[jmmo]

My 6 yr old son was recently diagnosed with Reflux (dealing with the kidney and bladder), he does not have scarring on his kidneys and the reflux is only on one side. They want to test my daughter to see if she has it. I am thinking of having myself tested too. To see if I have it. My question is, could there be a possibility that my mom has it too? In the past two years she has been diagnosed with neuropathy. They keep questioning if she has diabetes and the tests keep coming back no. She did have a lot of UTI over the past 5 years. She has had lupus for 20+ years. Just wondering if I should mention this finding with my son to her doctor to see if there is any connection. When I was pregnant with him, I was always having UTI or Bladder infections. In fact when I was having my lupus being diagnosed (2002), I was having terrible kidney pain and back pain. Didn't think anything about it. Thanks

[J_9]

Wow, there is certainly a lot going on here isn't there? You also seem quite informed.

It is well known that recurring UTIs may have familial ties.

What kind of neuropathy was your mother diagnosed with? If it is renal neuropathy, then there may be a connection, but there are many many different kinds of nerupoathy.

UTIs are very very common among women, as the urethra is quite short in comparison to a man. UTIs in pregnancy are also very common.

I just read an article for school and was doing my homework on UTIs when this post came up (quite a coincidence isn't it?)

UTIs are the most common infections seen in primary care facitities, and usually by women. How old is your son? That is important because boys do tend to get UTIs during the neonatal stage. Which is a the first few months after birth afterwhich they tend to out grow it.

There is no real medical reason to have you, your mother, or daughter tested unless your urologist feels it is necessary. It could only hinder you with insurance companies in the future. The best thing to do would be to treat the infections as they come.

[Fr_Chuck]

First I am sorry for all of the medical issues with your family and I will certainly remember them in my prayers.

With that said, J9 has a lot more medical experience than I have so on that beyond talking to your personal doctor, many things can be passed on, but normally are not, so worry with no good cause does not help anyone.

[linda r]

There is always a possibility that people in the same family can be predisposed to the same or similar medical conditions. If you have a suspicion about something, it is wise to ask your doctor.

50% of people with lupus have lupus kidney disease. However, there are usually no symptoms of it until the disease has progressed significantly. The first indicator would be protein in the urine during a regular urinalysis. One would follow that up with a 24 hour urine screening for protein and creating clearance. If that indicates lupus nephropathy, only a biopsy of the kidney can reveal which kind of lupus nephropathy so that the proper treatment can be started. (I do have lupus kidney disease and involvement with other organs),

There is a wealth of information available at LUPUS the website of the Lupus Foundation of America.

May 1 is World Lupus Day.