CT contrast dye side effects
January 31, 2008 at 1:36 am 213 comments
I spoke with a patient over the phone today. I told him he had a CT appt in the near future. He kind of groaned and asked, “That’s the thing where they stick that dye into you, right?”
“Yes, it is,” I told him.
He went on about how he didn’t really like the stuff and “how many times can you be injected with it until it really messes you up? I’ve been injected with it four times now. Have you ever been injected with it?”
“You know, I haven’t had that experience, yet.”
“Well, when you do-when they inject that stuff into you, your balls- your balls are glowing, man. It goes in and your balls just start to burn.”
“That certainly sounds unpleasant.”
“You know, when some people get it, they uh- they start to- well, they get an orgasm. Can you believe that?”
“That’s pretty hard to believe.”
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: balls, conversations with patients, CT scans, orgasms, side effects.
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Dude, where's my stethoscope? 
1.
Dana | July 19, 2008 at 9:39 am
Recently had a CT for Gall Bladder problem. Contrast barium and injectable dye were used. 2 days later I experienced Rhenal failure they tracked it to the dye. Apparently these dyes are undergoing another round of trials by the FDA.
2.
Mr. Radiographer | October 3, 2012 at 3:11 pm
No reason to read any of these comments, almost all are uneducated responses. I have worked in radiology for the last 7 years. The radiologist in the middle is correct with everything he says. The only relevant comments are the ones about itching, hives (allergic reactions). Renal failure can occur. However, all CT depts check creatnine levels prior to injections to insure competent kidney function. These iodine based materials are not needed in every test, but some things such as cancer cannot be determined without.. To say that you would never have the contrast is stupid. When you’re faced with potential cancer and the only way to determine is a PET/CT, really….. Are you going to turn it down? Do some research before you make fools of yourself.. Most of you already have..
3.
Anonymous | December 18, 2012 at 11:38 am
you kind of sound like an arrogant asshole.
4.
Anonymous | January 1, 2013 at 1:52 am
I got the contrast dye about a day ago and my bowls are still burning what should i do .?
5.
lupus lady | August 1, 2013 at 1:45 am
I don’t care how long you have been in radiology. I have lupus, the barium sulfate I’m allergIc to. I have hives, constant puking, headache. So knowing I’m allergic to it makes me not want to take it regardless. Lady time i puked for 5 Days steady. And calling people uneducated you don’t even know shows a petty side of you making you look uneducated.
6.
Anonymous | September 12, 2013 at 10:46 am
wow i just had one early this morning all i had was the warm sensation as if you’re wetting your self. Then after ward i had a few tummy cramps all effects are not the same. but over all it was a cool experience.:-)
7.
Kelley | November 29, 2015 at 3:39 pm
I had a ct scan with iv contrasting, for severe pain and swelling in my neck\ cheek….Dr. Was looking for an abscesed tooth (sp?). A few hours after the test I became very sore in my joins and muscles. When I woak up every joint was popping and muscles were sore and week. Could this be a side effect from the contrast?
8.
Rhys Berryman | November 29, 2015 at 4:25 pm
The symptoms you describe are almost exactly like mine, which took 24 hours to start, and a year and a half to get rid of. The contrast injection is toxic, triggering your immune system into high gear. If your kidneys are working OK, they will remove the toxin within a day, but your immune system is over-producing adrenaline and starts attacking your own body (muscles and joints). It’s called polymyalgia rheumatica. Prednisone cured me, but it took 18 months before I could taper off Pred. I would rather die than have another contrast injection.
9.
Anonymous | April 8, 2016 at 4:19 pm
Hmmm, a little arrogant “radiographer”. I am educated enough, degrees in human biology, doctorate in Chiropractic. You can look up education requirements. Let’s see a year or so for you? Besides one thing I’ve learned over the years is in diagnostics, blaming the patient is a lazy and rather ignorant position to take. I know you are not allowed to diagnose. I am required to. Patients and their symptoms and WHAT THEY TELL YOU are your BEST source of diagnostic information.
I am not sure that paranoia caused me to go blind for 3 days. Neither were the other docs. I had to have contrast for open heart surgery, steroids and antihistamines pre emptively helped, but my vision is less optimal or as easily corrected now.
Anyway, I know you’ve been beat up here, but it will make you better in the long run. Don’t take it as anything other than a necessary step along your path. What you do for us is still appreciated. You’ll be fine.
10.
Michael | August 16, 2016 at 11:12 am
Yo, you’re a radiologist. I just had a CT scan about two hours ago, 18 grams of BaSO2 and an (unexpected) iodine IV. When they did the IV, I felt none of the things I’ve heard I should expect–no warm fuzzies, no tangy metal flavors, no peeing my pants feeling, etc. Is that strange or potentially bad that I felt nothing, or does it just mean I have interesting physiology (story of my life TBH)? Google has thus far failed me on searching for, “I felt nothing during iodine IV.” All I’m getting are horror stories about, “I had a horrible reaction to the IV,” which is very unfortunate for those involved but irrelevant to me (so far).
I followed the pre-visit instructions to the letter regarding when to drink the oral contrast and stop eating etc. but I didn’t even know I was getting the iodine IV until I went into the exam room today. It is unlikely that the tech could have somehow missed with the IV because I’ve got like 8% body fat and veins for days.
Thanks for your time.
11.
me me | October 9, 2014 at 8:23 am
How did you know it was renal failure? What symptoms did you have? I had a CT scan 2 days ago and have this metallic taste in my mouth and woke up with low back pain. Could this be a kidney problem?
12.
Judith | January 27, 2009 at 5:08 pm
In October 2008 I had an abdominal CT scan. A few minutes after the dye I had a weird tingling sensation in the genital region which passed in just a few seconds. However, about 2 days later, my back bone, just a little below my neck ( I don’t know which vertebrae number) felt bruised. That bruised feeling lasted nearly a month. Now I’m having problems with my right shoulder, and it is difficult to be on the computer after just a few minutes and the muscle in my right arm is tender.
13.
Wes | March 9, 2009 at 9:22 am
Just got a head C/T done about an hour ago, yes there was some mild warming of my testicles, then I tasted the metallic taste, then felt like I was gonna puke. Lasted about 5 minutes then I was good to go. Some people are going to react differently though. Dana, they probably shouldn’t have used the dye on you considering gall bladder problems can cause a whole host of other problems, but then again I’m really not an expert.
14.
Anonymous | December 18, 2012 at 11:41 am
i was in bed for two days asleep. that shit literally put me on my ass. and im not allergic to anything. i had to fast but dont know if that had soemthing to do with it. i felt like i was in a daze for 48 hours. not cool.
15.
Anonymous | August 18, 2014 at 12:08 am
so what kind of test are they doing when the warm dye is shoved in your veins i got sick ,and i never got sick before of course the didn’t shove the dye
16.
Susan | October 3, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Recently had CT Abdomen/Pelvis and noticed a soreness/heaviness in my right arm (IV/contrast site) and now with swollen lymph glands in right armpit. As of last night (48 hrs post CT)… now experiencing bloating, nausea, shortness of breath and midback pain…not to mention no bowel movement since the CT . Now I’ve learned that the FDA is looking at possible links to contrast/dye and Congestive Heart Failure and Renal Failure. I’m extremely alarmed and concerned that I may be having an adverse reaction!
