Diabetes diagnosis in a toddler?

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Leadinglights said:
That sound expensive, the strips for the GlucoNavil are £13 for 100 from Amazon.
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Oh, OK. I misremembered (or wasn't really paying attention). I tend to think in units of 50 because that's what my boxes come in so I assumed the cheap ones were around £13 for 50.

Not good at all, then.
 
I think it is all very well considering being cost effective but you have to bear in mind that a child's welfare is potentially at stake here and quibbling about whether a cheaper meter with cheaper test strips is available online when going out and buying a slightly less cheap meter from Argos right now might give enough info to prevent a DKA admission to hospital. I think in the circumstances extra test strips might not be necessary at all or just one pot. If the child is Type 1 then they will be supplied with a meter and test strips from here on in, so this is a one off purchase either to save a child getting seriously ill or hopefully put a parent's mind at rest that this is unlikely to be diabetes.
 
There’s no need to buy a meter or anything like that. If you’re concerned about her then going back to the GP is the best thing to do. It’s only been a short amount of time so whilst it’s unpleasant and signals there is something not right you don’t need to panic over the weekend (unless she shows signs of a worsening UTI in which case call 111 for out of hours). I hope you get some answers and she’s back to her normal self quickly.
 
Just to reassure you with finger prick tests, I have done a couple on my toddler and he was fascinated rather than scared! I did mine first to show him.

Being T1 myself, I was a bit paranoid when he started demanding drinks throughout the night and also had lingering yeast nappy rash. His bg was fine and the drinking has slowed again. The doctor gave us an antifungal cream with steroids and that dealt with the rash as well. So it might all be fine but I do understand your concern, keep a close eye on her and do a bg test if it will reassure you and a pharmacist won't do it- a starter kit is not expensive.
 
Sorry to hear about your little one @leannaf2721

Hope you get to the bottom of what’s wrong really soon.

Let us know what you find out
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Sorry to hear about your little one @leannaf2721

Hope you get to the bottom of what’s wrong really soon.

Let us know what you find out
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Hi well we went to the doctors and they agreed to do that test and she was fine 6 it was. But she is still asking constantly for drink and now food. She keeps saying she is hungry or thirsty. It’s that much it’s becoming difficult to manage as its constant, she just isn’t herself she used to play and just have fun. Now she is not able to concentrate and just seems agitated. They said if still like this by end of next week to call back.
 
But what else could it be the doctor said as the machine said 6 she almost certainly doesn’t have diabetes. So I honestly just don’t understand what else could be causing this excessive drinking and now eating.
 
Hi
rebrascora said:
I wonder what your GP tested her urine for.... Was it glucose or Ketones. If it was ketones then she may not have started producing them yet but could still have high blood glucose levels. If she is drinking massive amounts then that may be diluting her urine enough for her levels not to be too high. A finger prick test would be a very quick and simple thing to do and give a more reliable result but would not in itself be used as a diagnosis, but as an indicator to do an HbA1c test or if desperately high, then send you off to A&E.

If you can't get a Blood Glucose test done at the pharmacy, then my opinion is that a home testing kit would be helpful to either put your mind at rest or encourage you to push for more support from your GP.... or possibly even take your daughter to A&E if her levels are consistently very high. Do you have any members of your extended family who are diabetic and might have a meter and could test your daughter for you.
The diabetes thirst is pretty overwhelming and often leads to bed wetting with younger children I believe due to the volume of fluid they are processing, so sometimes bed wetting is a red flag. I know I was having to get up to the loo 5 times a night to release the fluids I was consuming and each time drink more. High BG levels can make you irritable and anxious too, so I would say that it certainly sounds possible that she may be diabetic and in your situation, I would do some home testing and maybe also purchase some Ketostix from a pharmacy so that you can test her urine for ketones if her BG levels are high. They are about £5 for a pot of 50 and you would need to ask the pharmacist for them over the counter.

Hope you get something sorted because there is clearly something amiss and it must be very worrying as a parent. Please come back to us and let us know how you get on and what result you get if you do buy a test kit.
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so the home test thing should I do this so many times a day? We took her to doctors who did it and it was 6 so said its fine and unlikely diabetes. But today now she has started saying she is hungry so now its either thirsty or hungry bless her and she can’t play or do anything because she can’t concentrate due to the thirst and now hunger.
 
