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Doctor thinks my son has diabetes

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Stacey26

Newbie
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Hi, not sure if anyone can help me but any information would be greatly appreciated. I took my son to his hospital appointment for an entirely separate reason but whilst we was there the doctor noticed he had dark 0atches on the back of his neck and also his armpits which she said were
acanthosis nigricans
said she thinks he's got diabetes and it will be controlled by diet and medication (not insulin) so we're waiting for him to have his fasting bloods done then gotta wait for the results so my question is does having acanthosis nigricans always mean diabetes? Sorry if this isn't the place to post just quite worried
 
How old is your son?
Without checking for blood glucose, the doctor saying he thinks it's diabetes and even knowing it will be controlled by diet seems very preliminary.
 
Stacey26 said:
said she thinks he's got diabetes
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My googling suggests that the condition is often associated with insulin resistance and hence T2 diabetes, so this may be why the doctor is doing the tests to check for T2 diabetes. She won't know for sure till the tests are done, but there may be additional reasons (eg weight or sugar in urine) which are also red flags for the condition.

Your doctor has seen your son so is in a much better position to judge than those of us posting on this forum, but "thinks" sounds to me like a preliminary guess not a definite diagnosis.

Is the doctor an endocrinologist?

I am sure you are worried and scared and I hope your son doesn't have diabetes but if he does it is treatable. Lots of virtual hugs.
 
The dark patches in certain areas are indicators of high insulin levels which can lead to diabetes. Other clues might be being overweight and having a family history. Its also a condition that happens more to those from a South East Asian and Afro Caribbean background.
If this turns out to be the case then in some ways the doctor has done you a favour by spotting the condition early and there is loads you can do to help him mainly with diet because the meds will only ever manage the symptoms rather than sorting out the root cause.
When you get an appointment I'd be asking about his long term blood sugar (hba1c) as well as fasting ones. It may be useful to know his insulin levels too (high levels indicate insulin resistance). the latter test is called c peptide. Often high blood insulin come before a type 2 diagnosis.
 
Antje77 said:
How old is your son?
Without checking for blood glucose, the doctor saying he thinks it's diabetes and even knowing it will be controlled by diet seems very preliminary.
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He'll be 9 next month. This is why I thought maybe the dark patches on his skin were a telltale sign of diabetes?
 
Stacey26 said:
He'll be 9 next month. This is why I thought maybe the dark patches on his skin were a telltale sign of diabetes?
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Hello Stacey, t2 for a child of this age is incredibly rare, t1 diabetes is more common in children, it's vital to look out for signs of diabetic ketoacdiosis, including losing weight, thirst, peeing, fatigue, if any of these signs are presenting then an urgent trip to your local A&E is vital as this is a life threatening condition and they need to be seen quickly.
 
Hi welcome. Let us know when you get the test results.
 
It is rare but becoming more common place sadly and it sounds as if the OP's son wasn't acutely ill but the doctor was on the ball and did spot a known sign of insulin resistance though as always he/she might not have done a great job communicating that to the mum!
 

Yes I agree. I had those brown marks under my arms and on my neck for very many years before I was diagnosed T2. I was still slim then too, it was the insulin resistance in the next 25+ years that caused me to become obese. If only I had known then what I know now...
 

Thanks I said this for balance as it’s vital in children to be aware of DKA and the symptoms, many kids are desperately ill when diagnosed and it helps for parents to be vigilant in case they need urgent treatment.
 
He had the bloods done yesterday in the hospital and got told they'll take a week for the results my son hasn't been ill at all and as far as I'm aware no other symptoms. The consultant said he's slightly overweight nothing major and that his weight had nothing to do with potentially having diabetes. The doctor was purely concerned about the dark areas.
 
Stacey26 said:
He had the bloods done yesterday in the hospital and got told they'll take a week for the results my son hasn't been ill at all and as far as I'm aware no other symptoms.
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Did they not do a simple finger prick test as well?

Stacey26 said:
The consultant said he's slightly overweight nothing major and that his weight had nothing to do with potentially having diabetes. The doctor was purely concerned about the dark areas.
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Normally diabetes in children (especially that young) is Type 1, which has absolutely nothing to do with weight - its an immune system disease
 
Rokaab said:
Did they not do a simple finger prick test as well?


Normally diabetes in children (especially that young) is Type 1, which has absolutely nothing to do with weight - its an immune system disease
Click to expand...
No finger prick test, he had fasting bloods and HbA1c.
 
But potential insulin resistance may cause weight gain later. It could be that it is the insulin resistance that has caused your son to become slightly overweight. I am so glad they are checking this out at such an early stage. Let us know how you get on.
 
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