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Original poster

Should I be worried about my DS

45 replies

lottymadbird · 03/03/2008 10:01

For about the last month he has been saying constantly that he is tired and wants to go to bed, sometimes an hour or two after he has woken. He does have bursts of energy and generally seems happy. He sleeps well, 3 hours in the afternoon, eight hours at night. Eats well but hasnt put on any weight for about the last six weeks (although he doesnt look skinny).

He drinks an awful lot and keeps complaining of itching although I can't see a rash or anything.

Took him to the doctors and he said he had a virus a couple of weeks ago.

DS is 2 and a half. Should I be worried or is this normal growth phrase or similar?

OP posts:

paddyclamp · 03/03/2008 20:22

Tangarine is right (hi Tangarine!!), it can lead to DKA.

When i was diagnosed my blood sugar level was 45 mmol/l (5 is normal) and i went into a coma, was very lucky to pull through. Think i was ill for about 2 weeks beforehand.

If he is sick, go straight to A and E!

Feel like i'm getting carried away here but in my case a simple test would have saved a lot of illness and heartache. It winds me up that GPs can be so blase about it.

To keep things in perspective i was very thirsty and no amount of water would get rid of it, i would have drunk the bath water it was that bad.

How is he now?

yurt1 · 03/03/2008 20:25

You can buy wee sugar testing sticks from chemists. If doc suspects diabetes I wouldn't be happy waiting until 3 days after Wednesday for results.....

shelleylou · 03/03/2008 20:37

dont they do diabetes tests in lloyds chemists?

tangarine · 03/03/2008 20:39

The wee sticks don't work if your blood sugar is very high - my ds was clear on the wee stick and off the meter on the blood glucose tester.

yurt1 · 03/03/2008 21:18

oh that's interesting tangarine. I didn't know that.

tangarine · 03/03/2008 21:56

The GP did comment how dilute his urine was when he did the dip stick. I was later told in hospital that this was a classic symptom. Scary to think that even only a few years ago they were the only way of measuring sugar levels. Urine glucose levels also lag a couple of hours behind the blood glucose.

I could bore for Britain about diabetes (and frequently do!)

Original poster

lottymadbird · 04/03/2008 11:32

He seems fine in himself. although he's drinking alot he doesnt have a raging thirst, well I guess not as he will have a drink and then leave some and go back to it later.

He still keeps asking for bed and seems tired but then he does perk up and run round like a loony for a bit.

If he is diabetic what will that mean in terms of treatment? Do children grow out of it or is it a permanant condition?

Could I have caused it? He's had a few biscuits and sweets in the last few months that he never used to have before.

OP posts:

Bimblin · 04/03/2008 15:37

You won't have done anything - its an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system turns on itself (like coeliac, or arthritis, or lupus), it'd just be bad luck.

But maybe it isn't that, so try not to panic (though of course take him in if you feel he needs it).

yurt1 · 04/03/2008 15:40

tangarine have you come across the theory about leaky guts being involved in the development of diabetes (I can bore about leaky guts )

paddyclamp · 04/03/2008 21:25

Leaky guts?! I never had them! What's the theory? I always thought it was bad luck with a slight genetic tendency

yurt1 · 04/03/2008 22:16

Gut is more permeable than usual - something - e.g. gluten and/or milk protein and/or something else crosses and sets off the immune reaction. I came across the model in Gut journal (highly respected journal btw)- it was am model for the development of autoimmunity - then found a whole bunch of research on it in relation to diabetes. Was very interesting for me as the model was very similar to models explaining how autism may be triggered in some cases. And we have autism and type 1 diabetes in the family. And some known leaky guts.

I emailed one of the diabetes researchers and he sent me a bunch of his papers.

The genetic tendency could come in the form of the leaky gut (or a tendency to a leaky gut) I guess and the bad luck could be whatever crosses and acts as the trigger.

yurt1 · 04/03/2008 22:17

It's a model for type 1 diabetes btw- sorry should have made that clear.

yurt1 · 04/03/2008 22:18

Although of course that will be a massive oversimplification. If it is found to be a workable model.

Gluten and milk proteins do seem to be well established as potential triggers in susceptible mouse strains.

tangarine · 05/03/2008 09:09

Hi yurt1,

No I hadn't heard about the leaky guts theory. My ds also has coeliac disease so I guess there might be something in it. My dad also has coeliac so there is a definite genetic link. We have never identified the trigger for ds's diabetes (tbh I have never tried too hard, as would only beat myself up about what I might have done differently).

As I understand it you need to have a genetic predisposition to T1, which is then triggered. ds 2 could have the same pre-disposition but might never encounter the trigger and not go on to develop T1.

yurt1 · 05/03/2008 09:18

INteresting. I put some work into considering potential triggers for ds1's autism as we wanted to avoid it in ds2 and ds3's case. (I don't beat myself up - partly because I think there were a series of 'hits' triggers for ds1). ds3 also has a leaky gut (results come back as an 'autistic' gut) but is 3 now and is developing normally. We've just put him back on gluten and I'm now wondering about coeliac as he's had odd poo since going back on (ds2 went onto gluten with no problems after early years gluten free). I also worry slightly that because I know he has a leaky gut we're increasing his risk of T1 by now introducing gluten.

Tricky isn't it?

The latest in the diabetes papers btw seemed to be that there was little point in identifying triggers as there were so many potential ones and there might be different ones for different people. They thought that instead mechanisms of repairing leaky gut should be looked at (which would then stop the triggers getting through).

The Gut journal article also mentioned MS- which is also in the family (the T1 diabetes and MS are both on the paternal side, no autism in the family except ds1).

paddyclamp · 06/03/2008 21:09

How's he doing?

Original poster

lottymadbird · 07/03/2008 09:58

He seems ok-ish but the trauma of having the blood tests seems to have given him nightmares.

Strangely now he's not eating anything and hardly drinking. So does that rule out diabetes?

I really dont know what's going on and just want the results back. The hospital said it could take up to a week!

OP posts:

paddyclamp · 07/03/2008 18:28

I would say so yes

smartiejake · 12/03/2008 22:39

How is he doing lottymadbird? Any news yet?

smartiejake · 21/03/2008 10:29

Any news on your ds lottymadbird? Do you have a dx yet?

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