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June 4, 2006

Aches and Pains

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Question from Cartersville, Georgia, USA:

My 15 year old son has had type 1 diabetes since he was eight years old and since he was diagnosed he has complained with stomach pain. The doctors have run multiple test which included testing for celiac and H.pylori and all have come back negative. He still has severe stomach pains. I would like to know is there something else that could be going on. I have heard of a lot of kids with type 1 diabetes complaining of stomach pain.

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

Kids with diabetes do not have any more stomach pains if they do not have celiac disease, acid reflux disease, thyroid or adrenal diseases (all more common in those with type 1 diabetes). Lactose intolerance, caffeine intolerance, and sorbitol intolerance all can cause stomach aches and, so, eliminating all these things completely for one to two weeks should see if the symptoms persist or not. It may also be worthwhile for a therapeutic trial with absolutely no gluten or wheat at all for one to two weeks for the same reasons. IF you can find a culprit, then I would re-challenge and see if the symptoms recur and then eliminate that substance.

However, there could be some bowel motility problems associated with damage to the autonomic nervous system in charge of bowel functioning and emptying. So, I would consult with an experienced gastrointestinal specialist who also has experience with longstanding diabetes/diabetes complications. This may require consultation with an adult gastrointestinal specialist rather than a pediatric gastrointestinal specialist since the internists would much more frequently have occasion to see such types of neurologic diabetes problems rather than the pediatricians.

SB