Today my son saw his endocrinologist about his hyperglycemia. They ran an A1C and it was 5.8. He has every symptom of diabetes except weight loss. He ordered a Diabetes auto-immune panel, metabolic panel, somatomedin C, and IGFBP3. The last two are repeats of the growth hormone work-up that he did over the summer. The results of those tests were very abnormal. He did say that the IGF level being so elevated can create an insulin resistance situation. We are just checking blood glucose levels four times a day for now and waiting for the test results. I still don't know if he is diabetic!

If his A1C was 5.8 then I doubt he is diabetic. Most Diabetics would Kill for an A1C of 5.8.

in some countries diabetes specialists are also called edocrinologists

JL,
what are his blood sugars running two hours after meals? That will give you a better indication as to whether or not he needs to treat this as if he had diabetes (although with an A1c of 5.8, probably the most he'd have to do at this point is watch his diet.)

He may have one of those metabolic syndromes (which I don't know that much about, but others on here do...Almonkey, can you shed some light on this?) At any rate, it sounds like his endo is doing everything possible to pin this down, so hopefully you will have a diagnosis soon.

Ruth

JL,
what are his blood sugars running two hours after meals? That will give you a better indication as to whether or not he needs to treat this as if he had diabetes (although with an A1c of 5.8, probably the most he'd have to do at this point is watch his diet.)

He may have one of those metabolic syndromes (which I don't know that much about, but others on here do...Almonkey, can you shed some light on this?) At any rate, it sounds like his endo is doing everything possible to pin this down, so hopefully you will have a diagnosis soon.

Ruth

His two hour levels have been between 170 and 260. His fasting is between 68 and 131. I am especially concerned that all of this is coming up right around the holidays. While we wait for the test results, is there anything I can do to try to keep his BG's down?? His normal diet is already restricted when it comes to simple carbs/sugars, but I usually lighten up on the holidays.

IT sounds Like he is Pre Diabetic.....Not as big of a concern....but it does mean he should be trying to eat a better diet and exercise some more.

JL,

Those two hour post-prandials are definitely high. In fact, a few 260's at the 2-hour mark would be enough for some doctors to diagnose him as diabetic.

You didn't mention, but is your son overweight? If so, he may have Type 2 diabetes. If he's not overweight, he may have T1, but has not yet exhibited the full expression of it (i.e. high fasting bg's, weight loss, etc.) Sometimes T1 can actually develop more slowly than was originally thought. The beta cells do die, but not all at once...it can take months.

At any rate, I'd be cautious around the holidays, but find some way for him to have at least a few of his favorite treats. For example, if he wants a dessert, don't let him have other carbs at that meal, like potatoes, and keep the portions of high-carb foods very small. (half a slice of pie, rather than the usual whole slice).

Hopefully you'll get through the holidays okay and your doctor will figure this out soon.

Ruth

Thank you all for the replies. My son is 8 years old and has cerebral palsy. He is very small for his age (44 inches and 46 pounds) so he is no where near overweight. His diet is very controlled but really isn't designed for a diabetic. It was developed for maximum caloric intake. Today was a really wacky day with his blood sugars. His morning fasting was 156 today (at 7:30 am) but at 10:00 he ws complaining of dizziness and a headache and he was very pale so I checked his BG. It was 75. Half an hour later it was 142. No wonder the little guy feels terrible. His sugars are on a rollercoaster!!!

Gosh, JL, that is a tough situation. Poor kid! Of course, the CP complicates everything, too.

Given the complexity of his situation, it would probably be a good idea to see what the endo thinks after all tests are concluded and you have your follow up appointment. Meanwhile, since he needs to gain weight, make sure that whenever he's having a moderately high carb intake that he's also intaking a good amount of fat. It may not be the best way to go over the long term, but at least it will minimze blood sugar spikes in the short term, as fat slows the absorption of carbohydrates.

Please keep us posted on your situation. You and your son will be in my prayers.

Ruth