17.
Shannon | January 7, 2013 at 10:25 am
Did you ever find out if you had renal failure or any kindey problems? Because I had a ct of my abdominal/pelvic region 2 days ago and last night and today I have had a lot of pain in my mid back on both sides and fear renal failure as well, even though it is extremely rare.
18.
Anonymous | May 8, 2014 at 4:13 am
Hello. I am 45 and I had a abdominal/pelvic CT scan yesterday afternoon. When I made the appt with the clinic intake, the person never mentioned having to take a contrast which usually is done the night before I would have to be at the hospital. I ended up waiting another hr there, as I drank 2 tall glasses of the clear not so tasty liquid. I admit this whole experience scared me and still does since we are trying to find the root of my illness, but it was not as bad as I thought. Yes, when the dye was injected I had a warm feeling rush through my body. It was weird but not painful. I was then told to drink lot’s of water in order to flush the contrast out. I am thinking peeing it out. Even though I have not been able to eat much anyway with out vomiting, I had some bland food. About 65% stayed down. Last evening besides my current pain I am feeling I had the urge to release a not so nice bowel movement. I am still having that issue this morning and my stomach is rumbling like a truck down a dirt road. It is not painful though. I am waiting til the office opens to ask about if that release is normal but saw this sight and thought I would share my story. Overall, the experience was not as scary as I imagined and myself and my family are praying it is not Cancer.
Thanks for listening, but please do not argue with each other. Everyone has their own experience. We all need to support one another. You don’t require an expensive CT scan for nothing. I hope the best for you all.
19.
Rhys Berryman | May 8, 2014 at 7:28 am
As mentioned before, different people have different reactions, but NONE should be dismissed as “paranoia” or imagination. I didn’t realize (until I read a new post) that oral contrast could cause a reaction, too.
I was recently able to reduce my Prednisone dosage to 10mg daily, and it’s “only” been 8 months since my contrast injection! This is a dangerous procedure, apparently whether injected or swallowed. It needs to be banned.
20.
Anonymous | August 5, 2014 at 8:15 pm
I got one this morning and I feel the same way you did with the rumbling. It is very uncomfortable did you find out what it was.
21.
Mary | November 3, 2009 at 9:08 pm
had a CT scan today with contrast dye…the injection caused a metallic taste in my mouth momentarily and then this warm sensation that moved through my body giving me the feeling like i wet my pants! apparently a very common side effect. i think drinking the 4 cups of barium sulfate was the worse part of it though!
22.
Mark Yelton | December 21, 2009 at 7:21 am
The contrast dye I had was in the soft drink form for a CT/MRI. All it did was put me on the toilet for about an hour straight with watery diarrhea. It sounded as if I was urinating but in fact, it was diarrhea.
23.
Betty Dunn | January 13, 2010 at 4:29 pm
I just had a CT scan Friday, January 8th. I had no issues what so ever so It’s hard for me to relate to all of you who have. I trust my doctor explicitly so maybe that’s why. I did feel the warmth/burn when the contrast went in but that’s it.
24.
carole | April 23, 2013 at 7:37 am
After reading these comments you all scare me, like you I haven’t felt anything yet, was done at 2:30 yesterday.I didn’t even ask how high liver was or know what is normal, this is all scaring me. I would like to know how long the dye takes to leave your body.
25.
Anonymous | March 28, 2014 at 11:41 pm
6hours
26.
Rhys Berryman | March 29, 2014 at 8:44 am
The question was asked about how long it takes the dye to leave our bodies. The answer depends on how much water you drink and how well your kidneys are functioning. It should be gone within a couple of days, but that isn’t the problem. The contrast is a toxin, which activates your immune system… in “overdrive”! When the toxin is gone, your immune system can look for something else to attack, and our muscles are an easy target. Prednisone helps, but it takes time. In my case, the doctor says I will be in Prednisone for at least a year (gradually tapering the dosage). When my wife had a contrast injection two weeks ago, they gave her a HEAVY dose of Prednisone BEFORE the injection, to knock down her immune system. This tells us they are aware of what’s happening.
27.
Wanda | March 30, 2017 at 8:17 pm
Everyone’s reactions are different depending on the health conditions in each person…..known or unknown. Those with less reactions have less physical and immune problems inside. Everyone reacts differently.
28.
Nick | January 27, 2010 at 9:04 am
I wouldnt recommend getting the contrast dyes. they make you sign a paper for their permission to use it because it can cause death! i took it once, for a cp shunt, they injected it into my left forearm and i nearly passed out, and my fingers got crippled in weird positions, which couldnt move for the entire time i was laying under that machine…thank God i’m normal again.
29.
Linda | June 29, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Hello,
I just had my first Cat Scan today and they used the contrast dye. I had the same thing happen to me. Both of my hands were clenched and my fingers were contorted and I couldn’t open them for probably 5 minutes afterwards. It was very scary! the doctor could not figure out what had caused that. Did you ever get any answers from your doctor as to why this happened? It also felt like my entire body was vibrating from the inside out.
Thank you for any info or advice you can give me on this subject!
Linda 🙂
30.
Kevin | May 4, 2013 at 10:06 am
I had a ct scan with contrast material one day ago and I experienced a similar sensation. I had pain, burning, muscle spasms in forearm and fingers were contorted on arm of injections site. One day after procedure, I am experiencing a strange sensation in forearm and hand similar to muscle fatigue. Hopefully this feeling is only temporary.
31.
Anonymous | September 1, 2013 at 5:48 am
I am having exact same feelings as you. Have you got better since then? i had the injection on thursday and my left side on which i got the injection is tingling and feels heavy.
32.
Dennis | March 18, 2016 at 6:15 pm
I had a similar experience with my arm and fingers tighten to the point i felt paralyzed in that arm. It was a painful experience to the point where i had to scream. The radiologists asked me “whats wrong”? I was barely able to speak but was just able to tell him ” my arm hurts”! They stopped the injection of iodine into my arm and the pain subsided. They were suppose to inject 75ml but was only able to put in 30ml. Needless to say I was scared. Radiologists did not have a good explaination why it happened. He said he has never seen that kind of reaction. Im doing some of my own research to find out why this happened. I will not go through this again.
33.
Rhys Berryman | March 18, 2016 at 7:04 pm
Dennis… In a way you were lucky if the toxin affected only one arm, although I sympathize with your painful experience. You may have to be on a regimen of Prednisone (if you’re not already) to temporarily disable your immune system. That “contrast” injection is evil, and should be banned by the FDA. I wish you good luck in getting back to normal.
34.
