DS sleeping from 1-2pm in afternoon until 7am next day...

[getyourfingeroutyournose]

Been going on for about 2 weeks now where he just sleeps and sleeps and sometimes complains of a headache.
I've booked him in for doctors on wednesday but what else can I do? Should I be worried about this excessive tiredness?

OP your thread has made my blood run cold. Please take him to get his blood sugar checked now. I say this as someone whose close friends ds almost died due to undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.

Take him to a&e.

Dad's too far away to use his kit. Plus he's dubious about using the finger prick method to diagnose it after what happened to him so I think, thinking about it, I should do what he did to me when they suggested I may have inherited his illness which was essentially got me into a private doctors (he had them through his work) and got a test done that way. I'm not sure of how to get private healthcare that won't take lots of money and time so kicking up a stink seems the only way to go right?

I would really take what 111 says with a pinch of salt. A&e generally never turn away a child. You just have to google 111 to see their shite advice.

It may be viral. It may be worse. If it's worse the first thing professionals are going to ask is why didn't you get medical help. Why didn't you fight harder.

Diabeties is a life threatening condition. If he has this, two more weeks is far too long.
If he has an uti another two weeks could be too late. Do you the consequences of having an untreated uti? Untreated the stress from getting the correct treatment will be far worse than what he would be put through today.

I am sorry if this was harsh but I don't really think you are grasping the urgency of him getting urgent tests done. A diary yes if in junction with tests starting. But ffs, two weeks and no improvement. Now is the time to say enough I want tests.

Sorry OP reread the thread and I'd missed the bit about your dad being in a different country.

A&E are extremely unlikely to turn him away. My DH has seen to kids with tooth decay and sees a lot of kids with colds.

I'm not sure what happened with your dad but someone with intreated T1 won't have a normal blood sugar level. Now a raised bs doesn't always mean diabetes (as someone else pointed out none diabetics often have high bs after a meal) but it does give you a starting point.

I would really be taking your DS to a walk in or A&E and doing it now. People die from untreated diabetes. For the sake of a pricked finger it seems daft to risk it

I can't quite believe what I'm reading here, your GP is clueless. Children under 5 don't get type 2
Type 1 is a life threatening condition which your GP should have tested with a urine sample (and finger prick) there and then using a dip stick.
Take your child to A&E and tell them he is displaying symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
I am type1 myself and honestly all his symptoms do point that way although of course there could be another explanation but if it is type 1 you simply can't delay.
High blood sugars mean his blood is turning acidic and without treatment he'll go into dka
My symptoms pre diagnosis last year were eventual loss of bladder control and peeing 15 times + a night, extreme tiredness and blurred vision.
Are you quite sure the GP actually said type2? That displays a shocking lack of basic medical knowledge if so.

Your gp sounds shocking. My mum had type 1 diabetes diagnosed at 4 years old. It is an extremely dangerous condition and can worsen in hours let alone weeks!

I know you can buy finger prick tests can't you? I would try that if you really don't want to head to a and e - but for what it's worth. I don't think any doctor would send you away. They just don't. Whoever told you that is dead wrong.

I very very very much doubt the Gp said that. I'm sure there have been cross wires.
GPs have top grades at school, study for years in general medicine then Gp training and generally pretty intelligent.

Diabetes is bread and butter of general practice and he/she will be well used to treating it and the difference between type 1 and type 2.
Under 5s very occasionally get type 2 but I will beg a lot of money that the GP didn't say that. Maybe communication was an issue, things often get confused after such short consultations.

I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this has already been discussed but your dad may well have type 2 DM but be on insulin as diet and oral anti hyperglycaemic agents aren't working anymore.
She/he may have said your son may have a different one to your dad, who knows

Are blood test being arranged? With the symptoms you describe I would want a full blood count, glucose, ESR and blood chemistry at the very least

Go to the pharmacy and either ask them to do a finger prick test or buy the machine to donit yourself.

I cannot fathom why you have 1) not already done this or 2) seemed to not grasp the importance of knowing what his blood sugar level are!

Yes, I was going to suggest going to the pharmacy too. Please, don't leave this.

campfan - GPs are notoriously uneducated in Type 1 Diabetes (partly because it is not dealt with in general practice but in specialist clinics). Unfortunately this causes unnecessary admission to ICU for around 30% of new diagnosed Type 1s.

