Son 16 having tests but what questions do I ask?

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

Hi,

My son, 16yrs, has been having dizzy spells, balance issues when walking, bouts of depression, headaches, difficulty urinating and sporadic hearing loss starting in one ear and now in both for over a year now.

At first I thought he might have kidney problems (some family history with that) or Labyrinthitis but he has been seen by GP and ENT who ordered the usual blood tests, hearing test, kidney and bladder ultrasound and an MRI. All, so far, coming back as nothing out of the ordinary.

His dad (not in the picture) and my paternal grandmother were both diagnosed with MS. His dad in his late teens/early twenties and my grandmother when she was in her 60s (passed away at 68 in 1986). I’ve no idea if MS is hereditary or not.

Anyway, we are currently waiting for an appointment to see a neurologist and no one has mentioned ANY possible conditions at any point (I think mostly so my son doesn’t go googling and fretting). I’m not even sure if the GP added the MS family history to my son’s notes when I asked but the possibility of a MS diagnosis is constantly in the back of my mind.

What I’d like to know is what questions should I be asking either the GP or the neurologist (when we finally get an appointment)? Should i be requesting specific tests to rule out MS?

Thanks in advance.

2

If he’s had an MRI and it’s come back clear (or inconclusive), the only cross-check is to get a lumbar puncture done.

Chances of general population contracting MS is 1:450. If a parent has it, that makes it 1:80 for male. If your grandmother had it but it has skipped a couple of generations, that gets disregarded.

If they’ve taken bloods, they can advise if he’s low in any substances. In particular, get him taking some vitamin D.

3

Thanks for replying. The MRI was requested by ENT because of his hearing loss and tinnitus even though hearing test was normal, so not sure if a neurologist would ask for another to be done but I’ll ask about a possible lumbar puncture.