Hi , I just wanted to thank all of you for your support through the weekend. I took my son to the hospital today and he recieved a two hour glucose test. He fasted the night before . The results were 16 I guess that is 288. He was checked an hour before the test was performed and it was 4.6. He has not seen the doctor since the test was done due to the lab being an hour away. So he still has not been diagnosed. Is this the only test available.? Does this usually mean insulin.? He still is not feeling well at all , getting hot flashes and humming in ears. Is this a normal reaction to high blood sugar.? I know everyone is different so I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this.? It is very frustrating living in a very small town with nearly no resources. I appreciate any advice thank you .

So sorry to hear that this has become such an ordeal. Most children, if they are diabetic, are type 1. Their blood sugars continue to rise until they are in either a health crisis or a test comes back very high. With your sons blood sugar resuming to normal before the test, it would seem that his diagnosis would be impaired glucose tolerance or prediabetic. His body does seem to get things back into control but most people's blood sugar never rises that high. His symptoms are very normal for the range that he is going into.

I believe most prediabetics are given medication and diet alterations so the blood sugars stay normal. That would be totally dependant on his healthcare team. I would recommend that he see an Endocrinologist and a Registered Dietician. Both will help your family when it comes to treatment.

Some Drs will only look at the final result of the test. In that case, he would be considered diabetic and would probably be prescribed insulin due to the blood sugar range and the fact that he is a child. Have they done an A1c test on him? That will tell the blood sugar over the last 3 months. All of that being said, I would not let them race to label his type until more testing has been done

I wish you the best and hope that they get this under control soon.

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Mindy
Take your self esteem and own it, lest you spend your entire life searching for it in other people

Sharebear,

The test results show the importance of have an OGTT done as well as the fasting test. If your son had only had the fasting test, then he would be totally missed as having diabetes. A 4.6 is excellent and something most diabetics would die to have in the morning. However, the 16 after the OGTT is full diabetes. This is not even close to pre-diabetes (less than 11).

Given the reading and your son's age, a few years ago this would be diagnosed as Type 1 without any further testing. If your son is very overweight there is some chance he is Type 2 and not Type 1. The difference is that in Type 1 there is an autoimmune reaction in the body which destroys the beta cells which make insulin. There is no know cure for this. In Type 2 the main problem is not lack of insulin but actually resistance to the insulin that is there. Again unless your son is quite overweight the chance of Type 2 is very low.

There are some additional tests to confirm this, but they may not be offered in Canada. By the way, where are you in Canada. I'm in Edmonton, Alberta.

These other tests are called the C-Peptide test which is an indirect way of measureing insulin. Or there is another test which directly measures insulin level. A Type 1 will have high BG and low insulin. A Type 2 typically has high BG and high insulin. There is another test called a GAD antibody test. It is a measure of antibodies which are produced by the autoimmune disorder. However, you may find none of these are available. Call your lab and ask, so you can be prepared to talk to your doctor. They may in Canada be research only tests.

Type 1 can only be treated with insulin. There is no other choice.

While this may not be good news, it is probably the best way to find out. Many end up in hospital in really bad condition before you find out what it is. Type 1 is not preventable and just happens. There is nobody to blame. It is something that is not nice, but once you get past the "why us" part, the secret is to learn all you can about it and treat it the best you can.

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Ron

Type 2, diagnosed Feb 01, Prandin (GlucoNorm), Diet & Exercise

[This message has been edited by Ron AKA (edited 10-28-2003).]

[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 10-28-2003).]

I would be inclined to agree with you Ron, had I not gone to pump class with a child who went through the same thing. We were taught that it does happen and patients are diagnosed as prediabetic with dangerously high blood sugars. The child was finally diagnosed as type 1 and was prescribed a pump hence the reason he was in the same class. Just wanted to let you know that some Dr's are not quick to climb on the diabetes band wagon and will try to jump to a lesser diagnosis

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Mindy
Take your self esteem and own it, lest you spend your entire life searching for it in other people