Dd8 is starving all the time, even wakes up hungry in the night

[Normalornotidunno]

I have older dc, but none have ever done this.

She is a sporty girl, sports clubs every day, and she eats well, she's pretty much the perfect weight, she is tall though.

The last month or so she is starving all the time, and has taken to getting up at 2/3am telling me she is too hungry to sleep.

She eats well, there's a constant source of fruit and veg and homemade flapjacks that she has access to, I'm even giving her an extra meal not long before bedtime, and it's still not enough.

My older ds went through a hell of a growth spurt at her age (had a consultant to keep an eye on it as the pain was so bad and he was growing so fast) and he's now 6ft 5, and he was a bit hungrier at that point, but with dd it's a whole other level.

She is growing a lot at the minute (the pains are fairly minimal thankfully) but what should I be doing about her appetite? Is this totally outwith the realms of normal?

Hope it all went well. My child presented very suddenly with t1 when he was 7, having been rumbling and under medical care for a couple of years but nothing picked up. None in the family, total shock.

I hope it’s just a growth spurt for your child.

You have had great advice from the majority here, hope it went well with the GP. Just wanted to add she is still within the range where T1 diabetes can be diagnosed - another sign to look out for is weight loss. Those presenting often suddenly lose weight despite this major surge in appetite and thirst. Worth weighing her and keeping an eye on it

The idea that there is a range for onset of T1 is outdated. Elderly people represent a decent proportion of new cases. Anyone with the symptoms at any age should see a doctor.

Thanks all.

The appointment went OK, they weren't particularly concerned. I asked for a finger prick test and blood tests, which they begrudgingly did, they have all come back clear, I don't keep scales in the house, but i got her weighed at the doctors and she's within a healthy range for her height, although she is tall for her age.

I have another appointment with a nurse in a month just to check her weight/height and do her bloods again.

I'll be making a better meal plan today, incorporating the advice form this thread, and will be significantly upping her protein, and Im considering a supper size meal for tea, and then tea before bed, see if that sustains her through the night.

It looks like it's just a growth spurt though, thankfully, so if you could all spare some thoughts and prayers for my shopping bill until its settled a bit I would be grateful 🤣

@Normalornotidunno Great news! I've actually been thinking of you and I'm so relieved it seems like it's just a growth spurt.
Definitely get protein powder, I can guarantee it'll save you money on food. Make her protein shakes with milk and banana or add a scoop to porridge or anything like that. Even a scoop of ice cream in it is fine. She's obviously burning it all and it'll make a big difference. People associate it with bodybuilding but it's not that at all. Perfectly safe for kids.

Well done OP, always best to get it checked! Maybe send her up to bed with a little sandwich and a banana in case she gets hungry in the night!

I used to be like this - very sporty, I'd have dinner and then go out for a second dinner to the chinese takeaway when I was that age. I'm about 6ft

Having 4 meals a day with at least 4 fruit and veg and unlimited protein flapjacks at her age, and waking up multiple times in the night, as well as leaving a sandwich / banana by their bed for night time?

That's a hell of a lot of food. I'm no 'feed a family of 25 for 3 weeks' with a single chicken but my god!

I'm super jealous or her energy and metabolism!

I know it's a huge amount of food. My plan is to think more carefully about what I'm feeding her and when. Its sort of come on suddenly and escalated a bit so I've just been going with it thinking it was just going to be a day or 2 and suddenly it's been weeks.

I'm jealous too, she gets neither her energy or her metabolism from me, I'm tired from the second I'm awake and just have to think about chocolate and gain a stone 🤣

Type 1 diabetes can develop very suddenly in a child of any age, this needs to be excluded urgently.

Do the people saying :wotms" mean a tapeworm? Bum worms don't alter your appetite.

I think she had a finger prick test at the GP yesterday. Unless you need more to test T1

Pin worms can affect your general gastro

Every time mine have been up in the night hungry they had pinworm. I think because you’re not getting nutrients plus not sleeping well so the body wants more calories. Appreciate this is anecdata! I am assuming the OP will get proper medical advice not tinternet chat stuff.