Diabetes? - Virginia Beach, VA

Since diabetes runs in your husband's family, I would get her to the doctor as soon as possible since you seem to be very concerned. For mor information about diabetes you can go to: http://diabetes.org/for-parents-and-kids/what-is-diabetes... Good luck!

I have a 6 yr old daughter and she was and still is the same way she can drink a gallon of water by her self in under two days along with milk and or juice my husbands family has the same diabetic history and i have her checked all the time. There are other signs to look for as well so the doctor said to look for them before I freak out. Talk to your doctor and remember some kids just need more liquid.

It doesn't hurt to see the pediatrician if you have a valid concern about your child's health. The only way to know is to have her examined by the doctor.

My advice would be to see if you can get an appointment sooner because the longer you wait it will take some time to get it under control. I'm speaking from a diabetic point of view. I've had diabetes for about six years now and it's hard to manage it when it’s not taken care of. Signs of diabetes should be taking serious and not wait until the worse signs show affects. Make sure you find a good Endocrinologist Physician for her too, so she could live a healthy life as well. Hope everything turn out for the best and good luck.

C.

You should definitely not wait until March...although it could be many things (dryness in the air) making her thirsty, if you think it could be diabetes, you shouldn't wait...especially if she is peeing and eating a lot...

Make the Doctors appointment. Do not wait. If it is nothing there is no harm. If it is diabetes you have a jump on it!

Many blessings, Joyce

It is probably nothing at all. She sees you all drinking and if you were having popcorn or snacks with the movie she just wanted some. Kids this age drink alot. Is there a history of diabetes in the family? Right now it is really dry so that might be something to consider. Is this something new that she does? Maybe she is getting a sore throat or just thirsty. There are days where I am thirsty all day and days that I don't drink much at all. The thing to watch is how many bathroom stops she does if she doesn't drink alot. Let us know how she is doing please.
S.

My 3 year old son was diagnosed with Type1 diabetes a little over a year ago. His main symptoms were an insatiable thirst and a very high urine output. (diabetics get thirsty b/c they pee so much to rid the body of the sugar they can't absorb due to insufficient insulin) My first instinct was diabetes but was in denial. By the end of the 2nd week I remembered learning that in ancient roman times, the urine was tasted to check if it was sweet...So I took his diaper and touched the tip of my tongue to it and it was sweet! I immediately took him to the ped. and got a ketone urine test which indicated a high ketone count so we got him a blood glucose test and his sugar levels were near 700! (normal is around 100) We had to take him immediately to the Ped. Int. Care at Fairfax Inova b/c of the concern for Diabetic Ketoacidosis (very serious) We stayed there for a week and learned an amazing amount of info and got our son stabilized...
A year later he is healthy, thriving and happy. He gets four shots a day and is super brave.
I really hope this is not the case for you and your daughter, but there is NO HARM in checking and it's always good to know these signs since it runs in your family ( it did not in mine.)
Please feel free to contact me with any other questions and best wishes to your family.

S. I went though the same thing last March my 2 year daughters hair was falling out(handfulls of hair), drinking alot, and peeing alot. Family had said about having her sugar tested, so after about a mth of her hair falling out and we started to see bald spots, I got her in with her doc, right away he tested her sugar A ok thank god, he ran many other tests on her everything was fine her hair quit falling out around June. Didn't lose any hair over the summer, 2 weeks after school started her hair starting falling out again, so we went back to the doc he tested her for lead again nothing. My husband and I came to the conclusion she was having separtion issues form my 5 year old who was going to school, so maybe just call the doc and ask for a sugar test my doc did it in the office. I hope everything works out and your daughter dosn't have sugar. Maybe it will be something simple.

Hello S.!I'm V. and I'm also a diabetic and a mother of two. I know you're worried, but keep in mind that there are many other symptoms that usually accompany the constant thirst.There's usually very frequent urination, and not just thirst, but dry mouth, as well as fatigue, nausea, irritability, etc... It's a really good idea for you to have your child checked for diabetes especially if it runs in your husband's family or yours. But don't worry yourself to death. I know the feeling of worrying about my children having diabetes...my daughter had a urinary tract infection a few years ago and I just knew that she had diabetes, but I've had her tested for it once a year and THANK GOD, no diabetes. Just pay attention to her behavior and the symptoms and ask the doctor to test her for it and go from there. Try not to worry...I know, easier said than done! Good Luck! V. K.

my neice was diagnosed with childhood diabetes at 18 months and in hindsight she constantly was thirsty...and had no desire to really eat just drink and she overwet her diapers...so if your daughter is doing these then be really worried and take her in immediately. if she is just drinking more than usual but not excessively I wouldn't worry too much, but what is the harm in taking her in if it eases your mind! good luck

Its probably nothing to worry about. Lots of 2yrolds are prone to ask for sips or snacks not out of hunger or thirst but out of a want of attention, however, it is better to error on the side of safty, I would make an earlier appointment. If it is a sugar problem it is better to catch it early.

S., it may be nothing, but it certainly can't hurt for you to call your pediatrician's office and get a nurse's advice about whether to wait until your daughter's next appointment or not. That's one of the things they are there for! We are with a wonderful group and they always tell me that it is better to "safe than sorry"! If nothing else, they will put your mind at ease!

I have type two diabetes. Don't go crazy over a child being thirsty. Children love to drink all day long if you let them. And thirst is not the only symptom of diabetes. For me the key indicator that I had become diabetic was the chronic fatigue, blurred vision and tingling in my hands and feet. It's always good to see you're pediatrician when you have a concern. But,we must not worry too much. Good Luck.

If there is any communication barrier with your doctor, then I would find a new doctor.

If you are not comfortable with the answer, I would ask again and then get a second opinion - and mention the drinking issue so they have all the info.

Chances are your child is fine, but any medical issue I would be very assertive about. Good luck.

I would definetly make an earlier appointment. Diabetes is nothing to fool around with, and excess thirst is definetly a sign. To me the risk of diabetic coma or shock is too great, and I would rather be safe than sorry!

I understand your concerns, my brother was diagnosed with diabetes at age 3, so everytime my son wants an extra glass of water I start to worry. My mom said my brother constantly wanted to drink, was always needing to use the bathroom and peed lots, he was always hungry but didn't gain any weight and was kind of dippy acting all of a sudden. His breath started having a fruity odor. You should call your ped to alleviate your concerns. A simple blood test can put your mind at ease.