If the GP did a finger prick test and it was normal (7) then it is unlikely to be diabetes. The thirst usually starts when BG levels are persistently above 10 usually nearer 15. A finger prick test is not diagnostic but will indicate if blood glucose levels are elevated and further tests would be relevant. A normal reading together with the negative urine test would indicate that Diabetes Mellitus can probably be ruled out.
You seemed to suggest in your earlier posts that they hadn't done a finger prick test, just tested her urine, so I am a bit confused.... Have you had her back to the doctors?
 
Y
rebrascora said:
If the GP did a finger prick test and it was normal (7) then it is unlikely to be diabetes. The thirst usually starts when BG levels are persistently above 10 usually nearer 15. A finger prick test is not diagnostic but will indicate if blood glucose levels are elevated and further tests would be relevant. A normal reading together with the negative urine test would indicate that Diabetes Mellitus can probably be ruled out.
You seemed to suggest in your earlier posts that they hadn't done a finger prick test, just tested her urine, so I am a bit confused.... Have you had her back to the doctors?
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Yes took her there on Friday afternoon. I have to call back Wednesday if still like this. At least its not diabetes I guess, just need to establish what else is causing this then hopefully it fixed its self in the next few days.
 
i would get it checked just to be on the safe said
rebrascora said:
I wonder what your GP tested her urine for.... Was it glucose or Ketones. If it was ketones then she may not have started producing them yet but could still have high blood glucose levels. If she is drinking massive amounts then that may be diluting her urine enough for her levels not to be too high. A finger prick test would be a very quick and simple thing to do and give a more reliable result but would not in itself be used as a diagnosis, but as an indicator to do an HbA1c test or if desperately high, then send you off to A&E.

If you can't get a Blood Glucose test done at the pharmacy, then my opinion is that a home testing kit would be helpful to either put your mind at rest or encourage you to push for more support from your GP.... or possibly even take your daughter to A&E if her levels are consistently very high. Do you have any members of your extended family who are diabetic and might have a meter and could test your daughter for you.
The diabetes thirst is pretty overwhelming and often leads to bed wetting with younger children I believe due to the volume of fluid they are processing, so sometimes bed wetting is a red flag. I know I was having to get up to the loo 5 times a night to release the fluids I was consuming and each time drink more. High BG levels can make you irritable and anxious too, so I would say that it certainly sounds possible that she may be diabetic and in your situation, I would do some home testing and maybe also purchase some Ketostix from a pharmacy so that you can test her urine for ketones if her BG levels are high. They are about £5 for a pot of 50 and you would need to ask the pharmacist for them over the counter.

Hope you get something sorted because there is clearly something amiss and it must be very worrying as a parent. Please come back to us and let us know how you get on and what result you get if you do buy a test kit.
Click to expand...
That's good point surely a figer prick test would have been better
 
leannaf2721 said:
Hi my three year old over last four days is asking for drink excessively. Like past two nights she has drank 40oz of juice. She keeps crying she is thirsty too. I have noticed her behaviour has changed and is just being hyperactive and hitting people for no reason etc. i went to the doctors and they did a urine test and it said its clear so there is nothing to worry about. I asked why she was drinking so much he said maybe she is thirsty.

Is this correct? That urine is clear so I have nothing to worry about?
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Ask the medics to consider Diabetes Insipidus instead of Diabetes Mellitus .
www.mayoclinic.org

Diabetes insipidus - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org www.mayoclinic.org
 
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I would immediately take her to A&E, they can do all the relevant test, time is critical when they are so young, my son was 8 and my niece 2 when diagnosed. GPs are not specialists and often waste time asking for test after test. If confirmed they then send to hospital anyway, miss out the middleman and get peace of mind sooner
 
You don't get glucose spilling over into urine until the glucose in your blood reaches 11.0. 11.0 being double what it ought to be, you can be very much in trouble before then.
 
I thought exactly the same as @HullAngel - chuck her in the car and get her to A&E. I would far rather you potentially wasted their time and yours, than have her have diabetes and suffering - cos she will be, if she has got it.
 
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