Doug watkins | October 31, 2016 at 6:20 pm
Dennis,
Today I had a bee similar experience,almost to the letter. They started the contrast IV and the tech was right there monitoring and said to tell him if anything hurt or felt wrong. Within a couple seconds my elbow started hurting (look when you bump your funny bone) but it hurt and my triceps started cramping severely. Like you I could barely talk and he spooked it. He checked it over to make sure it was a good I’ve stick and not leaking and after about 5min asked if we could try and continue. So we did,but within second I had severe pain and cramping in my bicept and forearm practically screaming (if I could have) and he turned it off (they only got about 20-30ml in) and tried to get the scan with what was in while I was still writhing in pain and my arm bicept/forearm and fingers were contorting. He and the doctor they called in said they didn’t know what caused it and had never seen someone react like that….which concerns me greatly. I didn’t have a problem with the lemonade contrast drink but my arm is still sore. I’m not a wimp but it was definitely in my top three on the pain list.
35.
Rhys Berryman | October 31, 2016 at 10:40 pm
Doug, I wish I could say something helpful, but my reaction to the contrast injection came 30 hours later and lasted over a year. The contrast triggered an autoimmune disease called polymyalgia rheumatica; whereas it sounds like you reacted directly to the toxin itself. It IS a toxin, and you are apparently allergic to it and reacted immediately. Drink LOTS of water, which helps your kidneys flush it out of your blood. That’s the only advice I can offer.
36.
Biochemist | October 31, 2016 at 11:48 pm
Gonna go ahead and just inject some actual science into this conversation without meaning to in any way question the validity of what you’re experiencing because I’m sure it’s real and it sucks: an intravenous iodine contrast fails to meet the definition of a toxin because toxins are produced by or derived from living organisms, often plants or animals, and iodine is elemental and non-organic.
Secondly, what Rhys called their reaction is pretty nonspecific if you break down the words: poly = multiple/many, myalgia = muscle pain, rheumatica = involving pain & inflammation. So the reaction specified is, “pain and inflammation in multiple muscles.” It is a real thing and it has a mayoclinic entry and a wikipedia page, but it honestly sounds like they’re narrowing down the list of potential causes to infectious diseases that cause and excessive immune response, which is not going to happen with iodine because again, it is elemental and your immune system only responds to chunks of protein (and maybe potentially some nucleic acids depending on how all that RNA research is panning out these days).
37.
Rhys Berryman | November 1, 2016 at 7:52 am
The diagnosis of my polymyalgia rheumatica came from my regular physician and from the rheumatologist to whom I was referred, and who treated me for almost two years.
I know what I had, and I know it was painful enough to make me consider a “final remedy”.
I’m sorry I didn’t meet scientific standards.
38.
Wanda | March 30, 2017 at 8:31 pm
To Biochemist. I had this reaction too, a couple months ago, the next morning I woke with severe ear ring, muscle pain, burning in my inside legs and arm veins, numbing in hands and feet, severe nausea, pain on left rib side, which went on for three weeks, then subsided a little for the next 2 weeks, then went down to the symptoms I have now: muscle pain, stiffness, weakness, severe ear ringing still, pain on inside arm veins…….I cannot get my strength back and am very concerned. I do not want the dye in me because this is extremely difficult to live with. Natural or not, it is a foreign object not normally residing in your veins and organs, and not in the amounts it’s given in. My body did like like it, and I wish I had never had it in me. I do not know what to do to stop the reactions/problems it caused me.
39.
Lana | March 2, 2017 at 6:15 am
Hi, Did you ever find out why this happened. I had a ct scan with the contrast injection 2 days ago and my arm felt like it was burning then it all twisted up and my fingers twisted up and clenched. Haven’t read many people who have had this side effect.
40.
Rhys | March 2, 2017 at 8:20 am
We need to keep in mind that the contrast injection is a TOXIN, which drives our immune system crazy. People react differently, some more severely than others, and it has been reported to be fatal in a few cases. This injection should be outlawed. It took me a year and a half on Prednisone to get past the pain, but it left me with aortic stenosis and cataracts. None of the reactions being reported on this Website should be dismissed as impossible.
41.
Cherel Justice | April 21, 2010 at 9:13 am
I was given contrast dye for an unneccessary CT scan and immediately put on antibiotics ‘in case’ I needed them. (The doctor put me through all that without having a clue what was wrong with me because he didn’t test me for bacterial or viral infection.) As a result, I suffered kidney failure and nearly died. From healthy kidneys, my kidney function dropped to 11% and the doctors wanted me to go on dialysis. I put my trust in God and refused. God delivered me. Please don’t assume your doctors always know what they are doing. They are often too busy to make quality decisions. You must think for yourself and ask lots of questions and make your own health decisions.
42.
me me | October 9, 2014 at 8:29 am
How did you know it was kidney failure? What symptoms? I had a ct scan 2 days ago and am concerned about my kidneys.
43.
Cherel Justice | April 21, 2010 at 9:15 am
I’m interested in hearing about the contrast dye experiences of others.
44.
Lee | May 22, 2010 at 1:53 pm
I had a contrast CT scan about 2 years ago. I had to drink several glasses of the dye. I don’t remember signing anything other than standard treatment forms upon admission to ER. The dye did not agree with my digestive tract, which has never really been the same. The dye turned to a sticky glue like substance, gross as it may sound, it was awful. I would never have one again. The information yielded did not outweigh the damage to my body.
45.
Anonymous | June 15, 2012 at 3:46 pm
You don’t drink the dye………it’s an I.V. The drink is so the dye will show up.
46.
Anonymous | August 8, 2012 at 4:12 pm
No, not all tests require IV s as well as the oral barium. The barium shows up on its own.
47.
Mr. Radiographer | October 3, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Barium is inert. There are no side effects beside potential constipation or diarrhea.. Anonymous that commented is an idiot. Barium highlights your digestive track and allows for a “Contrast” between different tissues.. It is not called “DYE” it does not “DYE” you. It is a CONTRAST, as in a CONTRASTING AGENT.. The IV CONTRAST is for visualizing anything that is fed by blood in your body.. For instance, a malignant tumor has a blood supply, whereas a cyst does not.. On a ct without iv contrast they look the same.. The only way to differentiate between the 2 is with IV contrast.. Hence one is fed by blood.. This is only ONE example.
48.
Anonymous | December 9, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Can you tell me about your digestive system. I had a ct scan and bone scan and afterwards I had severe diarrhea and have been unable to eat foofs other than soft foods and soup. My digestive system is a mess.
49.
Wanda | March 30, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Barium, inert or not, is a foreign object in you that your body has to get rid of. Any foreign object is difficult to get rid of the older you get, and varies depending on functioning of organs inside you. I have a diseased gallbladder, and severe allergies to all chemicals and smells. I did not do barium at age 60 now because the metallic taste bothered me at age 23, and I felt the taste in my mouth two other times as my digestive system got worse from a chronic non working gall bladder. I am glad I didn’t because the CT dye made me very ill. I couldn’t handle something else for my body to get rid of. Will have surgery soon. Hoping the chemical allergies will get better with diseased gall out. But wish I never did the CT dye. My body could not handle it.
50.
Kathy Hink | April 22, 2010 at 1:46 pm
How safe is EOVIST for a liver MRI? Also I previously had an enchanced CT two months ago and since that time I am having hip and lumbar pain. Is that a normal reaction?
51.
