Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Appetit translates to appetite in English.

November 4, 2010 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

I am reaching out this way because my primary care physician has been off work and on vacation for almost a month now. I am 27 years old, 1.69m tall, and currently weigh 55kg. For about 3 weeks now, I have had no appetite and have been forcing myself to eat and drink; I have already lost 8kg in the past 3 weeks. I occasionally feel very dizzy during the day, and when I kneel down, I immediately feel like things are spinning. I also have a pulling sensation on the right lower abdomen almost daily, sometimes with actual pain; could this be appendicitis? I also have occasional cramp-like pains in the stomach area currently. I do not have any known medical conditions and consider myself to be completely healthy. I do not take any medication, except for an antibiotic I took for 8 days a month ago for bronchitis. My lab results from 4 months ago, which I requested at that time as part of routine check-up, were normal. What could be the reason for my lack of appetite? I am currently under a lot of stress at work. Thank you for your response. Best regards.

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Dear questioner,

Losing 8 kilograms in 3 weeks is quite a lot. You can't possibly be under that much stress...
I would definitely recommend a comprehensive examination of these symptoms. This includes both a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, as well as an ultrasound. Common causes could be gastritis, perityphlitis (inflammation around the appendix), or even the possibility of a benign or malignant new formation, which should be considered even at a young age.
Dizziness and weakness often occur as accompanying symptoms with significant weight loss.

If your primary care physician is on vacation, you can see his substitute, a specialist in Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, or go to a hospital outpatient clinic. It's best to discuss possible reasons for your weight loss once the cause can be narrowed down. A reaction to the antibiotic is also unlikely, as there has been a long time since then.
So don't wait any longer, please start the investigation.

Best regards,
Ralf Berg