August 21, 2011
Nesidioblastosis
Question from Male, Maldives:
My child was diagnosed with Persistent Hyperinsulinemic Hypoglycemia of Infancy at the age of 8 months. First, he was treated with octreotide, dexamethosone and nefedipine. Later, he was treated with diazoxide until he was 8 years old, three years ago. Now, he is having fluctuations in his blood sugar level and it is affecting his studies and living. I am checking his blood glucose level every day. I found that his blood sugar comes down to 70 mg/dl [3.9 mmol/L] and goes up to 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L]. Please advise what I can do about this.
Answer:
It is most important for you to keep checking the blood glucose levels several times each day and try to ascertain what may be causing such fluctuations, such as type of food, excess sugar or simple carbohydrate intake, missed meals or snacks, exercise, etc. You should call and review this information with your son’s endocrinologist/diabetologist since it seems like this should not be occurring without obvious explanation. Perhaps more specific hormone testing is in order.
SB
