3 Yr Old Girl Always Thirsty

You should have her bloodsugar tested. Sugar problems will cause that. I would definatly tell her pediatrician.

Hi J.,

With the invention of flavored water, I think you can convert her (lol). Try the Fruit 2 0 or some other water with flavor.

S.

Dear J.,

I remember my child Eric was like that when he was little. I never thought about it until a teacher asked me if he was a diabetic. She said she was diagnosed when she was very little and some of the symptoms are being very thirsty all the time and frequent urination (which he did constantly).

Adult Diabetes are hereditary on my mom's side of the family. I, being a first time mother, was mortified thinking that our son may have a medical condition and that I didn't have a clue. So we took him immediately to the doctor.

Thankfully it was just a faze. All the tests came back normal. Hope this info helps a little.

I'll keep you in my prayers,
T. S.

J., my sons are always thirsty. I used to give them juicy or milk. (we drink only organic fluids at my home) One day I mitchen this to their dr. & also talked it over with a group of moms, They all stated the same thing. Besides medical reasoning which they were tested(negitive)I was told that the sugars in the drinks they were given would contribute to their want for something more. I know you said that your daughter will not drink water. I have a water stand in my home with cups on the side. My boys ask for something I say water. After the 3rd or 4th time they don't ask they get water on their own. NOW, it's not even a question they just go to the water. Also notice if she has any muscle aches or over growth in height & body over-all. If so this will drive her into wanting something to drink. It's the way our brains tell our body we are thirsty!

Ok so this is what I think you should do. First of all, make sure she isn't diabetic, cause thirsty is one of the symptoms. If she is medically fine then that is good. What I do with my kids is that I let them have milk, juice, and drinks like that only at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rest of the time in between I only allow them water. It saves alot in money and it keeps them hydrated. Try putting food coloring in water. It gives the kids the idea that it is kool aid or juice. It works too. LOL Anyways, I hope that I have helped a little bit. Please email me back and let me know if it worked for you!!!

T.

Hi J.-

I agree with others- check with your doctor ASAP, but I also know that kids can get into the habit of drinking all the time, especially if it's something tasty like juice or milk. If the doctor clears your daughter of any medical issues, I would just start cutting back on juices/milk. My daughter loves getting her own water from the dispenser in the fridge.

I have a condition called Sjogren's Syndrome, which is a lack of fluids in my body. Because of that, I usually carry something to drink with me all the time. I was convinced that my daughter also needed something to drink all the time. Then I noticed that she was more active playing than interested in drinking.

Good luck!
J.

Talk to your dr for sure..My 3 year old is type 1 diabetic and that was the main thing we noticed with him..He was thirsty ALL the time..The only difference with him is he would have drank the water and anything else he could get his hands on..

excessive thirst is a sympton of being diabetic but if your child was thirsty she would drink the water.... there is no doubt about that,,, you need to stick to your guns water or nothing.... but in the mean time i would see a pediatrician and see what he says about the thirst

J.,
You need to mention this to your Pediatrician immediately. There are some medical issues that cause thirst.
L.

Hi J....my mother is a nurse who specializes in diabetic education. She has also informed me that inquenchable thirst is one of the first signs of a diabetic condition. Check with your pediatrician and check in with some other facts at diabetes.org...it is run by the American Diabetes Association.

Have you talked to the doctor? Extreme thirst is a sign of diabetes, and possibly some other conditions...

Update - WebMD lists 4 possible reasons for drinking excessive fluids for a 3 year old:
dehydration
medication reaction or side-effect
Type 1 diabetes
Diabetic ketoacidosis

As someone who has had gestational diabetes twice, I know how thirsty you get with diabetes. It is your body's natural reaction to having too much sugar - water helps bring your blood sugar down. Hopefully it's none of these, but just wanted to send you the info so you can talk to the doctor. Good luck!

It sounds like you are doing everything right, I would check with her doctor to make sure, but I couldn't see too much water hurting anyone. Good luck!

Call your doc asap.....she may be diabetic. It is one of the signs of juvenile diabetes. Good Luck!

Hi J.,
I would talk to your Dr or pediatrician about your daughter always being thirsty. It can be a sign of a sugar problem.

Blessings,
A.

