CT scan tmrw - whats it like?

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[Magic919]

It's not like an MRI at least. I seem to remember some whirring and a light came on to tell me to stop breathing every now and then. It was a scan of my chest though.

[Magic919]

The CT scan is just a high def x ray understand. The MRI Is basically a very very strong magnetic field. It's deafening in the tube and nothing like the CT scan. For some kinds of tissue one may be more suitable than the other. Bear in mind I'm just a patient.

[StevenB]

Depends what they are looking for, you may need to have a barium drink in the hour before the scan , sometimes an injection while you are being scanned, nothing to worry about though. Not sure if it's the same now, but you used to go through in stages, each stage, breath in hold your breath. Very easy, nothing to worry about.

[Acehood]

I've had loads of CT scans. They're fine. Last about 10mins at most. You just lie there and the machine tells you when to breathe etc.

They'll either make you drink the contrast liquid (slightly weird tasting squash basically - it's got a dye in it to show all your insides better on the scan) over an hour prior to the scan or they'll inject you with dye. The injection makes you feel hot and you'll think you've wet yourself.

[Driller]

I had an MRI for tinnitus a few years ago. Piece of cake , the most noticeable thing is a sort of (quite loud) knocking noise coming from inside the machine as it goes through its cycle.

They're looking for something called an acoustic neuroma or fibroma IIRC.

[Magic919]

MRI is like being in a tunnel whilst they dig up the road. You'll get ear defenders and it may feel a bit warm. I've had a couple. There's no real physical discomfort other than that.

[IanMorewood]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

CT takes 2 mins, MRI 20+mins, thats the main difference I noticed when I was having scans to isolate a problem in my neck.

[Y282]

if you have tinitus they were probably looking for an acoustic neuroma. if you'd had one it would have been instantly noticeable. they're not fatal but do need an op to remove.

glad you're ok.

[Y282]

acoustic neuroma, aka a schwannoma is a benign tumour. if it was there they'd definitely have noticed it in the pictures.

it's what my dad's just had removed. they're benign.

[Y282]

when they found my dads the CT scan was done, he went straight back into the consultants office and they told him there and then.

perhaps you could ring up and ask them if they have found anything which suggests it's a neuroma specifically. all i know is the one in the pic from my dad's scan was pretty hard to miss. i know sod all about neurosurgery and i could spot it a mile away.