May 11, 2003
Other Illnesses
Question from Michigan, USA:
My almost eight year old son, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 21 months old, has good overall health except no one can explain the nausea that he feels in the mornings to the point that he actually vomits. It does not happen every day, but he goes through spurts of it. This has been going on for a few years and has been blamed on nerves for lack of better reasons. Nerves? He’s a happy kid! He also has dark, pigmented spots on his back that have shown up in the last two years. Does any of this sound familiar? What could this be?
Answer:
I don’t know the cause of your son’s vomiting and skin pigmentation. Pale areas and vomiting could be due to Addison’s disease which is associated with diabetes and is an important diagnosis. This is due to the adrenal glands failing in the same way as the beta cells did. The treatment is simple tablet therapy.
Whatever, your child needs to be investigated properly including looking for celiac disease. He may also warrant a barium meal examination or endoscopy.
KJR
