June 23, 1999
Aches and Pains
Question from Greenville, South Carolina, USA:
My son is 5 years old. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 9 months old. He also has asthma and allergies and possible GERD. He takes Zantac but still cries with stomach cramps. He also has constipation a lot. Could this be from his diabetes or some of the medication he is on? Or could something else be going on? I will talk to his doctors about this if this continues.
Answer:
There is the possibility that he might be having trouble with gastric emptying. That is, sometimes people with diabetes can have problems with food getting out of the stomach. Likewise, maybe it’s a typical pediatric illness like some kind of intestinal parasite. You might ask about these possibilities.
LD
Additional comments from Linda Mackowiak, diabetes nurse specialist:
In addition to Dr. Deeb’s suggestions, I would ask your child’s doctor to screen for celiac disease, if this has not yet been done.
LM
