Question 1

is an iv contrast die needed for a brain and cervical spine mri?

Accepted Answer

Depends on problem: Much can be learned from MRI without contrast but if a vascular anomaly or tumor is suspected the IV dye helps to  show the extent of the lesion and it's location in areas that are not well delineated without the dye. If your doctor recommended it, you should go ahead and have the dye injected. Avoid it if you are allergic to the dye.

Question 2

does an eeg hurt/how long will it take and how long will an mri on the brain w/out iv contrast for migraines take? nervous and in so much pain. help?

Accepted Answer

Comments: EEG should be painless, and lasts about 60 min.  MRI of brain about an hour or so, and contrast injection should be well tolerated.  But why do you have pain, and why is it so necessary to have these tests?  Would you be better served via a Concierge visit?

Question 3

is mra with iv (gadolinium) contrast more accurate in detecting or ruling in or out brain aneurysm than just plain mra without any iv contrast or same

Accepted Answer

Cerebral aneurysm: An MRI and mra of the brain is an excellent screening study for intracranial aneurysms. For those who can't undergo an MRI scan, a ct angiogram of the brain is performed to exclude an intracranial aneurysm.

Question 4

salivary infection is taking a long time to cure. dr. wants to do a mri of the brain.  should i run and get it done now or wait?

Accepted Answer

Hard to understand: It is difficult to understand the connection between a salivary gland infection and a brain mri, unless your doctor wants an MRI to specifically look at the salivary glands.  I recommend asking why your doctor wants this test and asking about the urgency.

Question 5

i get dizzy all the time and it gets worse everyday an mri scan showed i had a cyst in my brain would that affect it but i have had this dizzy for yrs?

Accepted Answer

Depends: If the cyst is in an area of your brain responsible for balance (vestibular system) it could cause dizziness.  However there are many causes if dizziness or vertigo- most of them are caused by inner ear problems.

Question 6

too much radiation? recently, i had a cat scan of my sinuses and a chest x-ray.
they are thinking about getting a cat scan of my brain. but to my understanding that's a lot of radiation in a short amount of time. how long are you supposed to wait until th

Accepted Answer

The : The amount of radiation from ct is certainly higher than from traditional plain film xrays, and you're right to wonder about the risk.  However, there are a couple of important issues to consider.

First of all, if there's a clinical problem that needs to be sorted out, and if ct is the best way to do that, then the amount of radiation from one additional study is probably not worth worrying about: you're far better off getting a diagnosis that leads to treatment than missing that diagnosis because the full evaluation was not completed.

Secondly, you should know that the risk of radiation from cts (and other sources) have to be looked at in both short term and long term perspectives. Without getting too involved in physics, the message is this: a lot of xrays in a short period of time can cause short-term injuries like skin burns and hair loss, whereas a large number of xrays over a lifetime may increase the risk of cancer. It's very unlikely that another ct scan (or even several) right now would cause a skin injury--that's much more likely with image-guided procedures like coronary angiography. On the other hand, your risk of developing cancer from ct imaging (though very small) is the same whether the cts are done all at once or spread out over several years.

What it boils down to is this: if your doctor has a specific concern and needs more imaging to make a diagnosis, then getting another ct is probably a good idea.  Waiting a while won't make any real difference, except perhaps to delay your treatment. If, on the other hand, he or she is just "covering the bases, " then it may not be worthwhile. You might ask your doctor what, specifically, he or she is looking for and why he or she can't use other tests.

Question 7

anytime i've gotten iv contrast for an imagining scan, as soon as it goes in i get warm and then throw up. what's causing this reaction?

Accepted Answer

Allergic reaction: Some people get an allergic reaction to the contrast media.  This can be minimized by using benadryl prior to getting the contrast.  The technician should be made aware of any potential allergy before they inject the contrast

Question 8

9months ago a xray technician blew my vein trying to start an iv contrast. she appeared to had stabbed it into the fold of my elbow. it hurt badly for a long time. but i still get pains & throbs in the injection site. 9months now what could be wrong?

Accepted Answer

That area: contains a number of NERVES  and a small HEMATOMA (collection of blood) takes a while to RESORB!!!

HOT WET packs may be hepful and increase circulation hastening resorption!'

Hope this is helpful!
Dr Z

Question 9

i got ct scan of abdomen and pelvis with iv contrast. the last time i got a ct scan last year they gave me oral and iv contrast but not oral contrast today. will this impact anything since they used iv contrast but not oral?

Accepted Answer

: Oral contrast is only important if they look for abnormality of the hollow organs in the abdomen such as stomach, intestine or colon.
Generally, CT of the abdomen and pelvis with both oral and IV contrast is preferred by radiologist than IV contrast alone for reading the images. However, sometimes because of the urgency of the test, oral contrast cannot be done.

Question 10

had a ct scan with oral and iv contrast for abdominal pain. cysts. when is it safe to get pregnant after that test?

Accepted Answer

Anytime: Intravenous dye and oral contrast given during a CT scan are excreted fast from your body (urine, bowels), I'd say within 24 hrs.  No issues with starting to try and conceive.

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Doctor answers about:

WAIT TIME TO SCAN A NON CONTRAST BRAIN AFTER PT GETTING IV CONTRAST

A member asked:

Is an iv contrast die needed for a brain and cervical spine mri?

A member asked:

Does an eeg hurt/how long will it take and how long will an mri on the brain w/out iv contrast for migraines take? nervous and in so much pain. help?

A member asked:

Is mra with iv (gadolinium) contrast more accurate in detecting or ruling in or out brain aneurysm than just plain mra without any iv contrast or same

A member asked:

Salivary infection is taking a long time to cure. dr. wants to do a mri of the brain. should i run and get it done now or wait?

A member asked:

I get dizzy all the time and it gets worse everyday an mri scan showed i had a cyst in my brain would that affect it but i have had this dizzy for yrs?

A member asked:

Too much radiation? recently, i had a cat scan of my sinuses and a chest x-ray. they are thinking about getting a cat scan of my brain. but to my understanding that's a lot of radiation in a short amount of time. how long are you supposed to wait until th

A member asked:

Anytime i've gotten iv contrast for an imagining scan, as soon as it goes in i get warm and then throw up. what's causing this reaction?

A member asked:

9months ago a xray technician blew my vein trying to start an iv contrast. she appeared to had stabbed it into the fold of my elbow. it hurt badly for a long time. but i still get pains & throbs in the injection site. 9months now what could be wrong?

A member asked:

I got ct scan of abdomen and pelvis with iv contrast. the last time i got a ct scan last year they gave me oral and iv contrast but not oral contrast today. will this impact anything since they used iv contrast but not oral?

A member asked:

Had a ct scan with oral and iv contrast for abdominal pain. cysts. when is it safe to get pregnant after that test?

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