January 31, 2004
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Vancouver, Washington, USA:
I am wondering what other diseases can cause dehydration despite excessive fluid consumption with increase in urination. My 2 year old son is not ill and has been showing all classic signs of diabetes. On a home monitor (correctly calibrated) he has had levels as high as 427 recently. His A1c was normal at 5.0, and antibody test are negative. He has lost a little weight (two pounds), but certainly not a lot. He has been increasingly irritable. Another thing that was concerning is that he suddenly has very dark circles under his eyes and has been bruising quite easily; I have no idea if this is related. His BUN (24) and albumin (5.7) were both fairly elevated on a recent chemistry panel, and other levels reflected dehydration. I have asked our endocrinologist but she seems in no hurry to figure out what’s going on. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Answer:
To briefly answer your questions, I am not aware of any other health condition than diabetes mellitus yielding to a blood sugar as high as 427 even random. This might be type 1B diabetes which is autoantibodies negative even the most important thing is now to confirm the diagnosis of diabetes as soon as possible in order to start appropriate treatment. Ask your doctor for a quick consultation with a pediatric diabetes team.
MS
