Unexplained weight loss in menopause: what to know

Menopause can alter appetite, sleep, mood and daily routines, which may change weight. Loss can also follow dental problems, medication effects, low mood or reduced food intake. A clinician may consider conditions such as hyperthyroidism, coeliac disease, Crohn's disease, diabetes or infection. A condition presenting with weight loss does not mean weight loss identifies that condition.

Note when the change began, whether clothes fit differently, and whether you have diarrhoea, abdominal pain, thirst, palpitations, fever, night sweats or reduced appetite.

Arrange a primary-care appointment if the loss is ongoing, noticeable or not explained by a deliberate change in eating or activity. Bring a list of medicines and supplements, recent symptoms, and a simple record of meals, appetite and weight. Assessment may include an examination and targeted blood or urine tests; further testing depends on what your history shows.

Seek prompt medical care for repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, severe abdominal pain, fainting, confusion, marked weakness, coughing blood, black stools or breathing difficulty. Contact a clinician soon for persistent fever, night sweats, blood in stool, new swallowing difficulty or worsening loss of appetite.

Ask which causes fit your symptoms, whether medicines or mood may be contributing, which tests are appropriate, and when you should return if your weight continues to fall.