alkaline phosphates and ketones

[micah jon]

My son has been ill for 2 months.  Waking up with headaches, not eating much at all, stomach aching, feeling cold in his leg bones, and not being able to do much activity without having to lay down.  He lost 3 pounds in two weeks.  He is not overweight. We took him to the doctor and have not gotten many straight answers.  The doctor found that he had ketones in his urine and that his alkaline phosphates were the level that it should be for an adult.  We saw a ped. and he did not seem concerned about the alkaline phosphates.  Which we were told deals with bone turnover.  The ketones in his urine are supposedly because he is in a technical term "starving".  His body is eating his fat. I have checked his blood sugar a couple of times when he woke up with a headache, it was 62, 67. (tester is for myself being borderline hypoglycemic)  Hypoglycemia, Migraines, and a nervous condition are the things that were suggested.  What are things that we could or should be doing or looking for? Should we be forcing him to eat when he has a stomach or headache?

[JDRF-VOL-RL]

Hello.  I'm not a medical professional, just the parent of a kid with diabetes.  Ketones in a person with diabetes are an enormous concern, and I can't imagine them being any less of a concern in a child.  The ketones are what is causing many of the symptoms you are seeing.  Ketones are produced by your body when it's not getting the carbs it needs.  From what I can find, treat the lows you see with him as an immediate fix, and as a long term fix change his diet.

Here's a couple links with information:

http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0n_020.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketotic_hypoglycemia
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ketotic-hypoglycemia/AN00302

Everything refers to ensuring that the child doesn't skip meals, as well as eats frequently.  A good, well-balanced diet is essential to handle it.  So yes, get him to eat more, and ensure he gets healthy foods with carbs in them.  Good luck.