Symptom: Excessive hunger
Excessive hunger: Inappropriate hunger or overeating.
Introduction: Excessive eating is called "polyphagia" (or hyperphagia) and can be the symptom of numerous conditions. For a variety of mental and emotional conditions that cause excessive eating or binging, see overeating. For conditions causing the feeling that you are full when eating (or causing this sensation too early), see fullness. The list here deals primarily with medical conditions that affect the body's metabolism and cause an increase in the appetite and excessive hunger for food. See also appetite changes or appetite loss if these descriptions are more appropriate. Certain medical conditions causing hunger are extremely serious and any hunger symptoms need prompt professional medical advice for correct diagnosis and treatment.
Detailed cause information for symptom: Excessive hunger:
Medical articles on symptoms: These general medical articles may be of interest:
- Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
- Symptoms and Medical Malpractice
- Medical mistakes and their rates, causes and prevention
- Deaths and sudden death
Symptoms related to Excessive hunger: food symptoms (22), weight gain (29), thirst (22), overeating (10), undereating (11), loss of appetite (100), weight loss (120), thinness (4), cravings (4)
Excessive hunger type of: Eating symptoms (138), Appetite changes (116)
Symptoms: symptom center, symptom groups, symptom descriptions
Possible causes of symptom: Excessive hunger: The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Excessive hunger as a symptom. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.
- Indigestion - causing eating more to reduce discomfort.
- Some possible causes of abnormal hunger include:
- Marijuana - a form of cannabis
- Cannabis
- Diabetes - usually if undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypoglycemic attack
- Graves Disease
- Mania
- Bipolar disease - overeating and excessive appetite when in the manic phase.
- Intestinal worms
- Tapeworms
- Hypothalamic disease
- Certain medications - various medications can stimulate appetite.
- Brain disorder causing increased eating (hyperphagia) include:
- Encephalitis
- Brain injury
- Third ventricle tumor
- Some brain tumors
- Chromophobe adenoma
- Craniopharyngioma (type of Brain cancer)
- See also causes of overeating and appetite changes
Medications or substances causing Excessive hunger: The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Excessive hunger as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
- Marijuana - the "munchies" from marijauna intoxication.
- Medications that may stimulate the appetite include:
Conditions listing symptoms: Excessive hunger: The following list of conditions have 'Excessive hunger' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Conditions listing complications: Excessive hunger: The following list of conditions have 'Excessive hunger' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
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Last revised: Nov 3, 2003
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