Adhd and t1 non diagnosed

[Jaydee26]

Hi everyone I'm a newbie ...
My son was diagnosed with type 1 on 12th dec 2019. He is very up and down experiencing some extreme symptoms. Passing out , hallucinations, dark thoughts . Seems like I now have 3 different boys and pick a different version up on different days. Pre diagnosis the school had expressed concern about his behaviour and mental health so I obviously agreed to have him assessed. ... fast forward 5 months and now he has been diagnosed with T1D.... after a meeting my sons head teacher stressed to the t1 nurse that she thinks he has ADHD.. now this was never discussed and he still has not been assessed.. does anyone else have experience with both T1 and ADHD ? I personally feel that my son actually has anxiety which makes him loose focus and self confidence but what am i to know. Any one have any experience or advise about this ??

Thanks in advance x

 

[MrDaibetes]

I don't have ADHD, but I have different behaviour depending on my sugar levels. I would suggest getting tested if you are worried just to get things cleared.

 

[SB2015]

My behaviour definitely changes with my glucose levels. It may be that now that his T1 had been diagnosed, and glucose levels become more in range that his behaviour settles, although this is likely to need some support in school.

For you both there is a lot to learn about T1 very quickly, but it is manageable.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @Jaydee26

really sorry to hear about your son’s T1 diagnosis and other challenges.

Dark thoughts and hallucinations certainly sound like your lad should be assessed by the local CAMHS service (children and adolescent mental health) so that he can get the support he needs.

A diagnosis diabetes does carry with it an increased risk of mental health challenges, but I’m not aware of a link to ADHD. It tends to be more associated with depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviours and eating disorders.

Hope you can get the support and help you need for your son, and that he finds a happy healthy way to live alongside his T1. With modern techniques, treatment options and technologies, T1 diabetes doesn’t have to restrict you from doing pretty much anything you want, and a long active and healthy life with well managed T1 is increasingly possible.

 

[Thebearcametoo]

That sounds stressful and worrying for you and him. I have one child with diabetes and one with anxiety that may be read as ADHD if he was in a school setting. CAHMS would be your first port of call and will take a referral from parents, you don’t need to wait for someone else to do the referral for you. You should also be able to access a psychologist through your diabetes team. It’s early days in his diabetes journey and there will be all sorts of ups and downs just in dealing with changing glucose levels. How are his levels? I don’t know if it’s possible for you to reduce his hours at school for a bit while he adjusts. My kids are home educated and it’s really helped that we can adapt the environment to their needs but I know it’s not suitable for every family because of the logistics. If you want more info though do ask.

Just to give you ideas about timings, we had to wait about 6 weeks to see our diabetes psychologist and over 6 months for CAMHS but if he is having dark thoughts he should be seen quickly.