Fatigue,loss Of Appetite,cardiac Echo,kidney Sonogramed,heart Failure?

Posted on Tue, 10 May 2011

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 10 May 2011 Answered on

Sun, 20 May 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been battling a fatique and lack of appetite problem for a couple weeks now. I have been checked in an ER 4 times in the last month and all test are coming back normal. I recently started seeing a cardiologist and got an echo done and kidney arteries sonogramed. I am ready to check into a phych hospital tomorrow and was wandering if the ER's could pick up if I am in beggining stages of heart failure?

Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (2 hours later)

Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for posting your query. There are many causes of loss of appetite and fatigue and beginning of heart failure is one of the reasons. But since you have got a checkup done from a cardiologist and ECHO has come out normal , so it literally rules out a heart failure.

ECHO is one of the best sensitive tests for any heart disease and if it has come out normal, then chances of a heart disease are reduced considerably. To completely rule out a cardiac condition, holter monitor, cardiac stress test and a nuclear scan can be done.

I also suggest you to consult a physician and get other conditions causing fatigue and loss of appetite ruled out. These include depression, hypothyroidism, dysthymia (a chronic type of depression in which a person's moods are regularly low), sleep disorders, autoimmune diseases like SLE, diabetes and fibromyalgia.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.

Wishing you good health and waiting for your follow up questions.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar