June 29, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Coppell, Texas, USA:
My six year old son has had a problem with constipation since he was 18 months old, and the gastroenterologist said it was in his head. He craves water all the time, after every two and a half hours of not eating, he begins to jitter and if he goes any longer, he develops volatile behavior. His doctor says he won’t do a test because it’s not very valid, but I need some kind of diagnosis for my peace of mind on how to handle it. How do children get diagnosed? Is constipation or sudden bowel movement correlated with hypoglycemia (mood swing, followed by hunger, followed by going to the bathroom, followed by sweet behavior)?
Answer:
Your son’s symptoms are difficult to decipher by e-mail. The jitters may be due to hypoglycaemia, and the only way of knowing for sure is to check it out. The constipation is not normally a symptom of hypoglycaemia. It is worth talking over your concerns with his doctor.
JS
