Weight loss mystery - 50lbs in 11 months

[blossomat]

My father is 58 years old this year. Before I left for Japan (for the military) in December 07, he weighed 180 pounds. Now, 11 months later, he is down to 129 and is still losing around 5 pounds a month. The doctors are giving up on finding a reason for this - they've done tens of thousands of dollars worth of tests and retests, they can't find anything wrong, no cancer, no food allergies, no nothing. He's tried stuffing himself with food, but it seems the more he eats, the more weight he loses. I guess my question is this - can your body react adversely to food? Can his overeating be causing him to actually lose weight? Could you tell me of a few diseases that have these symptoms? Any help is truly appreciated.

[Dr. Safaa Mahmoud]

Hello,
Unexplained, unintentional weight loss should be properly evaluated.

Weight loss may result from loss of fluid, muscle mass or fat. Fluid loss can occur due to medications, or diabetes mellitus.

Causes of unintentional weight loss include hormonal changes (hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus) and chronic infections. Malignancy is another cause of unexplained weight loss.

It would be more helpful if you can send us information about the results of his test like CBC, stool analysis, LFT, KFT, blood sugar, thyroid hormone levels. And if possible what kind of radiologic investigations and endoscopies if any was done.

Follow up with his doctor is essential.
Please keep us updated.
Best regards.