Brief Answer: Weight loss concern Detailed Answer: Hello and thank you for sending the question. This is an excellent question. There are multiple possible reasons for unexpected weight loss. Among the categories include anxiety or stress. It sounds like you have plenty of that going on in your life. in addition another obvious concern is that there could be some type of process such as cancer going on in the body. You do have an increased risk for this in light of your smoking history. We have good data now that supports annual CT scanning of the chest for patients who smoke for extended periods of time. I would suggest that you talk about obtaining a CT scan which can be ordered by your primary care doctor. Also it is important for you to consider your normal lifestyle including diet and exercise level. It sounds like you probably spend a lot more time working then you do in leisurely activity or exercise. I would categorize alcohol consumption in your case as slightly excessive. I would consider decreasing your consumption to roughly 50% or less of your current daily consumption. your doctor might also request some blood tests to check for vitamin deficiencies or abnormalities in the way your kidney or liver are currently functioning. Thank you again for sending your question. I can appreciate that this is somewhat of a stressful situation and most likely you have nothing going on inside your body other than the significant stresses that you have placed upon yourself. Thanks again for sending your question. Please let me know if you have any additional specific concerns Dr XXXXXXX

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