My son is 2 and is so thirsty all the time even when is sugar is good. He wakes up every morning wet from head to toe. Is this normal for a child with diabetes.
Kristen,
Have you checked his ketones? If they are normal, I'd give his endocrinologist a call letting them know what's going on.
I have and they are good. We spoke with the Dr. at the last visit and she didn't seem concerned but I feel like this is not normal. He was doing awesome before with the potty and now I change him every hour or so and it is down to his knees. I am just so stressed about it and worried about my little boy. Does it ever get easier?
My daughter is 5 and she had this problem after being diagnosed last year also. She is doing better now but she still has accidents all the time and wears a pull-up to bed because she will wake up soaked if we don't. Her dr doesn't seem worried about it either. We are not sure what is causing it but we just clean her up and try to send her more often.
My son was 6 when he was diagnosed, it has been a year and half now and I sometimes feel that he'll never get over the bed wetting. I change his bed sheets every 2-3 days. My dr. tod me that it is normal for kids with diabetes to wet their beds since their kidneys are constantly dumping sugars regardless of their glucose count which makes them go a lot, even more so if their high. Goodluck to you.
Dear Kristen,
Oh the joys of potty training the same child twice! My son Lucas (now 6) was diagnosed a few days after his 3rd B-day. He had just finished potty training and we even had most nights dry. We had to start all over again! Poor guys, they have to learn a whole new set of body cues on top of feeling that their bodies have turned on them. Be patient, be patient, be patient. He will figure it out again, but he is likely frustrated as well and ready to give up.
As far as the drinking thing - when my son is thirsty still to this day, he is DESPARATE. I think once you experience real thirst, it makes you all the more desparate when you start to have that feeling again. He may just be feeling regular thirst and going nuts because he does not want to have that awful feeling he had before. I always just have to have water available for him.
Take care and give him a hug (and have someone hug you as well)
Christine
Thanks!! I am not even going to worry about it right now because his sugar is all over the place still. Yesterday it was 400 and we also had a 520. We go back to the dr. on the 16th and hopefully get things under controll. I just feel awful when I can't keep his sugar perfect. I feel like I'm not doing my job as his mother. It just is so hard. My emotions are all over the place. I am very angery because it has been 6 months and his sugars are still crazy. At this point I'll take a 200. Thanks again.
Sometimes high blood sugar isn't the thing that triggers his thirst. Maybe he ate something salty. Or maybe he just likes the sensation of drinking. It's easy to think diabetes is the cause for anything odd, but sometimes it's not. It's really hard when your baby's too young to tell you.
As for the potty training issue that came up on this discussion thread...
As parents, we have to remember that "normal" is different for a child with diabetes. Potty training and bed wetting is "normal" for an older child with diabetes. Don't worry your son will eventually outgrow it, and it's unfair to compare him to a child that doesn't have this disease. I'd counsel any parent with a baby to stay instructive, reassuring and patient with the child so he doesn't grow to be anxious about THAT whole situation.