All of my boys were "Big Drinkers" as everyone would call them. None of them have diabetes, but my 1st and 3rd, especially, were water hogs. I wouldn't/don't give them juice except for lunch and occasionally snack and they only get milk in the mornings. At first they refused the water but then they realized they were too thirsty for nothing and would pitch their little tantrum then drink the water. Now, they all know they only get water and guzzle it down all day long. I have a hard time with my 1st son especially because he'll go somewhere and get a juice pouch or box and that's not nearly enough for him. He could guzzle 4 of those things in 20secs if we'd let him.
If you're worried, you could have her tested for juvenile diabetes, but if that's her only symptom (weight loss, thirst, constant hunger, excessive urination...), then I just wouldn't worry about it. If she's thirsty enough, she'll drink water. Just like, I'd hope, if she's always saying she's hungry but always only wants to eat hot dogs and french fries, you wouldn't give them to her. You'd make her eat her veggies, and if she's hungry enough, she'd eat.

K.
SAHM of 3 boys (6, 5, & 3) and a baby girl

My daughter had very similar symptoms.

She started out being very thirsty ALL the time.  Then she would be sick.

She would seem to get better for a few months then relapse.

After browsing the web for a long time after she became sick again, I noticed a trend regarding Type 1 Diabetes and increased thirst.

I took her to her pediatrician and inquired as to he thought Type 1 could be a possibility and he dismissed my concerns and said she looked like she nay be getting a throat infection (she'd been vomiting!).

One week later she started vomiting and could not stop.  I took her to the ER where they found her blood sugar to be 964 (normal is 80-120 and coma is possible over 600)!  Type 1 was confirmed immediately.

PLEASE if your child is displaying these symptoms INSIST your doctor does a glucose test.  You can also buy a Relion glucose meter and test strips for $25 at Walmart.   No prescription is necessary!

You need only the meter,  strips,  alcohol wipes, and a little finger lancet to draw a small drop of blood.  Remember that 80-120 is a normal sugar (very slightly higher after a meal is normal), anything over 200... go to the doctor!  I wish every day I had known how easily I could have just checked her myself and helped her sooner.

SymptomsBy Mayo Clinic Staff

Type 1 diabetes signs and symptoms can come on quickly and may include:

Increased thirstFrequent urinationBedwetting in children who previously didn't wet the bed during the nightExtreme hungerUnintended weight lossIrritability and other mood changesFatigue and weaknessBlurred visionIn females, a vaginal yeast infection

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Prime-Blood-Glucose-M...

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Prime-Blood-Glucose-T...

I have 3 children and they want to drink all of the time also. When they were smaller i used to dilute their drinks everything except milk, and they still drank it. Me personally, i love soda which is not a good habit, my children want to drink soda because they see me drinking it so what i would do when they were younger was get a sippy cup for toddlers like a 9 oz. Cup and fill it up with water and put a drop of soda in it just enough to change the color but not enough for them to taste it and they thought they were drinking soda and as the got older i got them on water and now they are 6,5, and almost 4 and they love water now because i used to give it to them even wheb they thought it was soda. My step-sistr used to ask for drinks all of the time too when she was a toddler and come to find out she had only 1 good kidney and it caused her to want to drink water all of the time but since she was a toddler she didn't want to drink water at all. When her mom finally got her to drinking water she loved it because she seemed to notice how it made her feel better. Then her mom had her checked out at the doctor and found out that she was born with a bad kidney and that is why she always wante more to drink than the average kid her age.

I have a 2 yr old that was the same way, so I bought him some of the little bottles of water (I think they were Ozarka) at Crest that the lids didn't come off and he would drink those. Now he gets iced water in a sippy cup. I haven't had money to buy bottled water lately. My son would love to just drink milk all day!

Excessive thirst is a symptom of diabetes. It would be worth a visit to the doctor, so they can rule it out.

Blessings,
D.

i agree with angela my mom and dad are diabetic so im watching my daughter for any signs of it and i check my self. i hope its not but its always good to check in with your pedtrician..good luck

Is anyone in your family diabetic? Have you had your child tested for this?

Hi J.!
If the doctor checks your little girl and turns out she is fine ( I sure hope so!!). Keep offering her water! Many people have so many health problems because they do not drink water that motivating children and adults to drink more water is a challenge!
I suffered from constipation when young and by changing my diet and adding water on daily basis I was able to be normal again! It is sad to see that people drink sodas, coffee, artificial drinks/juice but avoid drinking water. Sometimes we fool ourselves drinking diet sodas that do not help our bodies at all!
So keep offering water, summer is around the corner and we all will need to satisfy our thirst!