CAT scan with the dye
Discussion
Hi all,
Well the Toads been a bit of silly boy and now might well be paying the penalty.
I've had an ache in my lower right abdomen for about the last year. Haven't paid that much attention to it to be honest but very occasionally it has flared up into an actual pain coupled with constipation and bloating, which then goes away quite quickly. I mentioned to the doc about 6 months ago and we did the pooh test which was totally negative but now he has recommended me to a specialist so I have just had full bloods this week and on Monday they are going to put me through the doughnut.
With this they are going to inject the dye and there seems to be varying reports as to how you feel after this so I was just wondering if anyone else on here has any experience particularly when it comes to driving yourself home? The Toad has a very small social circle at the moment so getting a lift to and from the hospital might be a bit tricky. Thought I could do it on my own, not too sure about it now.
Thanks in advance.
Well the Toads been a bit of silly boy and now might well be paying the penalty.
I've had an ache in my lower right abdomen for about the last year. Haven't paid that much attention to it to be honest but very occasionally it has flared up into an actual pain coupled with constipation and bloating, which then goes away quite quickly. I mentioned to the doc about 6 months ago and we did the pooh test which was totally negative but now he has recommended me to a specialist so I have just had full bloods this week and on Monday they are going to put me through the doughnut.
With this they are going to inject the dye and there seems to be varying reports as to how you feel after this so I was just wondering if anyone else on here has any experience particularly when it comes to driving yourself home? The Toad has a very small social circle at the moment so getting a lift to and from the hospital might be a bit tricky. Thought I could do it on my own, not too sure about it now.
Thanks in advance.
The Hypno-Toad said:
Hi all,
Well the Toads been a bit of silly boy and now might well be paying the penalty.
I've had an ache in my lower right abdomen for about the last year. Haven't paid that much attention to it to be honest but very occasionally it has flared up into an actual pain coupled with constipation and bloating, which then goes away quite quickly. I mentioned to the doc about 6 months ago and we did the pooh test which was totally negative but now he has recommended me to a specialist so I have just had full bloods this week and on Monday they are going to put me through the doughnut.
With this they are going to inject the dye and there seems to be varying reports as to how you feel after this so I was just wondering if anyone else on here has any experience particularly when it comes to driving yourself home? The Toad has a very small social circle at the moment so getting a lift to and from the hospital might be a bit tricky. Thought I could do it on my own, not too sure about it now.
Thanks in advance.
Had the same thing done 2 months ago, dye does in, you feel a warm sensation in the gentleman area for a minute then it goes away..job done-easy peasy!Well the Toads been a bit of silly boy and now might well be paying the penalty.
I've had an ache in my lower right abdomen for about the last year. Haven't paid that much attention to it to be honest but very occasionally it has flared up into an actual pain coupled with constipation and bloating, which then goes away quite quickly. I mentioned to the doc about 6 months ago and we did the pooh test which was totally negative but now he has recommended me to a specialist so I have just had full bloods this week and on Monday they are going to put me through the doughnut.
With this they are going to inject the dye and there seems to be varying reports as to how you feel after this so I was just wondering if anyone else on here has any experience particularly when it comes to driving yourself home? The Toad has a very small social circle at the moment so getting a lift to and from the hospital might be a bit tricky. Thought I could do it on my own, not too sure about it now.
Thanks in advance.
The Hypno-Toad said:
Thank you everyone for your comments already.
Good luck CAPP0!
Thanks!Good luck CAPP0!
Back now, all done. To my surprise, they didn't gown me and they didn't dye me - just laid down in my own clothes and they racked me in. Noticed the belt on my jeans at the last minute - "oh you'll need to take that off, the magnets will lift you otherwise"
I think a CAT scan is quicker than an MRI? Mine took 20-25 mins. I don't like being confined and unable to get out, mild claustrophobia I guess, so I popped a small Valium beforehand. Not sure whether it helped or not but I felt pretty spaced out after so I won't be doing that again.
Otherwise painless, apart from being very noisy, but I've had MRIs before so I knew that.
CAPP0 said:
The Hypno-Toad said:
Thank you everyone for your comments already.
Good luck CAPP0!
Thanks!Good luck CAPP0!
Back now, all done. To my surprise, they didn't gown me and they didn't dye me - just laid down in my own clothes and they racked me in. Noticed the belt on my jeans at the last minute - "oh you'll need to take that off, the magnets will lift you otherwise"
I think a CAT scan is quicker than an MRI? Mine took 20-25 mins. I don't like being confined and unable to get out, mild claustrophobia I guess, so I popped a small Valium beforehand. Not sure whether it helped or not but I felt pretty spaced out after so I won't be doing that again.
