New here with questions

[luvmy3kids]

Hi. I am new and have a few questions. My oldest son just turned 8 this week, and I took him to the doctors for his checkup. One of my concerns for the ped. was his weight. I could tell he was gaining a lot of weight. She told me since May he had gained 17 pounds. She wanted to do bloodwork for D and check his thyroid. I have Hasimotos and Hypothyroidism, but didn't think it was too common in boys. Ped. said it wasn't very common in boys, but it does exist. Is weight gain a symptom of D? He also gets headaches about once or twice a month, which I forgot to mention to the doctor. Several times a week he tells me he gets a spiky feeling in his stomach, but it passes within a few minutes. OVer the last year, his dispostion has changed. He was always this sweet, boy who never backtalked, etc. Now he has a mouth on him. He also has asthma.
At the drs. they tried to draw blood, but couldn't get any veins. THey had him fast and come back the next morning. They still had a hard time drawing blood, and couldn't get as much as they needed. They said they had enough to test his thyroid and to run some other tests. They told me that if the results were good, then they wouldn't have to run any more tests. If they came back as an issue, they would have to bring him back to for more tests. The lab tech said they would have the results MOnday, but they are only there 1/2 a day due to New Years. Our ped. won't even be in on MOn. and won't be able to call me until Wed. The lab tech. said she would call on Mon if she got the results back before they closed.
Do you think any of this sounds like he may have D?

Thanks
BTW my mom has type 2 and 2 or 3 of my grandparents had it as well.
Thanks!

[BrendaK]

From what you're describing he does not have the symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Here is a link to what those symptoms are. http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/clinic/signs.htm

Your doctor is probably checking him for type 2 diabetes which is a growing problem in overweight children/teenagers. Here is a link of what type 2 diabetes is http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/...hatistype2.htm

It sounds like the issue could definitely be thyroid related -- an underactive thyroid can cause weight gain and mood changes. I hope you find out the problem soon!

[Mama Belle]

Often times weight gain is seen with type 2 diabetes (up to 80% of the time in adults). So yes, it could be type 2. Type 2 is also more genetically inherited than type 1. If he had type 1, his weight would be plummeting, not rising, so you can trust that it isn't type 1. If they are concerned about type 2 they should do a fasting glucose level an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) and get a C-Peptide. The C-Peptide is the best test for diagnosing type when Diabetes is thought to be the issue. In most cases a normal or increased C-Peptide level would be indicative of type 2, while a low C-Peptide would be indicative of type 1.

High blood sugars will often make a person very grouchy and can cause stomach aches. My daughter always gets stomach aches with highs and has the grouch factor mastered. If you are concerned and would like to keep an eye on his blood sugars until you get word back from the doctor you can go to the drug store and purchase a blood glucose meter to monitor his readings yourself. You can at a minimum get a one touch mini for around $20 and it comes with ten strips. Make sure to write down the readings and the time for each test, in addition to meal/snack times and what was eaten, so you can share it with the doctor. Here is a great chapter to read if you are concerned about type 2 diabetes.

Best of luck and please keep us posted!