A.Wilmers | June 30, 2010 at 5:26 am
Following contrast dye/CT scan in July2009, I developed a vibration completely down my spine and between my shoulder blades, whenever I bent my neck. It was overwhelmingly strong enough to throw me off balance when walking. It continued down the spine with the blade section moving down and is now (Jun2010) between the kidney area. It still exists, but not as strong.
The second CT scan in Oct 2009 left me with a knifelike pain in my arm, and swollen, raised, bright blue veins which continued for several months. I also had a rash (pinhead sized red dots and severe itching) across the scanned area.
My complaints to doctors regarding these symtoms are pretty much ignored.
Additionally, I am not allergic to shrimp & my brother also had difficulties with contrast dye.
Have my kidneys been damaged? Is there a test to see if the dye and/or CT scan hurt me in any way?
52.
Cherel Justice | June 30, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Ask for a blood test to check your kidney function. The GFR (glomerular filtration rate) is your kidney function level. A year after CT scan with dye my function is back up to 50%. That doesn’t sound good but it’s better than 11% and dialysis. Praise God!
They told me a test would have to have been done within 48 hrs of my CT scan to make a link between the dye and the damage. My doctors said the dye might have been the problem but there’s no way to prove it. The Nephrologist said many people have damage but don’t realize it because your function has to drop below 50% to start feeling the effects.
Hope this helps.
53.
Trudi | October 4, 2010 at 9:23 pm
I lost one Kidney to cancer a few years ago, andI am very concerned about the IV-Dye for another CT-Scan. Dies anyone know how damaging it is to ONE Kidney ?? I am 67 years and very worried! ?????
54.
Cherel Justice | October 5, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Not sure why they want the scan on you but I would ask for a less invasive test. Some scans can be done without dye. Ultrasound, MRI or anything other than dye may be acceptable. You have a right to refuse testing that may hurt you. Don’t let them rush you into anything. Be your own advocate. It could save your life. You know what’s best for your body.
55.
Unique B | November 19, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Just had ct yesterday. I never got one before. I had to drink a bunch of grape horridness then had iv put in. Once they injected CT Contrast, your body gets hot from the top to bottom. You feel like you peed your pants seriously. The feeling goes away as soon as they stop the contrast and removve the iv. BUT at 3am this morning i woke with horrible swollen sore throat and could not swallow at all!!!!!!!!!!!! I did some research and seems that there are side effects of this crap!!! NO ONE EXPLAINED ANY TO ME! Overnight i have aquired SORE THROAT, RUNNING NOSE, SCRATCH THROAT/CHEST, AND SORE EARS!!!!!!!!!!!! I am NOT happy!
56.
Unique B | November 19, 2010 at 4:40 pm
by the way, the crap you have to drink that “coats your stomach” gives you horrible diarrhea and bubbly stomach! I had it done yesterday @ 9am and im still on the toilet!
57.
Anonymous | March 17, 2017 at 9:07 pm
me too
58.
Mr Radiologist | January 18, 2011 at 11:36 am
After reading most of your posts I feel compelled to explain that most every “side effect” described above has nothing to do with your CT scan or the IV contrast and more to do with your paranoia. IV contrast has been tested and tested by the FDA(and no it is not currently under scrutiny as described above in one of the least informed posts I have read in a long time) and the side effect have been well documented. Very rarely a late-term(6 hours or so) side effect of a rash may appear. I have been practicing medicine for 15 years and never had the pleasure of coming across one of these cases so they are indeed very rare. The warm sensation is the feeling you get when you inject and large quantity of fluid into your blood stream at a high rate of speed. It is your blood vessels dilating and your heart rate slowing temporarily. None of this is news. Yes, contrast dye is sticky. It does absolutely no damage to your digestive tract however(as described above once again) The problem that appears to be consistent with the above posts is the lack of any need for a CT scan followed by the uneducated pt’s decision to allow their physician to perform a CT scan along with whiny patients that are unwilling to perform the tests necessary to diagnose an illness. IV dye does not make your back hurt. it does not make your shoulder hurt. It does not make your bowels disagreable and it most certainly does not necesitate a round of pre emtive antibiotics. Knowledge has been dropped. Learn something.
59.
Anonymous | January 28, 2011 at 9:27 pm
I would like to ask your honest professional opinion on an issue I had 2 months ago. I contacted the ER at Buffalo general where I was treated, and the hospital’s radiogy dept several times, and the only response I received was that the ER doc who treated me “will not be returning.” The ER tells me to call radiology, and radiology does not return my calls. I don’t want to go to this hospital like an angered customer to demand answers Bc I realize these people are busy and I’m not a top priority Bc currently, I’m feeling fine.
What happened was, I went in for bad chest pain that ended up being diagnosed as pleuritis (it felt like a terrible charlie horse under my left breast that started out accompanied by same pain in left armpit and shoulderblade, so my opinion is it was possibly chest wall muscle spasm.) They injected me with ibuprofen for the pain, did a chest xray and CT and ruled out pulmonary embolism or a heart issue. I was waiting to be unhooked from monitors and discharged, when I had a recurrence of that warm feeling of the CT injection, followed immidiately by tachycardia that went up to 150bpm during the more than a minute it took for any person to even walk over to me while my machine alarm was so loud and getting louder, and I was yelling for help. Now i wish i had looked at the monitor and noted what the bpm was before i started to really panic from being alone… But anyway. Could the dye have not been cleared by my kidneys, and passed through my heart and groin area again? Why would that warm feeling recur? Can it cause tachycardia?
I found out subsequently that it is recommended to drink water to flush out the dye properly, and I was not given water or fluids at all in over 12 hours in this hospital. They sent me to the cardiac wing after the tachycardia and did a stress test and monitored me and did more blood tests all of which show me to be healthy and strong. They called it a regular sinus tachycardia.
The week following all this I had strange intermittent headaches relieved by holding down my temples, and intermittent pressure in my nose and face, and stomach pains every so often with a strange strong uncomfortable pulse feeling in my abdomen especially when laying on my side or stomach. This all subsided in a week to week and a half and is nothing I normally experience in any capacity, before or since. Dilation of blood vessels causing these issues makes sense to me, so does any of this make sense to you in conjunction with the dye injection?
I did return to this hospital’s clinic for a follow up as instructed and i expressed my concerns to the clinician who saw me. My blood pressure was higher than normal although I don’t remember what it was (I’m usually 110/70). The clinician dismissed the Bp, said she thought the chest pain was due to Acid reflux, which I’ve had in the past, and unrelated tachycardia… although she was not even aware I was in the cardiac wing nor did she have any of my test results. Needless to say I am pretty unimpressed w this hospital. But all I want is to know that this crap was just side effects and I can’t stop thinking about it!
60.
Amanda | October 22, 2011 at 9:37 am
Sorry, Mr. Radiologist- I’ve had one twice now and the watery diarrhea and “bubbly stomach” are FACT. LEARN SOMETHING.
61.
Christine | December 25, 2011 at 3:49 am
Amen Sister.
62.
