June 14, 2007
Hyperglycemia and DKA, Other
Question from Wheeling, West Virginia, USA:
My eight-year-old son has a tendency to drink too much water, as much as 20 ounces, at one time. This generally causes him to throw up. When this happens, his ketone levels increase because we can’t get his eating and drinking habits under control right away. We have talked to him about this being dangerous, but sometimes he does it anyway. Is there something that would cause him to want to drink like this and that requires medical attention? If I know his ketone levels have become elevated due to the fact that his diet is unstable, what can I do to lower them, aside from taking him to the hospital? At what point should I really become concerned about his ketone levels? He has already been to the hospital twice because of this and they put him on an I.V., kept him for two days, then sent him home.
Answer:
This can certainly be a complicated problem. It is not one that is best addressed in this forum. I would suggest talking to your pediatrician and a pediatric endocrinologist who can do a complete history and physical examination. Drinking excessively can be caused by a number of problems — including endocrine disorders, high blood sugars, diabetes insipidus (a different form of diabetes), diabetes mellitus, etc.
MSB