Whilst it's possible that there are wires crossed about what the GP said, there are unfortunately plenty of HCPs who believe the myth that there are any under 5s in this country with Type 2.

Hi op any luck getting his blood sugar tested?

I was in boots today and saw a monitor and thought of this thread!

Thinking of you and hoping you are getting on ok.

Poor you OP. I would demand a blood glucose test for diabetes. If your GP continues to dither, I would ask for a second opinion or take him to A&E. Heed the advice of the poster who is a GP.

I have been reading this thread with increasing horror.

Any half way competent GP who honestly thought that a child might have diabetes would be calling up the local paediatric department to say "do I admit them directly to the ward right now, or do you have an urgent same-day appointment available?"

And I have never seen a child that age with type 2 diabetes, but lots with type one. Which hits harder, and faster, and can be life threatening. (General paediatrician)

It probably isn't diabetes, but if there's any possibility it is not something to muck about with.

Hi OP - respect the fact that you may not want to come back and update the thread, but just hoping that means that all is well for you and your little one.

Hi, sorry I have been trying to keep up with his diary and a few other things that have been going on. DS went into hospital on thursday of last week. Wed night he woke up at 11:30 demanding food. I gave him some cereal with milk and fed him. Something changed in him and he went very pale and hot. He was just lying there staring at the wall and not really reacting. I kept trying to talk to him and he was looking at me but he wouldn't react other than by looking at me. I got passed to an out of hours paediatric doctor (I think?) on the phone who sent him into hospital. All his symptoms were described as vague by the doctors and they spend the majority of the day trying to figure out what was going on. They did the finger prick test, urine test and blood test and found nothing to indicate infection or diabetes.
They sounded like they didn't want him to go home because they couldn't figure out what was wrong but he had improved by mid morning enough to be running around and playing with toys so they had to pass him on to the GP for care and give his bed to someone else.
On the upside, I managed to make him smile whilst having his blood test done so hopefully he won't be frightened of them.
Other than that, I have to wait til Tuesday for the next appt to find out what could possibly be wrong. The only idea so far is that he had something viral and was getting over it. His sleeping has improved a bit but he is still napping a lot more than is normal.

Oh I'm so relieved for you that the tests came back clear although that must have been very frightening. So frustrating just to be told "a virus" but at least they took you seriously this time and were able to eliminate some of the more sinister possibilities. I hope he continues to feel a little bit better. You did the right thing.

Thanks for updating us OP. And sorry to hear about that incident - sounds really scary. But good that it's not diabetes at least. Hope you get some answers and he continues to improve.

Thank you guys/gals. He's doing better with the sleeping and seems to be in a better routine but his weight is off. I'm still going to the doctor with his diary on tuesday and will make sure he's definitely okay. Seems odd that they can say viral when his urine didn't show any signs of infection surely? Would that pick that up? and the blood test too?

I'd have thought so. Glad they ruled out diabetes .

I got a phone call yesterday from the doctor with the final result from the tests they did. Apparently the last one that takes a while to come back is vitamin D deficiency and that's what he has. On the letter it also says family are also to be considered for testing. I highly doubt his bio dad has it. He's said he will ask but he gets extensive testing for work to make sure he can do his job.
I'm going to start a new thread to find anyone who has dealt with this and apart from the drops and sunlight, try and find a way to help him.
Thanks all.

I've lurked on your thread hoping to see the answer. It's great that you're getting somewhere.

The only thing I'd say is that an endocrinologist said to me recently that if tested, most people would be considered deficient in Vit D.

I'm not for a moment saying that this doesn't mean this is the cause of his problems, just that I'd want to know what his levels are and what the normal range is.

I think it would help to have a print out of all of the tests and results actually so that if you do see other doctors you have them handy. And on your other thread you can quote the numbers.

Has he been tested for hypoparathyroidism? It's a real curve ball but PTH plays a role in Vit D levels.

Just really pleased you're getting somewhere.

My daughter (3) slept for 20 hours straight following a rather horrible stomach virus.

If its not following an illness though or its gone on even 2 days rather than as a one off I would be making sure the doc saw her