Kim | January 30, 2012 at 5:48 am
Amanda .. I had exactly the same problem within in minutes of returning to the ward after a CT scan with contrast dink plus contrast dye, I was a fire hose from both ends. 2 weeks since the CT scan & my stomach still has not settled down properly.
63.
Kim | January 30, 2012 at 5:50 am
That should have read * drink *
64.
Amy | July 15, 2015 at 6:55 pm
I work for a doctor, and speak to patients daily about their health issues. One of those issues being side effects from various drugs, procedures, etc. Today, I had the privilege of being the patient, and had an abdominal and pelvic CT with dual contrast. Seven hours later, my stomach still sounds like a volcano, and I can’t get more than 10 feet away from the restroom. It’s vicious. I’ve had scans before, with similar post-scan results, but not nearly as severe. It’s not good medical practice to dismiss patients as crazy, paranoid, or uneducated if they’re symptomatic post-procedure, merely because you haven’t encountered the symptoms in your experience. I knew exactly what to expect from the CT scan, but wasn’t at all prepared for the immediate gastric response afterwards.
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Rhys Berryman | July 15, 2015 at 7:22 pm
It has taken two years for me to ALMOST get over the contrast injection… including a year and a half on Prednisone, which had its own side effects. I can’t understand why the FDA does not ban that horrible contrast injection.
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Leslie Laforest | October 22, 2012 at 9:04 am
Mr. Radiologist…while it appears you are certainly trained and knowledgeable about the field of radiology, you have developed, alas, like so many other people in the medical field, an irritating attitude toward the general patient population. A couple of things to remember:
a) if it weren’t for sick people, you and the multitude of other medical professionals from physicians to nurses, technicians to all medical staff would NOT have a job, would NEVER have been trained for, nor would they be in any position to be administering physically impactful tests, scans or procedures if there weren’t patients to practice on. In other words, patients come first. Regardless of how feeble you believe many of these correspondents to be, kindly remember that most of them are frightened individuals, many of whom may be suffering from very serious disease. The last thing they need is the arrogant manner in which you choose to educate them. Patients are NOT trained as you are, therefore they do not have all the information you have gathered during your training. But what they DO have is the actual physical experience, and by their accounts, reactions from and to many, many procedures they have physically endures, which you have not – you’ve only administered the tests, not undergone them yourself!!! That many of these tests have data indicating they are absolutely safe, and more important, very necessary as investigation tools, do not forget that their are growing data to suggest some of the side-effects described herein are being added to the growing list of side-effects to be aware of, particularly where it comes to renal impact and systemic inflammation. So until you have endured (as I have through the years) a multitude of injectable contrasts for a multitude of different types of scans, able to draw direct correlation to “some” of the experiences that have been described in this forum…shut-or… at least temper your condescenion. Remember the cardinal rule of medicine: “the best doctors are those who choose to learn from their patients”…
b) there is no human body that can take in pharmaceuticals, whether orally or intravenously, endure contrast infusions, chemotherapies, radiation, transfusions, surgeries, or any other limitless number of medical interventions without having some form of individual reaction. Many reactions are unnoticeable. Some are minor and of no consequence. But to unilaterally dismiss the fact that injecting, for one example, contrast (or to the layperson “dyes”) into a body, arrogantly denying that there’ll be absolutely no reaction from and to it, is wrong headed and worse, dangerous. The medical field openly acknowledges that every human being reacts differently from disease to procedures. While having a general overview of what happens to people riddled with certain types of diseases and how they’ll react to certain types of treatments or investigations, no doctor worth their salt would ever say with 100% certainty how any one person is ultimately going to fare.
With all due respect (which means not much), you have either been in the medical field too long, burnt out, ready for a change, or perhaps you need to reacquaint yourself why you entered into the medical field in the first instance. One would hope it was to help people, and not just for the money. However, your attitude leaves many questions about your conduct and motives.
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sydneetaylor | February 22, 2015 at 11:09 pm
I want to copy this response and give it to every arrogant medical personnel I have ever come in contact with. I applaud your knowledge, verbiage, compassion, and defense of chronic illness patients like myself and all the others who are unwell (& as you stated, just scared). I’m 35, Dx with chronic illness at age 25. Been treated in over four states, a number of practices, multiple hospitals, renowned researchers, and There is nothing worse than the superior, know-it-all attitude of many who forget that pain is subjective, and only we ourselves know our own bodies intimately. Will there be hypochondriacs? Yes. Will there be addicts/drug abusers? Yes. Will there be over-paranoid, anxiety-ridden individuals? Of course. But I speak for many who have sought exhaustively at times to receive a cause to intolerable/scary symptoms. Who asks to lose their health or spend precious time in hospitals having scans, only to be belittled or made to be feel stupid because the vitals don’t match the symptoms being described? No one.
For all those in medicine who actually care, for those nurses who listened-treated me like an actual human being, and genuinely comforted me, I applaud you. Your care and methods made all the difference.
And for the self-righteous, unempathetic, pride-filled individual in medicine…..it could be you or even worse your father, sister, or child in that scan room having those frightening feelings or signs…would you want someone treating them like you have? Have a heart or get out of medicine. Period.
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Anonymous | November 3, 2012 at 11:43 pm
That’s pretty harsh. Having been through a host of medical issues until he died, my dad had many docs saying the same things. I also have been the the same boat where the docs see the problems and cannot explain them. To say that you know all the limits if particular drugs or procedures is arrogant. As our culture changes from environment, frequency of testing, food supply, there will be changes to our bodies. I respect the knowledge of my doctors but I also respect their humility. Medicine is both a science and an art.
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Anonymous | March 28, 2014 at 11:54 pm
well you certainly cant have had a ct scan with dye ,i just had one thursday to see if cancer has spread elseware and a bone scan right after ,i was itchy when i got home so i took some benadryl but had a sore stomach all night and the next day got up at 3am in morning and couldnt stop throwing up and had a sore right should also had a warm feeling like peed self when done ,sooooo before you tell someone what they dont feel you should have the experience yourself mr knowlegeable
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Rhys Berryman | March 29, 2014 at 8:46 am
The person who posted the comment saying we are paranoid and that we are all lying either works for the FDA or believes they NEVER make a mistake.
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Anonymous | March 29, 2014 at 12:01 am
well you certainly cant have had a ct scan with dye ,i just had one thursday to see if cancer has spread elseware and a bone scan right after ,i was itchy when i got home so i took some benadryl but had a sore stomach all night and the next day got up at 3am in morning and couldnt stop throwing up and had a sore right shoulder should also had a warm feeling like peed self when done ,sooooo before you tell someone what they dont feel you should have the experience yourself mr knowlegeable
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Rhys Berryman | March 29, 2014 at 8:30 am
Those who doubt the danger of the contrast injection have not been through what some of us have. I suppose you doubters think it was “just a coincidence” or “paranoia” that I developed polymyalgia rheumatica the NEXT DAY after a contrast injection, and that after seven months, I am still on 13mg daily of Prednisone to control the pain. it started with the same symptoms described by other folks on this site. It’s also interesting that this week’s episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” dealt with this same issue. It is NOT fake, believe me!
