rule all other conditions out that can cause weight loss.
My GP prescribed me high calorie meal supplements when I was very low in weight - they helped to boost my calorie intake. Have you tried complan shakes - I found drinking fluids ie shakes a lot easier than trying to eat solid food when anxious. Eating little and often too.

Get a GP appointment OP, no one can diagnose you online.

[Floralnomad]

You keep saying you don’t feel hungry but that’s actually not an excuse to not eat unless you have anorexia and problems with food . You know you have to eat so just eat , hungry or not , little and often is the way forward .

[MissSmiley]

OP I often don't feel hungry, I eat to live rather than live to eat, I just try to have one meal a day
Speak to the dr about menopause, I was shocked that my "anxiety" was actually my hormones
Are your periods still regular? Have you had any other symptoms? I've probably only had about five hot flushes and they were nothing to write home about, just felt like blushing

[SoapyChoc]

OP I've recently had a spate of vomiting every day for a month and no appetite. I would make myself a hot chocolate and put it in an insulated travel mug and take a couple of sips now and then over a couple of hours. Or have a protein shake in the fridge that again I would drink over a few hours. A few sips of smoothie every few hours. Could these things help a little?

[Clingingontomyforties]

My periods are still regular give a few days either side, in terms of other symptoms I’ve had a couple of night sweats where I’ve woken up completely drenched in sweat. I’m incredibly tired all the time, I have occasional dizzy spells and some joint pain.

[BobbyBlueCat]

You're tired, dizzy and have joint pain because you're not eating!

OP, you're answering every question apart from the ones that are all saying JUST EAT!

I'm reporting this thread because you seem to enjoy the 'not eating' side of this a bit too much.

Everybody is telling you that you need to put food in your mouth and swallow it and you're avoiding answering everyone.

I get there are medical issues.
But eating will solve most of those!

[Bibidy]

In terms of eating the only way I can describe it is I do everything I need to do, work, mother, dogs, shopping etc and then look at the time and it’s say 4pm and I realise I have n’t eaten. So then I will make something to eat, I’m not getting any hunger pangs, the prompt to eat isn’t there. I don’t have an issue with food, I want to feel hungry.

Maybe try ensuring you have something for breakfast when you get up and then set an alarm at 1pm to remind you to have some lunch?

If you really want to stop losing weight then the very best thing you can do is ensure you are making time and eating when you should be, even if you're not feeling hungry.

[jay55]

Set alarms on your phone to go off at meal times. And push for that GP appointment.

[Clingingontomyforties]

Setting alarms is a good idea, I have just had some crumpets with cheese spread and I have bought some Complan.

[AwkwardSquad]

Well done, OP! One step at a time

[LemonFrenzy]

OP if you didn't feel comfortable with the trainee GP ask to see another one. You are entitled to a second opinion. Have you checked the side effects for the propranolol? If you think it's that causing your symptoms then ask for an alternative rather than increasing the dose maybe? At the very least keep your fluids up. If you want to stay well in front of your dcs you need to not be tired and dizzy. That sounds like dehydration too. If nothing else think of your dcs and eat little and often.