I asked my 16 year old to take a day off college tomorrow i dont know if im doing the right thimg or not

[aufolandedonmyface]

my 16 year old started college in september was fine at first but rhe last few weeks has been extremely tired , lost weight not sure if its related or not but it has been a quick loss - she went fr size 14 trousers to size 10 in around 4-6 weeks. She has been just lying down when she gets home , too tired to go to clubs she normally goes to. She struggled to walk around shops even and that was on a saturday so no college. She sleeps well.

i took her to the gp a few days ago
and he made me feel like i was over reacting and kept asking her things like “do you have an eating disorder” . She has had a folic acid deficiency in the past and i really had to push for just a test for that an anemia. she has the blood test next week. She recently had a 5 day heart monitor on after fainting iver a year ago ( it took that long to get it) but tbh she has no symptoms of anything like that.

She is only at college three days a week today is her second day this week and she looks awful. Shes just lying on her bed and has been since 5 when she got home. She was not feeling strong enough to go to an group she normally loves tonight.

I am really concerned about her and ive told her i think she should really take tomorrow off (shes not in friday anyway) and rest. She has the blood test next wednesday.

am i just over reacting here to normal teenage things because the gp made me feel like a crazy old woman!

You done the right thing taking her to the GP and you'd be doing the right thing taking her in again before her blood test. This isn't normal at all and is really, really worrying. I would be expecting the GP to refer you on and if he doesn't, it would be A&E.

I’m t1 as is my son - take her to a&e now. Far too many red flags to ignore. I almost died at my diagnosis. Thankfully my son wasn’t even really unwell at his. I just spotted rapid weight loss and increased thirst and v tired. You also have family history. Let us know how you get on.

In NZ a lot of pharmacies can provide diabetic finger prick tests. If this can be done then either diabetes can be ruled out or urgent treatment sought before next Wednesday's bloods.
As an aside, when was 17 I had Glandular Fever, highly contagious among late teens, and made me so tired I fell asleep in a bursary exam (great timing) Stress is a big contributor. I also lost weight, no pain etc, but it didn't show up in the first blood test at 2 weeks, only after 5 weeks.
Hope this helps.
PS I passed the exam.

Also, and a slight aside, who TF bluntly asks a teenage girl 'so, do you have an eating disorder'? The absolute butchering of any understanding about the delicate knife edge that is psychological distress my god.

Follow your gut instinct, no decent Dr will ignore your concerns.

( I once was convinced my dd had leukaemia, she had glandular fever and was really unwell. I basically cried in front of a very kind a and e Dr who agreed he'd be doing blood tests which would exclude leukaemia)

I would make sure they’re considering coeliac disease as a possible cause. A friend’s child had similar symptoms and their GP actually thought it could be some type of cancer because the fatigue and weight loss were so severe.

I have type 1 diabetes. It was picked up when I was pregnant. I had no symptoms - no extra thirst or weeing, and as I was pregnant no weight loss (but I didn’t gain much either).
I simple prick test would be the first thing. I’d insist , even just to rule it out.
Has she had a virus recently? Could be ME.
My DD had odd symptoms for years and it was hard to be taken seriously as there didn’t seem to be an obvious cause. At 13 she missed a month of school and three visits to the GP and two to A&E and you can imagine what they thought of me! Well we eventually moved and new hospital and her symptoms became more acute and she’s finally been diagnosed with MS. I’m not suggesting at all this is what your DD has - other than the fatigue her symptoms aren’t typical, but just to illustrate that you have to push at times and not get fobbed off by a GP who has not much in depth knowledge.

Your GP has been absolutely rubbish here, I would definitely submit a complaint down the line, this is completely substandard care.

Try to get an urgent same day appt with another GP tomorrow (maybe even privately via health insurance) - if not possible then straight to A&E immediately - ie make sure she gets seen by a medical professional within 24 hours (ideally sooner). This sounds like a medical emergency and must be treated as such.

Stand firm in your convictions and don’t start doubting yourself now! You know your own child and something is clearly very very wrong.