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Dr. Goforth | May 1, 2014 at 7:56 am
Mr. Radiologist, I am a doctor of Chiropractic. We get a lot of training and statistics on doctor caused (iatrogenic) deaths. In the United States The Medical Health Care System (doctors) are the 3rd leading cause of death. The study by Barbara Starfield, MD is published in your own Medical Journal JAMA. Here is an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola that shows some of the details.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/07/30/doctors-death-part-one.asp
And folks when a doctor uses that word “paranoia” run for the hills. That has always been their favorite way to dismiss your real and valid concerns. It is used by weak doctors who don’t have the courage to go against the tide of the other lemmings. If they do they will be kicked out. For instance, you have to accept the “standard of care” when you have cancer (chemo and radiation) or they won’t keep you as a patient, even if they know that it will kill you. There are targeted treatments for many cancers now. If your cancer is lymphoma, or a couple of others and you have insurance you can possibly do very well on those. They only target cancer cells. But, for others you will not be offered the targeted therapy because it is for the kings and queens of the world not for us pedestrian types.
Mr. Radiologist probably thinks the corrupt FDA who is controlled totally by lobbyists and money is an upstanding organization. The same people who force the citizens of the United States to consume foods grown with genetically modified seeds which have been banned by most countries, except here in the US and where they are being forced onto the poorer countries.. They have been proven harmful in many animal studies, deadly, in fact. The FDA decided it is illegal to label whether a food is grown with GMO’s you are not allowed what you are eating. After all Monsanto (Monsatan) is their best buddy, can’t upset them. They make the most deadly chemicals of all, GMO’s, and Round Up Ready.
Cancer is cureable, watch this movie about Dr. Burzynski:
If the link doesn’t work go to youtube and type “Burzynski, the Movie”
By, the way, a CT scan with contrast caused me to be essentially blind for 3 days. They wanted to do a biopsy on my arteries in my temple saying it could be temporal arteritis–if you knew what that was you’d realize what a joke that was with the symptoms I had. And if I were incorrectly diagnosed with that, the treatment is extensive, long and dangerous. So, you that have had symptoms and told the doctors what you thought they were from and been dismissed, believe me, I feel your pain. By the way, you know how they said they always check creatinine levels before they use contrast? They actually told me mine were high and did it then anyway.
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Rhys Berryman | May 1, 2014 at 12:20 pm
Those who describe the bad side-effects of CT or MRI contrast serum as “paranoia” are mistaken. It’s like when I was told that when polymyalgia rheumatica hit me (hard) the day after my CT scan, it was “just coincidence”. It has been 8 months, and I still need 10mg of Prednisone daily so I can use my arms.
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darby | May 16, 2014 at 9:30 am
then why is there so many of the same complaints? I will pray for wisdom and discernment for you Mr. radiologist
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Rhys Berryman | May 16, 2014 at 3:32 pm
For the radiologist (if that’s what he is), I wish I could transfer my polymyalgia rheumatica to him, and see what he thinks of my “paranoia”, which has now lasted for 9 months, and is keeping me on Prednisone (10mg daily). What an elohssa this man is.
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Jackie-anne | March 7, 2015 at 4:32 pm
I had a ct with iv contrast today,the only odd effect I had was a warm feeling at the top of my legs and bottom. I had to drink 1litre of water before, the actual scan they did one before the contrast and one after, can anyone tell next why they did this? I have to admit I was very nervous, I hate hospitals, and didn’t think to ask why they did this, it was my urinary tract they were imaging. Any info would be great, I know I should have asked but nerves take over me!
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Rhys Berryman | March 7, 2015 at 4:45 pm
After a year and a half, I am down to 1mg of Prednisone per day. My polymyalgia rheumatica (triggered by the contrast) is apparently over. I would not want my worst enemy to go thru what I had for the first six months or more. I will NEVER allow an injection of “contrast” serum into my body again!
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Lacey McGruder | April 8, 2016 at 6:34 am
Wow, i had a ct scan a few days ago and am experiencing several symptoms so i was reading of others experiences. I would like to say you are very rude and not everybody is the same, not everyone goes along with what you learned in a book. I almost died a decade ago because my appendix had ruptured but they had ruled it out because i wasnt having the rebound tenderness, it was painful all over all the time. Also, i had 2 bone chips grow to the size of golf balls and they grew back after being surgically removed, even thou the doctor stated they wouldnt. And last but not least, i am a 35 yrs old & having a urethral caruncle removed, which according to the textbook only occurs in young adolescents or postmenopausal women. So i dont care how many years you went to school, listening to people that have actually experienced these texts, that is knowledge, so learn something. Not everybody is the same & follows the textbooks you learned from over a decade ago.
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Rhys Berryman | April 8, 2016 at 6:52 am
Lacey…
Of COURSE doctors are going to deny that toxic effects have anything to do with the contrast injection. They don’t want to be sued for malpractice. True… a majority of patients don’t react, but since some of us DO react (and HAVE reacted), it is a dangerous injection, and patients should be warned… strongly!
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Lacey McGruder | April 8, 2016 at 6:41 am
Dear Mr Radiologist,
Wow, i had a ct scan a few days ago and am experiencing several symptoms so i was reading of others experiences. I would like to say you are very rude and not everybody is the same, not everyone goes along with what you learned in a book. I almost died a decade ago because my appendix had ruptured but they had ruled it out because i wasnt having the rebound tenderness, it was painful all over all the time. Also, i had 2 bone chips grow to the size of golf balls and they grew back after being surgically removed, even thou the doctor stated they wouldnt. And last but not least, i am a 35 yrs old & having a urethral caruncle removed, which according to the textbook only occurs in young adolescents or postmenopausal women. So i dont care how many years you went to school, listening to people that have actually experienced these texts, that is knowledge, so learn something. Not everybody is the same & follows the textbooks you learned from over a decade ago.
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Cherel Justice | January 18, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Mr. Radiologist,
While I understand that every problem listed in these blogs is probably not related to the IV contrast, some of them, no doubt, are and I find your response indicates you may be the one who needs to learn something.
You stated that you have gone 15 years without encountering these problems. That is probably because most people who suffer consequences do not link them to the IV contrast and do not contact you. It doesn’t prove there’s no problem.
I am not a whiner. In my case, following my kidney failure, I went through all kinds of tests including a kidney biopsy and no cause was ever determined for my kidney failure. As I stated, my Nephrologist said it could have been the IV contrast but that has to be determined shortly after receiving it. If IV contrast never causes a problem, why would he say that?
My reference to antibiotics had nothing to do with the scan. It was another unnecessary intervention the eye doctor put me through because he failed to test and determine what caused my eye problem. After my kidneys began to fail two more doctors prescribed antibiotics for me which I refused to take.
My nephrologist told me I did the right thing as antibiotics are hard are the kidneys and mine dropped to 11% function even though I didn’t take them.
Until you have suffered kidney failure due to poor medical treatment I suggest you refrain from calling people paranoid and ill-informed. You may need to learn something, starting with compassion.
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Mr. Itchy | February 17, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I had both oral and IV contrast 3 days ago and The next day I developed a full body rash that itches?
Will this go away?
If so when???
