November 3, 2000
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Lafayette, Georgia, USA:
I am 39 years old and have several symptoms of diabetes such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight fluctuations, fatigue, irritable, shaky at times, blurred vision, and dizziness. I also had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies and my father takes insulin, yet every time the doctors do a blood test for diabetes, it comes back negative. What should I do now?
I also have a nine year old daughter with several symptoms of diabetes, yet when her endocrinologist tested her two years ago for what he referred to as “adult diabetes in children”, it came back negative. I am very diet conscious, yet she is extremely overweight. I so want to help her, yet have ran out of resources. It’s hard to be overweight at any age, other children make her life miserable.
Answer:
If your tests for diabetes have been negative so far, concentrate on decreasing your risk for developing diabetes. Because of your gestational diabetes, you are at risk for developing diabetes in the future. Your physician may want to do other screening tests such as urine or blood testing in the future.
I would suggest concentrate on having a balanced diet, losing weight if you are above your ideal body weight and never smoking. In addition, your daughter will benefit from making good lifestyle changes in the home with a balanced diet. A good dietitian would be a great resource for you to utilize to help make these changes.
Also, the symptoms you describe can be caused by other illnesses, and you need to have routine follow-up with your physician until those symptoms are gone.
MSB