Otherwise painless, apart from being very noisy, but I've had MRIs before so I knew that.
MRI uses magnets.
CT uses radiation.
MRI scan takes a lot longer than CT.
JapanRed said:
They told you the magents will get your belt in a CAT scan? There are no magnets in a CAT scan.
MRI uses magnets.
CT uses radiation.
MRI scan takes a lot longer than CT.
Mine was MRI today, I mentioned it earlier in the thread. Original comment was for comparison on the dye aspect as I was told to expect it but they didn't in the end.MRI uses magnets.
CT uses radiation.
MRI scan takes a lot longer than CT.
It's a different contrast dye for MRI and CT anyway. It's the CT one that makes you feel a bit like you're going to pee. It's usually an Iodine based dye. A few people can had odd reactions to this which is why you're made to sit around for a while after the CT before they'll let you go home.
For MRI they use Gadolinium, reactions to this stuff are very rare by all accounts. I didn't know this when I had my MRI so was a little surprised when they just sent me on my way straight after. Only issue with this stuff it that your body can retain a bit of it, sometimes in the brain, and the long term effects aren't really fully known yet but the consensus is that there's unlikely to be any problem.
I've had CT with contrast, without contrast, and an MRI with contrast. The cardiac MRI I had is apparently one of the longer ones and did seem to take an eternity along with lots of "breath in", "hold", "breath normally" being barked at me through the headset. Lucky I'm not claustrophobic.
For MRI they use Gadolinium, reactions to this stuff are very rare by all accounts. I didn't know this when I had my MRI so was a little surprised when they just sent me on my way straight after. Only issue with this stuff it that your body can retain a bit of it, sometimes in the brain, and the long term effects aren't really fully known yet but the consensus is that there's unlikely to be any problem.
I've had CT with contrast, without contrast, and an MRI with contrast. The cardiac MRI I had is apparently one of the longer ones and did seem to take an eternity along with lots of "breath in", "hold", "breath normally" being barked at me through the headset. Lucky I'm not claustrophobic.
I've had a number of CT scans with the contrast dye and never felt anything more than mild warmth/discomfort during the actual administering of the dye, it goes by the time you're finished the scan tbh. However last time I had it I sneezed going into the scanner, thought nothing of it until two medical staff with panicked looks asked me if that had ever happened before?
They got me off the bed and sat me down, by which point I felt a very faint tightness in my airways, nothing more, and it only lasted a few mins, but apparently I may now have developed an intolerance to the dye so they won't use it for any future scans lest they send me into anaphylactic shock
They got me off the bed and sat me down, by which point I felt a very faint tightness in my airways, nothing more, and it only lasted a few mins, but apparently I may now have developed an intolerance to the dye so they won't use it for any future scans lest they send me into anaphylactic shock
I had a CT scan with trace a couple of weeks ago.
Started out with something of a hot flush, then rapidly moved on to explosive vomiting! Only water, as I'd specifically been told to drink water beforehand but not eat, so not too bad, but still had the doctor and radiologist asking each other if they'd ever seen this sort of reaction before. The radiologist said it was a first for her in 15 years of administering CT scans.
I was fine pretty much straight after I'd finished puking, and had absolutely no problem driving home afterwards. I can't see that you'd have any problem.
Started out with something of a hot flush, then rapidly moved on to explosive vomiting! Only water, as I'd specifically been told to drink water beforehand but not eat, so not too bad, but still had the doctor and radiologist asking each other if they'd ever seen this sort of reaction before. The radiologist said it was a first for her in 15 years of administering CT scans.
I was fine pretty much straight after I'd finished puking, and had absolutely no problem driving home afterwards. I can't see that you'd have any problem.
CAPP0 said:
I've got a brain MRI booked this morning, apparently I'll be dyed too, I'll let you know!
I have had numerous brain scans with the dye (previous tumour, removed with surgery, but I still get annual scans with the dye) - absolutely no side effects and go home feeling normal.Best of luck for your scan (or rather, the results!).
CT scan is very different though. When I was in hospital I had a CT scan with the dye and it was generally a more unpleasant experience. I remember feeling extremely hot for a short period of time, and then I was fine afterwards. I couldn't say for sure (I had not long since had surgery, and was a bit of a wreck, to say the least) but if I were to hazard a guess it was probably less than 5 minutes.
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