Itchy in NJ
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LJ | June 14, 2015 at 5:29 am
I had a ct csan w/ contrast last Monday (today is Sunday) night at 11:30 pm. When I left the hospital 3 hrs later the nurse said I had a high pulse but still let me go. The next morning (Tues) I had Dr appt at 9am, about 10 hrs after the ct scan. Nurse said my pulse was 111, I am usually between 75-82. No one said anything about it, so i thought nothing of it. Later that night, 20 or so hrs after scan I had a terrible itchy rash on my torso, back, and forearms. Scared me. I took benadryl. The next morning, the rash was still there but not as red. Each day since then there has been an itchy rash, usually each evening and again in morning. I am really worried. Why is this still happening!? When will it get out of my system??
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Rhys Berryman | June 14, 2015 at 7:19 am
After dealing with the reaction to a contrast injection for almost two years, I am finally off Prednisone. The simple explanation of the reaction is that the contrast serum is toxic, and our immune system reacts to it violently. If your kidneys are working OK, they will filter out and expel the toxin within 24 to 48 hours, BUT your immune system is still in overdrive. It generates huge quantities of adrenalin and other anti-toxins, looking for something to attack. So it attacks YOU… muscles, joints, skin, whatever. “Only” 7% of people have a reaction to the contrast toxin. Unfortunately, most of us who post on this forum are part of that 7%,
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trcpanne87 | February 24, 2011 at 8:20 pm
These are all natural reactions to unnatural substances! Many of the drugs and dyes are made from GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS! These GMO’s produce toxic proteins not tolerated by human systems! These Franken substances should be banned from the earth! I know because even GMO food will cause anaphylactic shock in me and pain in neck lymph glands within 15 min which only Benedryl will reverse. Do you think these substances are good for anyone’s system?
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Mr. Radiographer | October 3, 2012 at 4:21 pm
trcpanne87, you are a complete idiot.. Where do you get your information from? CT contrast agents are ionic or non-ionic radiopaque. They are made from organic iodine molecules which are water soluble and are harmless to the body, under normal circumstances. Unless you are allergic, or have compromised renal activity.
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Anonymous | November 3, 2012 at 11:54 pm
Mr. Radiographer- calling people an idiot is absolutely uncalled for. I hope you have not or will not be reading my tests. I am praying for patients that have to interact with you. Perhaps you took up radiology so that you didn’t have to interact? When you have a serious disease, small children at home to raise, death potentially on the line, it is my prayer that you will find other docs with a heart of compassion, skills to look outside of the box and off the charts to keep you alive for your sake and the sake if your family.
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Betsey | June 25, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Had a cat scan with contrast. the next day my vision became blurred. also every muscle in my body hurt and i had a very sore throat. that was 5 days ago and my vision is getting worse. I went to my doctor and he said it is stress. he even prescribed xanax. i have no history of a stress condition. i had none of these problems until the cat scan.Anyone else experienced this?
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Betsey | June 25, 2011 at 10:11 pm
Had cat scan with contrast 4 days ago. the day after i developed a very sore throat and blurred vision.also painful muscle aches. went to the doctor and he said my throolat was very red but my symptoms are from stress. he even prescribed xanax. i have no history of a stress condition. my vision is getting worse. anyone else been through this?
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nick | June 27, 2011 at 11:50 am
i am 16, and so far, i have had to have contrast injections 5 times. i did not notice many reactions in the first four, but in the last one, i got a rash on my back, arm, and stomach; i got severe nausea for weeks; stomach problems that still exist(i have to take regular proton pump inhibitors to keep the slightest acidic food from giving me ulcers); and i had lower back pain for a few weeks. I was not aware of any of the side affects, nor was i told anything by my doctor, until i researched it and found this site.
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nick | June 27, 2011 at 11:51 am
not to mention extreme fatigue.
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Cherel | June 27, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Nick,
It sounds like you may be having kidney problems (nausea, back pains, extreme fatigue). Have you been checked for that?
I hope you get some answers and make a good recovery.
Concern and prayers,
Cherel
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Anonymous | July 20, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Deb July 20, 2011. I had a CT scan completed (2) days ago. The day after, I was completely dehydrated and almost passed out while dispelling of the contrast in my BM. I’ve since been told barium will do that. I drank water as told to do, in fact even more than they said. I also realized I had a severe headache. I began drinking Gatorade and more water. I became even dizzier as the night approached. Upon waking this morning, I awoke again with dizziness and a headache. Has anyone ever experienced these symptoms? I was curious as to how long they may last? Does anyone have an answer?
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Anonymous | December 3, 2014 at 6:00 pm
I had my ct with iodine contrast done two days ago. When I went to get off of the table when the ct was done I felt very dizzy. Within half an hour I had the excruciating headache pain with the dizziness. Within another hour I got the stomach pains with it. I still have this tonight and it’s been two days. I too have drank tons of water and Gatorade. I’m not getting better at all. My dizziness has almost made me faint many times today. I don’t know what to do. Felt fine before the test.
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Rhys Berryman | December 3, 2014 at 8:12 pm
If you’re having pain (like you described) after two days, you’re already one day overdue to see your doctor!
The contrast injection causes serious reactions in 7% of patients, and is fatal to 1%. Don’t wait! You are having a reaction that MUST be dealt with, probably with Prednisone. After a year and a half (since m y injection), I am down to 4mg/daily of Prednisone, which was as high as 40mg a year ago.
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B. | August 16, 2011 at 7:59 am
I had a CT scan with contrast 3 days ago after going to the ER for an ovarian cyst. After I drank the contrast, the nurse said “by the way, this has Miralax in it so it may produce a bowel movement”. if they had told me that before I probably would not have done it because I have a sensitive stomach. They also did the IV contrast. During the scan the IV contrast gave me tachichardia. Afterwards, I got diarrhea so bad I went to the bathroom every 30 minutes for 6 hours, so I went to the pharmacy at 1 AM to get imodium. This stopped the diarrhea, but at 5 AM I woke up with severe chills, dizziness, dryness of mouth and feeling like I would pass out. Now on day 3, I still have nausea, and my neck lymph nodes are super swollen. The stuff in CT contrast is absolutely TOXIC to your body, absolute poison. Mr. Radiologist up there is a neophyte, because everyone this happens to does not call their radiologist it does not mean it isn’t happening. The fact that he’s been inflicting pain on people for 15 yrs. and is unaware of this is shocking but a perfect example of how screwed up our medical system is. Look out for yourselves, don’t let doctors perform unnecessary tests, always research side effects and make informed choices.
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sickandtired | September 24, 2011 at 2:38 am
Had CT scan with IV dye, severe diarrhea that afternoon and stomach cramps. Still having problems a week later….. how long will this go on for? Any ideas on how to help
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Tracy | October 19, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Hi interesting reading these posts. I had a CT Scan with IV dye on Monday at 3pm felt fine, had the usual metal taste and feeling that I had wet myself, other then that OK. At approx 12 midnight my neck started to itch, then my chest and by 2am I was smothered in red welts and hives all other the top part of my body. Took antihistames and hoped it would pass. By 7am that morning my face had swelled so bad that I could not even open my eyes properly. 2 days on and I still look like the elephant women!!!! hideous. hives still all over body and face very contorted and severly swollen. GP has put me on steroids to reduce swelling. I have been told to never have contrast dye again as next time could be even worse.
