June 25, 2008
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Davy, West Virginia, USA:
My son will be turning five in a few weeks. I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on the symptoms he has been having. First, he has been complaining a lot about his stomach for quite awhile. He is usually always walking around drinking something, I have told him to drink water when he is thirsty instead of other drinks. He gets up in the middle of the night very thirsty and can drink eight ounces of water straight down, go to the bathroom and back to sleep. It seems like he is eating constantly. I hadn’t thought much about that until the past week or so when I noticed he has lost weight, probably anywhere from six to 10 pounds. He has been going to the bathroom quite a bit, too. He also gets a mild fever (99.5 to 101.5 degrees F.) that lasts only a few hours to 24 hours and goes away. Diabetes runs on my side of the family (not me though) and I have noticed these symptoms of diabetes that he is having. I just don’t know if the stomach pain or fever goes along with it. Could you clarify this for me?
Answer:
The symptoms of increased urination and thirst and weight loss are extremely common symptoms of diabetes mellitus. And IF this IS diabetes mellitus, then this triad, especially now the recognized weight loss, is worrisome. But, there are several other possibilities, some more serious and some less. It requires a complete history and physical examination and some easy screening blood and urine tests to better confirm a diagnosis. Please waste NO TIME in getting the child in to see his pediatrician. Let your doctor’s office know NOW about these symptoms; don’t just call for “a check up.” If, in the meantime, he begins to experience nausea or vomiting or has a decreased level of his awareness, please take him immediately to a healthcare center emergency department.
Please let us know what you find out.
DS
