Loss of Appetite
Any time you experience a loss of appetite for no reason should be a cause of concern. Tuberculosis was once called “consumption,” because patients with the infection experienced rapid weight loss and muscle wasting due to lack of a desire to eat. In recent research, 45 percent of US patients experienced rapid and extreme weight loss, and 26 percent of the respondents had anorexia.
It is believed that TB can cause alterations to the hormones responsible for energy regulation and metabolism. Patients have been found with abnormally elevated YY peptides, a hormone that is secreted by the intestines to act as an appetite suppressant.
That said, continuous coughing, fatigue, and other symptoms can also affect one’s desire to eat.
