April 25, 2002
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA:
My almost five year old son, who has been potty-trained for about three years, has been urinating in his pants because the urge is so great and so sudden. He was born with an immune deficiency which was not taken care of until he was almost four years old. He weighs 34 pounds and is 3 feet 6 inches tall and seems to have gotten a little skinnier than previously. He just informed me that he sometimes vomits when I caught him doing it in the restroom (just a little vomit not bunches). Also, his body temperature has been dropping and now runs about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. My son started these symptoms without a doubt about a month or two ago. A month ago, my doctor (who thinks I might have type 1 diabetes) also sent me to get a four-hour glucose tolerance test because of my my constant thirst throughout the night, heavy urinating all the time if I drink or not, no appetite and a 70 pound weight loss, but I’ve been scared to go so I haven’t. What do you think might be causing these problems?
Answer:
I think diabetes is a very important concern to exclude for both you and your son right now ! With the symptoms your son has had, I don’t think he’ll need to go through a formal glucose tolerance test. Have his doctor check him as soon as possible for glucose in the urine and blood. If the results are normal and reassuring, I would repeat the glucose level the next morning fasting and anticipate another sample two hours after a very hearty, carbohydrate-rich breakfast. If all these results show smack-dab normal glucose values, then your doctor can begin to focus on less common issues and a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist may well be in order. In the meantime, get your son and you checked for diabetes without delay.
DS
