My 4 year old has been drinking a lot of water and his mouth smells like acid like a battery acid what could this be?

[alpop]

The past two days I've really noticed how much water (with a tiny bit dilution juice) he is drinking. He's asking me a lot for more. He will down it then ask for another one

His mouth smells like an acidic smell like battery acid. I have no better way of explaining it. It's smelt like that since yesterday. His older sisters have noticed it too and said he smells weird

He's well otherwise. He was running a lot today and has been at his nursery.

He's maybe eating slightly more. But he's completely well other wise

Diabetes runs in my family. My brother is type 1 and was really unwell at 5 years old. My mum didn't notice anything until he was passing out then admitted to hospital.

Does anyone have any ideas??

Fingers crossed it all goes ok!

Former diabetes specialist nurse . Impossible to diagnose via a post but sounds classic Type 1 diabetes symptoms . Referral pathway is same day admission to hospital for bloods / assessment/ likely diagnosis. If for any reason your GP does not do this then take your child to A and E TODAY . Sometimes GPs do not have enough experience in Type 1 and book blood tests for a few days time or ask for urine sample to be sent in . The acetone smell is from Ketones and your child could be in the early stages of diabetic ketoacidosis , which can progess quickly and can keep lifethreatening .

This happened to a boy of 7 at my school. His school trousers fit him on Friday and were loose on Monday. He couldn’t quench his thirst. Type 1 diabetes. Hope you’re in the right place by now. Good luck.

Classic type 1 symptoms. Great you're on the ball and catching it before he gets very ill.

Hope all is OK, OP. If he is diagnosed with Type 1, there is a huge online community for support. Have a look on Facebook. It's life changing and initially terrifying but you get used to it. Take care.

Definitely needs his blood sugar checking (finger prick at GP fine) today, and if it is raised needs to go to the hospital today. This does sound rather suggestive of decompensating diabetes, so could easily be heading into DKA which needs immediate treatment. But is very treatable. Do not be fobbed off. If the GP does not do a finger prick then go to A&E.

Posts classic T1D symptoms, mentions family history if T1D and then asks what it is?!
Seriously?!
Your child need urgent medical care. It was clear this wasn’t an urgent GP appt, it needed addressing as soon as you noticed symptoms.

Take him to your brother’s house. He can check his BG gently. It’s best if he gets diagnosed early.

Please do not do this . He needs a proper professional assessment.

Tbf that'd be a highly accurate way of diagnosing it. My DS's BG was off the scale when he was diagnosed, and anyone with T1 will know the safe levels. BUT they don't mess about with T1 in kids, or not in our experience: we had a fingerprick test at the GP and were blue-lighted to A&E within the hour.

OP: good luck. It's a big diagnosis, it is life-changing, but it's very manageable. The new tech my DS uses, being rolled out across the NHS atm, is insanely good and works particularly well for children (this is omnipod 5, also known as an artificial pancreas). Hope it's not T1 but sending love if it is x

glad you’ve got an appointment OP. Hope he is ok!

Sounds like DKA type one diabetes.

I have a family history of diabetes and had gestational diabetes with my first despite being very slim. First signs was always being thirsty, acidy sweet smelling breath and pee.
I’d take him to the gp to get tested just incase.

There are various ‘artificial pancreas’ systems - Omnipod is just one kind. My clinic avoids the Omnipod for children, but uses a couple of other hybrid closed loops.

OP, if it is Type 1, don’t panic. Look at Diabetes U.K. :

https://www.diabetes.org.uk

Make sure you get the right one as there are other sites with similar names. The one above is the actual charity. They have a helpline and also a forum:

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk

Not every " snap shot " blood glucose is off the scale in newly diagnosed Type1 . There are other tests such as HbA1c that need performing . Regardless of the fingerprick reading ( on an uncalibrated device) your child need will still need a professional assessment. Hopefully , OP your GP will have followed National Guidance and referred in to hospital .

You have diabetes in the family, yet asking random folk on MN what to do? Jesus wept...

With no updates from the OP this afternoon I think we can assume the GP referred her son to A&E for immediate treatment. Perhaps we can lay off telling her to go to hospital until we hear from her?

I suspect she knew it was Type I and just wanted some reassurance that taking him to the GP wasn't an overreaction.

Hope he's ok. Does sound like diabetes.

How clear headed do you think if your child was showing T1 symptoms? Because I think I would be in disbelief and may well post on here as a sense check.

Glad you got a fast appointment. Well wishes coming from me, my son was diagnosed 17 years ago 💐

Yes that is exactly what this parent needs , judgement and criticism from you . Even healthcare professionals miss early T1D and Ops brother was diagnosed aged 5 so it is unlikely he or the OP remember pre diagnosis symptoms .

Eating more, drinking more, and ketone breath are not early T1DM symptoms. They are very much the most obvious, textbook symptoms.

But MN is full of people who don’t understand and might suggest things that are dangerous. Just wouldn’t want a child to be put at risk of harm! OP clearly understands it might be T1D based on her mentioning it. The child’s health is what matters.

As others have said, this could be diabetes so you really need to get him seen by a GP as soon as possible but A & E would be my first port of call - children 'plateau' when they are sick........and then they deteriorate rapidly. Get the little man seen by a Doctor today.
And I hope everything is ok for him