CT Scans.

[themalteser]

Hello everyone again. So I had my first appointment in Holland last week, and the doctor performed an ECG, blood pressure and and echo. It seems that my aorta is on the 47mm range, so my cardiologist has now ordered a CT scan with contrast to check it all out, and then decide the treatment plan.

My question is, I had many CT scans before. On my stomach, twice on my chest, also I had a few X-Rays when I was young. I am particularly concerned about the amount of radiation I have been exposed to, and the amount of radiation I will be going though again!

Has anyone had many CT scans before? Do you think I should ask my doctor for an MRI instead ?

Many thanks,
Brian

 

[pellicle]

Hi

ok, disclosure, my best mate (who I went through Uni with) did his masters in radiation physics (so he has a job, while I did mine in Biochem so I had to get a job elsewhere), specifically Medical Radiation Imaging. He works in training operators and certifying machines. His blood pressure goes up when a member of the public asks this question.

Basically the short answer is NO, its not a problem.

https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/inf...pg=safety-xray
skip down to the table ...

then:
http://www.kantrowitz.com/cancerpoin...nexposure.html

[COLOR=336699]Exposure Levels from Diagnostic Imaging[/COLOR]


During a chest x-ray, the patient is exposed to 20 to 40 millirems of radiation. This is similar to the amount of radiation exposure that occurs in a coast-to-coast airplane flight.
...
here is a common myth that a CT scan is 100 times the exposure of an x-ray. This myth is based on the faulty assumption that one slice of a CT scan is the equivalent of a chest x-ray, and counts the number of slices. The actual density of radiation exposure is much lower than that.

Modern high resolution CT scanners are also more efficient, limiting the total exposure of the patient. They use more sensors with noise-filtering software and dynamic current control to achieve higher resolution at a lower dose. New x-ray tubes and shaped filters also limit scatter radiation.

Myself I've had heaps of them and don't have two heads yet (or lung cancer, or any cancer for that matter). In fact I've flown long haul (like Australia to Finland, which is MUCH further than merely across the USA) more times than I care to count ...

Are you pregnant? That's important as it can have an effect rapid growing cells as found in an embryo.

Seriously if it was dangerous it wouldn't be available ... there are enough nuclear fearing folks out there to ensure that.

 

[themalteser]

Hi

ok, disclosure, my best mate (who I went through Uni with) did his masters in radiation physics (so he has a job, while I did mine in Biochem so I had to get a job elsewhere), specifically Medical Radiation Imaging. He works in training operators and certifying machines. His blood pressure goes up when a member of the public asks this question.

Basically the short answer is NO, its not a problem.

https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/inf...pg=safety-xray
skip down to the table ...

then:
http://www.kantrowitz.com/cancerpoin...nexposure.html


Myself I've had heaps of them and don't have two heads yet (or lung cancer, or any cancer for that matter). In fact I've flown long haul (like Australia to Finland, which is MUCH further than merely across the USA) more times than I care to count ...

Are you pregnant? That's important as it can have an effect rapid growing cells as found in an embryo.

Seriously if it was dangerous it wouldn't be available ... there are enough nuclear fearing folks out there to ensure that.

Pellicle, as always, very informative, factual, and knows how to clear my anxieties/concerns. Thank you, so much for this information. I simply did not think about it like how it is described above, in that being on an airplane flight will expose you to the same amount of radiation, as in a CT Scan. I will be going to my scan on Tuesday.

P.S. I am not pregnant I just have a food baby as my wife calls my one pack tummy!

Thank you, once again for this information.

 

[pellicle]

Pellicle, as always, very informative, factual, and knows how to clear my anxieties/concerns.

well I'm glad it was helpful ... being (at heart) an engineer I have a bedside manner rather like a typical engineer ... but with conversation over a beer it all goes better...

P.S. I am not pregnant I just have a food baby as my wife calls my one pack tummy!

that's a shame ... consider how much money you could make selling your story to the press ...

but would it be worth the pain?
:Face-Uncertain:

On the subject of pain I'm now forced to undertake an analysis of if beer is not causing my joint pain. Some smart bastard suggested perhaps its not arthritis but a mild gout (which has a similar presentation).

So now I have to answer this with the simplest cheapest but most punishing solution (or lack there of) ... giving up beer (and indeed all alcohol for a month.

I'm not sure which outcome would be the most tolerable ... clearing my foot of pain when skiing or giving up booze?
:Face-Crying:

Best Wishes

 

[themalteser]

pellicle My question to you is, if it is beer, would you really give it up ? Maybe you can drink cider instead ?

 

[pellicle]

pellicle My question to you is, if it is beer, would you really give it up ?

its a tough call ... I'll probably experiment on myself to see what I can tolerate ... but lets not get ahead of ourselves with consideration of such extreme action before all the facts are on the table ...

Maybe you can drink cider instead ?

come on ... cider?

Red Wine is my #1 pref, then Beer, then Cognac, then Whiskey, then Champagne ...

 

[Agian]

Why don't you give Metho a go. They reckon it's tolerable when mixed with orange juice.

 

[themalteser]

come on ... cider?

Red Wine is my #1 pref, then Beer, then Cognac, then Whiskey, then Champagne ...

Hey, I lived in Somerset England, the home of cider, for the last 15 years of my life...

http://www.sheppyscider.com

but I also prefer red wine. I just placed a nice order of red wine, Pauillac by Lynch Bages, Navarra, Tarantino from Puglia... I am sure you will find something you can tolerate! If, it is really the beer causing your pain...

