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I Have Had Failing Health Since A Trip To Italy
Posted on
Wed, 17 Oct 2018
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 17 Oct 2018
Answered on
Last reviewed on
Question : I have had failing health since a trip to Italy in November/December of 2016. It started with an upset digestive problems and in November of 2017 my gallbladders was removed. By this time my body weight had fallen from 180 to 120 lbs. I have been diagnosed as being severely malnourished. My doctor has me taking supplements however they do not seem to working and now I have some insect bites that have developed into some types of blisters. How do I get my body nourished again. I am weak, have headaches, very low blood pressure and feel as though my conditions is worsening.
Brief Answer:
Consult a gastroenterologist....
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I went through the details submitted and I empathize with your situation. The symptoms you reported are not very specific and can have multiple causes. However, I understand you are primarily concerned about not being able to put on weight while losing a significant amount of weight.
Gall bladder removal (cholecystectomy) may not be related to weight loss unless you are on dietary regulation. Since you are not on dietary restriction, I would not consider it as the most probable cause.
Two more likely possibilities include a chronic infection (like a tuberculosis of intestine) and malabsorption condition (like coeliac disease or colitis). From this end, without an opportunity to physical assessment I would not be able to comment further. Therefore I will recommend you visit a gastroenterologist and discuss about these two possibilities (incase you haven't already done). Besides these two, the doctor should also check your blood sugar as well as thyroid hormone profiles.
Be prepared for multiple sessions with the doctor. We might be able to arrive at the specific cause after detailed examination of blood tests and colonoscopy/ biopsy.
Hope I am clear. Let me know if you need clarifications.
Regards
Consult a gastroenterologist....
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I went through the details submitted and I empathize with your situation. The symptoms you reported are not very specific and can have multiple causes. However, I understand you are primarily concerned about not being able to put on weight while losing a significant amount of weight.
Gall bladder removal (cholecystectomy) may not be related to weight loss unless you are on dietary regulation. Since you are not on dietary restriction, I would not consider it as the most probable cause.
Two more likely possibilities include a chronic infection (like a tuberculosis of intestine) and malabsorption condition (like coeliac disease or colitis). From this end, without an opportunity to physical assessment I would not be able to comment further. Therefore I will recommend you visit a gastroenterologist and discuss about these two possibilities (incase you haven't already done). Besides these two, the doctor should also check your blood sugar as well as thyroid hormone profiles.
Be prepared for multiple sessions with the doctor. We might be able to arrive at the specific cause after detailed examination of blood tests and colonoscopy/ biopsy.
Hope I am clear. Let me know if you need clarifications.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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