topic Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium? in Wellness

Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

fortune — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:45:19 GMT

My gastroenterologist said I need a CAT scan for abdominal cramps. He mentioned the dye, but didn't talk about barium. I called his office to ask him, but he didn't call back. Now I have to wait until next week. Do CAT scans usually require that you swallow barium? Or do they just inject a dye into the veins?

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

151949 — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:48:10 GMT

Abdominal CAT scans usually require you to drink barium.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

september — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:52:13 GMT

It depends....

From the Mayo Clinic website:

"A special dye called a contrast material is needed for some CT scans, to help highlight the areas of your body being examined. The contrast material blocks X-rays and appears white on images, which can help emphasize blood vessels, intestines or other structures.

Contrast material might be given to you:

By mouth. If your esophagus or stomach is being scanned, you may need to swallow a liquid that contains contrast material. This drink may taste unpleasant.
By injection. Contrast agents can be injected through a vein in your arm to help your gallbladder, urinary tract, liver or blood vessels stand out on the images. You may experience a feeling of warmth during the injection or a metallic taste in your mouth.
By enema. A contrast material may be inserted in your rectum to help visualize your intestines. This procedure can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable."

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

gmkb — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 16:56:08 GMT

I have always been given a bottle by the facility doing the scan. This I take home to drink the morning of, then given another at the facility to drink moments before the test begins.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

Vivian — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 20:53:19 GMT

In December I wound up in the ER with what I later learned was intestinal MRSA. One of the tests they conducted was an abdominal CT scan. I had to drink two glasses of orange favored [r@p, had to wait awhile, and then went to take the test.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

Toppers — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 17:16:24 GMT

@fortune wrote:
My gastroenterologist said I need a CAT scan for abdominal cramps. He mentioned the dye, but didn't talk about barium. I called his office to ask him, but he didn't call back. Now I have to wait until next week. Do CAT scans usually require that you swallow barium? Or do they just inject a dye into the veins?

I agree with september's answer, in that "it can depend."

I can tell you from my own experience that I have had them done with and without barium, and with and without the dye, too.

I think that it also depends on your medical history too, and what the doctor is looking for with the scan.

I have a history of kidney stones, so that when I have had the scans done, sometimes the Radiologist did not want to stress my kidneys out any more with using the contrast dye, so he would tell the techs. not to use it with me.

He would go by my kidney blood test results to make that decision. So, that was one of the factors involved for me.

When I had a CT scan done with barium, I knew ahead of time so that I could go and pick up the prep. along with the instructions for it, from the hospital.

I was told both by my doctor's office and again by the test scheduling dept. that I would be having the test done with the barium contrast.

ETA: I had this done at our local hospital. This was done as an outpatient test. The prep. is flavored so that it doesn't taste so bad when you drink. It is rather thick.

I was told to think of it "as a milkshake!"

I drank it fast. Mine was pina colada-flavored. It actually didn't taste that bad, to be honest.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

CatsyCline — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 17:25:35 GMT

my mother just had a CT scan and was given clear liquid to drink.

i had an upper GI CT scan and had to drink a thick Barium liquid. thick like a milkshake.

if you have Barium be sure to drink a TON of water after the test and have Magnesium ( or MOM ) or something similar on hand because Barium can cause lower GI distress as it moved through your system, ot gave me excruciating abdominal pain. i did not drink water nor go home after the scan and went shopping. big mistake!

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

GCR18 — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 17:45:28 GMT

I have a cat scan in a couple weeks. I was given 2 bottles of barium to drink. They are 16oz each. I have to drink them the day of the scan. I had a choice of banana or berry. I had banana last time and it was okay. I put the bottle in the freezer to get it good and cold and had no trouble drinking it.

The area my scan is targeting is the pelvis. Checking to make sure the cancer is gone.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

Snowpuppy — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 18:10:07 GMT

I have an allergic reaction to it so I ask to have the scan done without it.

They usually don't fuss as they don't want the complications of a reaction.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

Nataliesgramma — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 18:49:51 GMT

I think I heard someone say they can flavor it so it is easier to drink....

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

Reba055 — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 18:57:31 GMT

It depends on what they are doing and possibly where it's being done.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

hckynutjohn — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:30:35 GMT

@fortune wrote:
My gastroenterologist said I need a CAT scan for abdominal cramps. He mentioned the dye, but didn't talk about barium. I called his office to ask him, but he didn't call back. Now I have to wait until next week. Do CAT scans usually require that you swallow barium? Or do they just inject a dye into the veins?

I've had more CAT scans than I can remember. Some were contrasting Scans, including Nuclear, and others were the Scan only.