 

[pellicle]

Why don't you give Metho a go. They reckon it's tolerable when mixed with orange juice.

well one of my uni mates did pharmacy. They used to keep lime cordial under the counter to give a bit to the wino's who came in late for a bottle of metho. Back when Brisbane didn't have many 24 hour shops. Since a common brand at the time was "My Favourite" (with a horses head) they used to gag in the shop that it was a "My Favourite Martian"

anyway, I'm not sure its much different to some of the Vodka I've bought ...

 

[pellicle]

Hey, I lived in Somerset England, the home of cider, for the last 15 years of my life...

its cool .. I'm just being silly ... but generally I don't drink sweet stuff ... even wines (the occasional dessert wine, but rarely)

 

[themalteser]

its cool .. I'm just being silly ... but generally I don't drink sweet stuff ... even wines (the occasional dessert wine, but rarely)

I don't like Cider either... Its as you said, too sweet. I agree with you.

For my CT Scan with contrast tomorrow, it said that I cannot take my beta blocker. Is that normal? Is there anything else I need to do, for example, can I eat breakfast?

 

[pellicle]

For my CT Scan with contrast tomorrow, it said that I cannot take my beta blocker. Is that normal? Is there anything else I need to do, for example, can I eat breakfast?

that's something I don't know for sure, but I don't recall having to be "nill by mouth"

but I'd check with them ... no matter what you were told before.

 

[epstns]

@malteser - I doubt that delaying one dose of the beta blocker will be a problem. Just take it as soon as the scan is finished. All meds have some sort of "half-life" which is the period of time it takes for one half of the medication to be completely metabolized. I sincerely doubt that the half-life of your beta blocker is so short as to pose a real problem with one late (or even missed) dose. Heck, in some old threads on this site, members discussed holding their beta blocker doses in order to be more competitive in morning running events. AFAIK, none of them died from it.

pellicle - If conversation goes so much better with a wee dram of the good stuff, you must let me know if you ever make it to the Chicago area. We could test that hypothesis!

 

[pellicle]

pellicle - If conversation goes so much better with a wee dram of the good stuff, you must let me know if you ever make it to the Chicago area. We could test that hypothesis!

done ... of course you realise we'll need to conduct this research properly ... I wonder how we'll do the double blind bit?

we may just have to see if independent adjudication supports we laugh more when we've had a few ;-)

 

[Paleowoman]

For my CT Scan with contrast tomorrow, it said that I cannot take my beta blocker. Is that normal? Is there anything else I need to do, for example, can I eat breakfast?

Often with CT scans of the heart they give you a short acting intravenous beta blocker to slow the heart down if it's going too fast - they like the heart to be going below 70 if I remember right as the images blur when it's going faster, so I should imagine they want your heart to be as it is and then, if necessary they'll give the intravenous betablocker. I always have to have several shots of it ! But its a very short acting betablocker.

I seem to remember they don't want you to have caffinated drinks for a few hours before, nor a meal - why don't you telephone the imaging department to check ?

 

[themalteser]

Thank you all. Epstns, I have my beta blocker with me to take after, unless they give the doses that they will give me, as Paleowoman said, will be suffiicient. My appointment is at 11:00am. It says that my CT scan is with Contrast, I don't quite remember if I ever had this, but does it give you a really warm feeling around the bladder, as soon as its administered ? I think I may have had this back in 2010, unless it was with an MRI.

They want to check my coronary arteries because I have some discomfort in my chest and sometimes, difficulty breathing.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

...It says that my CT scan is with Contrast, I don't quite remember if I ever had this, but does it give you a really warm feeling around the bladder, as soon as its administered ? I think I may have had this back in 2010, unless it was with an MRI.

indeed it does ... some have described it as feeling like peeing yourself, but myself I'm not so familiar with that feeling. Something from my distant past and my future ;-)

They want to check my coronary arteries because I have some discomfort in my chest and sometimes, difficulty breathing.

probably due to not being able to breath in when yelling
:Smile:

 

[themalteser]

Hi



indeed it does ... some have described it as feeling like peeing yourself, but myself I'm not so familiar with that feeling. Something from my distant past and my future ;-)




probably due to not being able to breath in when yelling
:Smile:

This is funny pellicle. I’m smiling at my phone with a massive injection coming out from my arm. People in waiting area must think I’m mad. I don’t know what is this injection for, the nurse said it’s water, but on it it says ‘zout’ which means salt. Why would they put salt in me? Haha. May as well chuck in some pepper.

If it gives you a feeling of peeing, I should go for a wee before as I may literally pee myself. That won’t be great!

 

[pellicle]

This is funny pellicle. I’m smiling at my phone with a massive injection coming out from my arm.

its probably the "cannula"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannula

they put those in because its easier to squirt a lot of juice down your vein that way.

also, the salt is right, its common to use "saline" as that does not disturb the blood balance as would water. This helps keep the site of where the needle exits into your vein open ...

and if you can go for a pee first ... why not

 

[themalteser]

Finished. I did not like that. They sprayed something under my tongue to “widen the veins” now my head is going to explode.
The contrast was indeed warm and made me slightly anxious, but that was ok. My head is killing!
I tried asking for measurements, but nope, they won’t give me anything