Can it be possible to have normal blood sugars while carbohydrate counting? My five year old, who had high blood sugars before Christmas, had symptoms of increased thirst, weight loss, increased urination, and an appetite you could not imagine. We have been carbohydrate counting since she started with symptoms and her sugars and symptoms have improved. She is back to her old self. We are not on any medication or insulin and, actually, all her fasting laboratory tests have been within range. However, the endocrinologist thinks she is diabetic. Can anyone give me some answers?

Please continue your follow up with the pediatric endocrinologist. If the diagnosis of diabetes has been established, I presume that it was established based on a variety of factors, including those we have discussed in previous questions. Perhaps your doctor also performed the tests to establish the presence of pancreatic antibodies, which would strongly infer common type 1 diabetes. This might be reasonable here, if not done already. And, if your child has not been diagnosed with diabetes, why are you counting carbohydrates?

In the OLD days (prior to the discovery of insulin) patients with diabetes were treated (poorly) with restriction of carbohydrates and calories. This kept DKA at bay for awhile and kept glucose levels “reasonable” –for the era. Children essentially were starved. Alive…but starving. Are you super-restricting her carbohydrates?

Keep in touch with your diabetes team.

DS