I am worried that I may have diabetes.

A few times before I have had the classic symptoms of increased hunger,thurst,and urination...They all went away by themselves though...

Now,the increased thirst and urination are back.

My parents seem to think that it is nothing,probably since it was seemingly nothing before.I doubt that they will take me to the doctor for this.

What should I do?

If it matters:

I am 1* years old,female,weigh 113lbs,and African American.There is no way to know if my family has a history with diabetes since I was adopted,and so was my biological mother.

Thanks.

Patience this could be other things ,the kind of diet and what type of drinks you drink and how active you are.

I am usually very active - Ballet twice a week,HipHop once a week,plus whatever else I do at home.

Usually I do not drink much of anything at all.About 2 glasses of orange juice,and a bottle of flavored Aquafina or a can of Snapple.

In terms of what I eat;I do not eat breakfast,then for lunch I have a sandwhich,and one side i.e. soup,salad...Afterschool I eat a snack which varies but can be anything from ice cream to pizza,and for dinner we generally eat some sort of chicken and a side.

I would tend to think it's nothing also, since you've had this before. It could be your activity level is making you more hungry and thirsty and therefore, you are going to the bathroom more. But watch for some other signs and if you see those then maybe it's time to get checked again.

Some other things to watch for are besides what you already have are:

Weight loss
blurry vision
tingling hands and feet
irritability (other than what's normal)
dry, itchy skin (caused by dehydration)
Stomach cramps (also from dehydration)

If you start to see some more symptoms then it's probably time to get checked again. But it does sound like you're pretty active and everyone goes through times when they feel like they can't get enough to eat so maybe it's just that. Keep a close watch on it though.

I would say that if you're concerned, then ask your mom or dad to set up an appointment with your doctor. Tell him/her your concerns and ask that a Hemoglobin A1c test be performed. (You need to be fasting for this, so set the appt. early in the morning and don't eat anything after midnight the night before.) This will allow the doctor to have blood drawn that day, and results come back in a few days. They can also check your fasting blood sugar level at the time of the appointment.

Once your HbA1c number is known, your MD can tell you how things are.

Good luck!!

wb

It is only minor detail, but the A1c is not a fasting blood test. All the other blood tests related to diabetes are. They have you fast because A1c is not the only test they usually want to do. Like I said, very minor point in the overall picture.

I think I will wait and see as Linda said.

Is dizziness ever a symptom?

I was wondering because I was dizzy at points on Tue,Wed,and Thurs.

Anyone?...Please help!

I usually only get dizzy if I have a very low blood sugar. If you are worried but don't want to go to the doctors yet, I know that your local drugstore (like Walgreens, CVS etc.) have inexpensive blood glucose testing machines. They usually come with a thing of strips and lancelets and all. You could try monitoring your blood sugars 3-4 times a day, like before you eat or after, or maybe before or after you work out...keep a log and if you see a consistent amount of highs, consider going to a doctor. I was told that a normal persons BG is anywhere from 70 to a 100. So if you see yourself having above 100 frequently, talk to your doctor. This is just my two cents. Hope it helped.

I was considering that - That seems like a good idea...I just wasn't sure because test strips are generally really expensive,and I didn't know they come with some.

Yeah, if there is a Walgreens in your neck of the woods, you can buy their generic Walgreens brand. I hope you feel better regardless.

I do not have a Walgreens...I have a Rite Aid and CVS though.

Yeah, I'm sure they have their versions too. Just ask around. :)

I forgot to say:

On Wed. when I felt dizzy,I felt much better after eating some pretzels...So I was probably low.

And also - My whole life I have been prone to lows...

I noticed that at RiteAid if you buy AccuCheck (Aviva) 100ct,(Compact) 102ct,(Advantage) 100ct,or (Active) 50 ct. you get a free meter with them.

Is that better than getting a RiteAid brand meter since AccuCheck is a known good brand,and the RiteAid strips would probably be just as expensive.

Also,out of those meters which would you recommend most?

Opinions? - I would like to know ASAP.

If you've got the money for it, go for the non-generic brand. I think overall I would just say to go to the doctors and get tested.

Question : How is hypoglycemia diagnosed?

...I remember when I was younger my parents said I was prone to it.

* The other day I went to the nurse with a headache and she asked if I had eaten anything (since I am skinny,and I think she thought I may be anorexic) because not eating can cause low blood sugar,and I told her yes (because I had eaten,and I am not anorexic)...But I *was* hungry...I had eaten about an hour and a half before that a rather small lunch (half of it ended up being nasty,so I didn't eat in...cafeteria food).