The only Scans I have had where I swallowed anything were called VQ Scans, that is what found the PE I had on 2 different occasions. There I swallowed some type of, I believe, Nuclear material.

For the contrasting Scans the contrast material was put in via an IV. Those have been my experiences with my CAT and VQ Scans.

hckynut(john)

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

redhead65 — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:44:34 GMT

I've never had to swallow anything as all of mine were done by painless IV.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

Gracies Mom — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 21:07:58 GMT

Every CAT scan I've had required barium and IV contrast. The barium was no big deal to drink (unlike years ago when it wasn't flavored)---I've had the mocha and banana flavored ones--not too bad to get down.

It might depend on what your doctor is focusing on---mine was for digestive issues years ago--but in the last four years, I have the scans for uterine cancer recurrences.

As another poster mentioned, you must drink a lot of water to flush everything out of your system. Barium used to constipate me--now it does the opposite-----so I go right home after the scan. The radiology techs will explain it all to you once you arrive for your scan---Good Luck!!!

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

151949 — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 22:46:47 GMT

John,I am thinking you had GI bleeding scans ,which are totally different from CAT scans.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

fortune — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 23:02:24 GMT

Thanks so much, everyone! I sure do appreciate your time and information!!! I think I may need another kind of drink!!!

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

hckynutjohn — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 03:50:09 GMT

@151949 wrote:
John,I am thinking you had GI bleeding scans ,which are totally different from CAT scans.

I was in the hospital 4 different times for a total of over 9 weeks. This was for a bleeding Right Colon. I had zero CAT Scans during any of those very long in-patient stays.

What I did have during those weeks was over 11 Colonoscopies and 5 Double Balloon Enteroscopies. I also swallowed the Camera Pill that took over 6,ooo pictures of my colon.

They could not find the part of my Right Colon that was bleeding. No CAT Scans during that time. Also had a Full Body Nuclear Scan, which took over 2 hours to complete.

The VQ Scans were done specifically to look for Lung Blood Clot(PE), and 2 out of the 4 of those Scans found PE. The CAT Scans I have had were for nodules on a Kidney,along with Ultrasound Scans. Also had CAT Scans for nodules on my Lungs, also along with Ultrasound Scans.

The Scans for my Kidney and Lungs, at the start, were every 3 months. Some were with Contrast, some were without Contrast. Also have had numerous Echocardio Scans for my heart.

Thank you for adding your comments about my Scans. I am a person that knows what the ones in any type of Radiology Testing are supposed to perform. One Scan I had to argue with that person because he wanted to do a Contrasting Scan and I told him, I don't think so. I knew exactly what type of Scan was scheduled and it was No Contrast.

That Radiologist sought out another one and he found the order said No Contrast, and we moved on from there. Ain't anyone that is going to do a procedure on my body going to "pull the wool over my eyes", at least not while I am awake and conscious.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

151949 — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 04:09:42 GMT

John,when they are looking for where you are bleeding they do a GI bleeding scan. They inject a radioactive material that will attach to your red blood cells then do a scan to see where they light up in the scanner that is other than your blood vessels.Then they know where you are bleeding.This is a nuclear scan not a CAT scan. They are not the same thing.

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

hckynutjohn — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 05:17:36 GMT

@151949 wrote:
John,when they are looking for where you are bleeding they do a GI bleeding scan. They inject a radioactive material that will attach to your red blood cells then do a scan to see where they light up in the scanner that is other than your blood vessels.Then they know where you are bleeding.This is a nuclear scan not a CAT scan. They are not the same thing.

I have explained what I had and why. My colon IS part of my GI Tract, and I do know a scan does not require drinking a gallon of Go/NuLytely.

Nuclear Scans i also explained. My friend is the Nuclear Radiologist, she found my PE, so Nuclear Scans I do not mistake for a CAT Scan/CAT Scan with Contrasting or any of the many MRI's I have also had many times.

No confusion with me on what I have had done to this old body over the last 14 years. If there is any confusion with type or name of Scans, or any of the many types of procedures I have had performed starting back in the 1970's with my first Myelogram it is not with me.

hckynut(john)

Re: Does a CAT Scan Usually Require Barium?

sophiamarie — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 20:27:04 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
@151949 wrote:
John,when they are looking for where you are bleeding they do a GI bleeding scan. They inject a radioactive material that will attach to your red blood cells then do a scan to see where they light up in the scanner that is other than your blood vessels.Then they know where you are bleeding.This is a nuclear scan not a CAT scan. They are not the same thing.

I have explained what I had and why. My colon IS part of my GI Tract, and I do know a scan does not require drinking a gallon of Go/NuLytely.

hckynut(john)

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The only correction here is Nu/GoLytely. Sorry - but I didn't want anyone to buy the wrong stuff.......