Well done you for advocating for her. Sending you both hugs x

Echoing others. Needs a urinalysis/blood sugar measurement, and urgent tired all the time bloods to exclude eg. Leukaemia, coeliac etc.
The presentation doesn't fit (i.e. symptoms coming on within a few weeks) but sometimes malabsorption with coeliac can cause folic acid deficiencies.

Make sure she discloses any bowel symptoms. She should be examined too - especially abdomen for enlarged spleen, and checking for lymph nodes in the neck. That GP you saw is negligent.

The weight loss and extreme tiredness is a major red flag for diabetes OP, I'd be taking her to a&e tonight.

Does your mother have a blood testing kit you can use if she's diabetic (if she's local). You could at least see if her blood sugar level is dangerously high. If it is then get to A&E. If not, wait for the bloods.

I am no expert but with what you outlined here I would consider taking her to A&E to get bloods and tests done asap rather than waiting via the GP. Sounds like that GP was very dismissive.

Ask the surgery to do a blood test for glandular fever. My son had extreme tiredness in Year 8, although no weight loss that I can remember. He was coming home from school and going to bed. He tested negative for glandular fever but positive for Epstein-Barr Virus, which is the virus that can cause glandular fever. Essentially he had a milder form of glandular fever but it knocked him for six. It took him 6 months to completely recover and was on a reduced timetable at school.

I didn't think glandular fever would cause weight loss but I'm no medical expert.

I agree. Young folk still need someone to advocate for them, especially when they are vulnerable and unsure of how things like GP appointments work.

My DD stopped her periods and the GP kept questioning her weight (16yo, always been scrawny like both me and her dad), turns out she has a benign tumour in her head.

I don't know about a&e op but you definitely need a second opinion, a suggestion of investigation plan and a good array of blood tests.

My son was diagnosed whilst in DKA it can come on over a few weeks but once a person's in DKA its a life threatening situation, I really dont want to worry you unnecessarily but A&E can do a quick finger prick test which will determine if her Blood sugars are high and they will treat it immediately.

The idea that a GP who was dismissive of significant rapid unintentional weight loss was only so rubbish because the patient had an adult advocate present....is utter nonsense. Under what sky would someone so lacking in appropriate professional curiosity do better with a reticent teen alone?

OP, it could be any of a number of things but the scary stuff needs ruling out ASAP. Go back or go to your local ED. Any HCP worth their salt will have antennae that prick up at that weight loss.

My gosh. My brother was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at your daughters age and it all sounds very similar.

Please go to A&E straight away, it’s absolutely not worth the risk of waiting to find out as if she is in DKA it is a huge matter of urgency.

We have a good out of hours GP service accessed via 111 where I live for stuff like this (it’s attached to A+E). You could try 111 to see what they advise and if she can get seen quickly without sitting in A+E all night. She’s lucky to have you advocating for her, good luck.

Ok i have booked an appointment with the private gp and tomorrow if she seems unwell or worse we are going to the walk in anyway.

Good stuff. I hope you get on well and she's seen. Well done for advocating for her - and showing her what it looks like so she can do it for herself when she's older. Too many women are medically dismissed, she needs to know she doesn't have to be polite.

Off the top of my head, this could be Addisons disease or another form of adrenal insufficiency, or possibly diabetes. Could also be glandular fever. I’d take her to A&E and even if they find nothing immediately, keep her off college for a week for complete rest while you await any results that take longer.

If its diabetes and she's going into or is in DKA ,she needs to be seen sooner rather then later as I said it can be life threatening
My son was in critical care.

Have they included the HBAC1 in there? For Diabetes? It sometimes causes rapid weight loss and tiredness, frequent wees and thirst. Please make sure that they check for that. She may be in real danger if

@aufolandedonmyface I know everyone is saying diabetes but just to let you know make sure they check her thyroid because I had extreme tiredness and fast unintentional weight loss with an overactive thyroid. Really hope you can get her seen asap