Think my DD (13) has type 1 diabetes. What questions should I be asking?

[lakewaterlapping]

Just hoping here is someone else who's been through the same thing. She's been ill for 7 weeks, took her to GP twice. Initially we thought glandular fever, as she was tired all the time, she even cancelled her birthday sleepover two weeks ago. But tests negative. The sore throat cleared up, so I thought I'd just make sure she had plenty of rest over Easter and all would be ok.

Last Tuesday she mentioned as an aside that her mouth is constantly dry, but it was only when I saw her drink a pint glass of water on Thursday night in one go, I even clicked that it would be type 1. Could kick myself for not checking, as she's 13 I don't watch her all the time. Got GP appointment on Friday, he dipped her urine, said a little sugar showed up but lots of bacteria which he said could be "hiding" the sugar ?????? He also said that if she had for type 1, she only has "partial" type 1 as she wasn't ill enough. He didn't do a finger prick. Got sent for blood test to local hospital, no idea when we get results given its weekend. I will be ringing GP tomorrow and Tuesday to push for it.

I sat her down and discussed it, she's pretty mature. I made sure not to freak out. So she also disclosed that she had bout of thrush, had occasional sharp pain to the middle and left under her ribs, headaches, nausea to the point of trying not to throw up. I've noticed she's eating more, but no weight loss. Shes tall and slim. I'm just trying to prepare for being sent to hospital diabetes clinic. So just wondering what questions I should be asked or what info I should be taking in. Are they likely to keep her in, if so for how long? She hates being away from home and absolutely hates needles.

And if it is negative for type 1, what else could it possibly be. She had three pints of water yesterday by 3pm when her dad picked her up for o/night with him. She's promised to let him or me know immediatley if she feels any worse, dizzy etc and she's not letting herself get hungry. Luckily we get on really well, so will be in this together.

Sorry for the length, thanks in advance for any replies.

If she has been really poorly for 7 weeks then I think it is unlikely to be type 1 diabetes as she would be much worse by now and would definately have required medical treatment, also her urine dip would have showed very high levels of sugar. I think though she needs to see the GP again and as you say push for further tests, or to be referred to the peadeatric department at the hospital, most hospitals have a peadiatric assessment unit that your GP can send you to on the day.

I think they would get back to you same day if they found she was diabetic.
I'm guessing the dr ruled out a UTI?

Yes, the GP confirmed UTI but only gave three days worth of antibiotics. It hasn't been 7 weeks of the same symptoms, initially just normal sore throat, the tiredness started after that, then the excess thirst last 10 days or so we think. All I get when I google thirst and tiredness is type 1 diabetes, nothing else pops up.

Maybe it was originally a virus with post viral fatigue, and once her defences were down she was more susceptible to the UTI. Did the dr rake some urine for a culture? Normally they start treating with trimethoprim but if they take a culture they can target the antibiotics to the specific bacteria.
UTIs make me feel awful - hopefully she'll start to regain her energy once it's cleared up. I really think they would have contacted you already if it were diabetes.

My sister had this when she was a similar age and it turned out to be a nasal polyp (they also suspected type 1 diabetes). She had a nasal spray and was sorted within 3 days

Thank you TarkatheOtter and PotteringAlong. Yes UTIs can be nasty, but I didn't think they caused extreme thirst. GP gave her 6 200mg of trimethoprim, two to be taken daily, he didn't do a culture. I've checked nasal polyp online, doesn't fit as her nose is fine.

How much is she actually drinking? What you've described here doesn't sound particularly excessive. I can easily drink a pint of water in one go and if she'd been up since 7/8am then 3 pints before 3pm isn't much either. I'd manage that quite easily most days and I know I'm not diabetic.

The pre-diagnosis excessive thirst is a completely unquenchable thirst that won't go away however much you drink. You just want more and more. I know people that have drunk 5-6 pints in an hour. One after the other, just trying to get rid of the thirst. And they'd still want more. Although it is possible that she might be in the very, very early stages. Is she urinating much more than usual too?

There are lots of things that can cause fatigue, many of which can be picked up in blood tests. The 'tired all the time' blood test is quite standard for GPs. Hopefully this is what he has run rather than just testing for diabetes.

I think the fact that this has been going on for so long would reassure me. It's possible for there to be a trace of sugar when it's a bad UTI.

When I got diagnosed with type 1 I was drinking 4 x 2litre bottle of pop in the space of a morning!!

The ironic thing being that it probably had loads of sugar in so wasn't really doing what your body was trying to do anyway. I know someone who did 3x1l cartons of fruit juice one after the other, barely pausing for breath. I've also heard of people trying to drink water for quite inadvisable places. Your body can (but doesn't always) make you quite obsessive about trying to get water/liquids into it to try and correct the imbalance.

Actually, having re-read your OP I have a friend who had pain where you described from a kidney infection. That might be a possibility. It got missed by the 1st GP because I think it's quite an unusual place to get pain for that sort of infection.

my type 1 diabetes was diagnosed at 18 and I went from first symptoms to hospital admission within 3 weeks, so if she's been ill for 7 to me it doesn't sound like type 1, though can see why you suspect it.

Echo what previous poster said about thirst being completely unquenchable, I would drink constantly for hours at a time but was still desperate for more. I was also peeing constantly, eventually I was wetting the bed. My weight also plummeted,in the three weeks before I was diagnosed I went from a size 16 to a 10, people thought I had developed an eating disorder.

Sorry I can't shed any light on anything else it might be but doesn't sound like diabetes based on my experience.

Agree. My brother had type 1 and this definitely does not sound like it!
Hope she is better soon though.