November 22, 2004
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Aberdeen, Washington, USA:
My daughter is seven years old and has been sick for several months now, but we have failed to come to any conclusions to what is causing her discomfort. Her symptoms include intermittent mild fevers, weight loss (a couple of pounds), persistent spitting up of stomach acids, some blood show in vomit, and very pasty coloring. She has been to a gastroenterologist and undergone an endoscopy, with normal results, and has been on several different acid blockers with no luck. She has frequent urination, up to 25 times a day, and constant thirst. She has had several blood tests, but I do not think they have tested her for diabetes. Her blood sugars tested at home have run as high as 225 mg/dl [12.5 mmol/L] and as low as 105 mg/dl [5.8 mmol/L]. Should I have her tested for diabetes?
I want my daughter back. Her moods have changed drastically over the past several months from a happy-go-lucky little girl to a now very irritable and grumpy child.
Answer:
The symptoms your daughter are presenting are much more complex than those that generally occur with type 1 diabetes. I do think blood sugar levels ranging as high as 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] are worth investigating. You should ask your doctor about testing her to see whether she might have diabetes.
MS
