Could my son have a more serious problem?
My son is 18. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 13. He controls his diabetes with a diabetic pump. The past few weeks he has complained about loss of appetite, has lost weight. He is 6'0 and generally stayed around the 150 pounds weight. He has now lost down to 140, no appetite (which he use to eat me out of house and home) he also has been having bad muscle spasms in the calfs of his legs. The symptoms he is having is making me wonder if it could be cancer. I have scheduled him a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, but have been researching possibilities to be able to ask the doctor questions. Any information or opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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You didn't mention the most obvious, #1 factor to consider -his blood sugar levels...are they high? What about his A1c, which gives a more general, longer term glucose reading? If it's been high, ten that would explain the tiredness (glucose not being metabolized for use as energy), whcih causes weight loss (b/c then the body uses stored fats and proteins? as energy,which still mkes you tired) muscle cramps/weakness (dehydration and electrolyte imbalance).
What type of Doc is he seeing about these symptoms?
Because, if it is indeed high blood sugars, then his endocrinologist (or whoever cares for his diabetes) should be the one to visit. Although, a general physical exam is always a good idea.
Hope he feels better -I have the same problem, struggling with type 1 for over 20 years (I'm 30 now) and have had a lot of problems, though not life-threatening YET, but they certainly affect my quality of life.. .Ugh!
how often is he testing his blood sugar? it sounds to me like his blood sugars have been running high for quite some time. if blood sugar stays high it can cause leg cramping pretty bad. good thing you are going to the doctor. bring a record of what his blood sugars have been running.
Source(s):
type 1 diabetic 9+ years
He probably needs to have his insulin adjusted. Do you have a specialist yet that you trust and can go to? If you don't, I hope you have a GP you can work with. You need to have his insulin re-evaluated - chances are that is his problem.
BUT he should have a thorough physical every year, and have his meds checked out too, to make sure it is all working out properly. Do you know about keeping an eye on bruises and scratches, especially to the extremeties (hands, feet, legs, arms). Does your son check his blood daily?
Please take him to the doctor and put those ideas about cancer right out of your head! And please, don't scare him - he probably already feels hinky enough! It sounds to me like your doctor did not do a good job of educating you, the s.o.b. Please go to cdc.org and diabetes.org and read up. Diabetes.org has a blog, if I'm not mistaken, not that that should substitute for the advice of a doctor
if it continues dont mess around with just a regular appointment GO TO THE EMERGENICY ROOM ASAP hope this answer helps
Good chance he's a bit acidotic.
What are his numbers like? Does he test often? Before you panic, rule that out because his symptoms sound like high blood sugars too.
There is a possibility that he could have a digestive disorder. The leg spasms could be due to a lack of potassium if he is not eating it or absorbing it.
I am glad you are going to the doc tomorrow. Try and write down all of his symptoms, when they are better and when they are worse. If it is a GP, go through his BG meter and use the memory to write down the numbers, to make the doc see it isn't due to highs (if it isn't, if it is, you need to have a long talk with your son). Docs seem to respond to patients better if they have facts written down. Otherwise I feel they tend to think you are just being paranoid.
Good luck and I hope for the best.