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Amanda | October 22, 2011 at 9:40 am
Tracy- do you have a shellfish allergy? My MIL had the same allergic reaction.
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Anonymous | November 9, 2011 at 4:12 pm
I had a ct abdomen and pelvis today and have not been far from the bathroom since. I had a previous CT with no side effects but this diarrhea is very real.Barb
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Anonymous | May 11, 2012 at 4:36 am
I had the same ct scan yesterday for ab and pelvis area and it was fine for me. A little metal taste and the sensation of wetting myself but that was so minor. I will say the only negative reaction so far is the diarrhea. I am glad I went straight home after the scan! I can’t go to work today because I am affraid I wont even make the drive to work without needing a restroom. Other than that is was not a bad experience. The guy that was doing my iv told me everything of what to expect which helped when it was happening.
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Anonymous | December 9, 2011 at 10:36 pm
To Mr. Radiologist
Unless you’ve had the dye used on your I think you should keep your so called educated FDA comments to yourself. I have not had this dye injected in my body, however my partner has and she was and is very uncomfortable. She too had the diarrhea and since the dye has this burning like sensation running from the injection site to her wrist. So Mr. Radiologist, maybe you should or have secured a job with the ever so right FDA. If you have not had or have someone in your life suffering from a possible side effect of this procedure. SHUT THE HELL UP!
J.C. from Phoenix. Don’t like the comment come find me. 🙂
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State of pain. | December 21, 2011 at 4:02 am
Had a ct scan with dye injected today due to headaches. They first injected a small amount, then about 15 minutes later injected a greater amount. The second dose burnt the hell out of my whole body, my heart raced, and my body shook uncontrollably, my hands cramped up, and broke out into a full body sweat. This is the second time I have had a ct scan in the last 5 years, but I have never had a second dose. When I was finished my daughter told me I looked as though I was going to pass out. I was extremely pale. My stomach has hurt ever since with nausau and cramping, muscle aches, and severe diarrhea. I realize that people that are going in for scan have physical symptoms…this is why we are having the scan in the first place…but I was only having headaches before the scan, now I am physically worse off. I don’t need a phd to know that I am having a reaction. The only thing the hospital told me was, “this should take about 20 minutes”, I was put through hell for more than an hour. I agree with other posters…unless you have been put on the bed, injected, and put in the dome of hell, then keep your very “un” educated mouth shut. Also, calling patients “whiners” is extremely unprofessional. IF your post is anything like your bedside manners then your in the wrong line of work (Mr. Radiologist). What ever happened to: “DO NO HARM”! I believe this is meant as physical and verbal. > : ?
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Karen | January 26, 2012 at 1:22 pm
I had a CT Scan of the Abd/Pelvic area and it was one of the worst things ever. I totally agree the Liquid form of the “contrast” or the “berry smoothie” as the bottle implies is complete FALSE, I had to drink 2 large bottles of it, and it had me gagging the entire time. They injected dye into my arm as well, and I thought my whole body was on fire all the way to my toes, it was the craziest feeling ever, I totally though I pee’d on myself. Overall, I pray I NEVER have to go through that again, Im NOT looking forward to the next few days, reading these storeis, Im completely horrified.
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Anonymous | February 27, 2012 at 4:27 pm
I had a CT scan scheduled today (after spending hours vomiting, shortness of breath, pain in neck etc.). After 5.5 hours in emerg. I was told I would be called the next morning to schedule an ultrasound. Instead I was scheduled for a catscan. I’ve never had one before. I was told they were looking for gall stones.
I had the warmness, and the feeling like I urinated, but I was warned about those symptoms (after already injected…I also had the drink first an hour earlier).
I was then told to go back to the emerg. dept. and the Dr.would give me the results. A few hours later, no results yet, and I was feelinga bad, cramping etc. I had huge diarreah, and I had to leave before getting my results (one lady in the chair near me had already been there 6 hours for her results). I lost bowel control a few more times before getting home (embarrassing in my son’t car). Now I can’t stay too far from the toilet. I feel very light headed.
I’m surprised to hear a radiologist claim these symptoms do not happen. I did not expect this, so when I got home I googled and found this site, and see that I am not alone. I just hope I don’t get the sore throat and welts.
The hospital won’t send the results to my Dr. so I have to invest another LONG period of time in emerg. to get my results (when I can stay away from a toilet).
This is awful. Had I been forewarned I could have put on an adult diaper, had a change of clothes, and/or made the decision to come back another day for results. As it was I was taken by surprise.
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Anonymous | June 6, 2012 at 6:36 am
Just to add to those with symptoms from the contrast, I had a CT scan 2 days ago upon a trip to the emergency room for severe abdominal pain and I’m still running to the toilet and experiencing substantial dizziness and headaches since the CT scan. I’m highly educated and try to research things before I dive into them, but didn’t have the chance before the CT scan. My symptoms are fairly mild compared to some that I’m reading about, but they are certainly real and I’m hoping they are gone soon–it’s difficult to concentrate on work.
Mr. Radiologist, if you are truly a radiologist, your a clear example of why the public mistrust of the medical community has grown by leaps and bounds and feels that finding a quality caring doctor is almost impossible these days.
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Roger | June 9, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I had a contrast injection Tuesday and I am still having side effects. Red face and reddening chest and back. Chest tightness. I’m on prednisone and that helped reduce the redness, but the chest tightness bothers me. The Mr Radiologist person is dangerous, IMO. We don’t need closed minded people like that in the medical profession. We need open minded and rational people.
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Smartypants | June 25, 2012 at 12:12 am
I had a CT scan on Friday at 2pm. Drank the contrast as instructed and had the dye injected. The scan itself was as you have all reported – feeling of heat and as if you are urinating – it did not last long thankfully. Today is Monday and I have been having bouts of diarrhea since 5 am and feel wrung out. Mr Radiologist, I feel you may not be cut out for one of the caring professions.
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Anonymous | July 10, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Some of you may have misread the radiologist’s comment.
He meant that the IV contrast – NOT THE ORAL – does not cause any stomach/GI issues.
The barium that you swallowed to coat the lining of your digestive tract to enhance the imaging? THAT DEFINITELY, definitely does. (Mine sounds like a thunderstorm erupting about every 30 minutes right now…lol)
The renal/kidney involvement that has been posted about is shown in studies to have a correlation to patients that had underlying kidney disease prior to the contrast administration – which makes me question which tests were performed prior to the CT.
As for the strange spine/nerve/neck/etc complaints posted here – I can find no scientific study to support this side effect, despite having found several studies regarding IV contrast/dye administration.
I can, however, find several studies that support that after having a diagnostic test that has the potential to find a serious condition – even completely calm and sane people have a tendency to develop anxiety-related disorders, which can definitely be attributed to the symptoms posted. (Supported by MDs prescribing some of you anti-anxiety meds).
I agree with the Radiologist and I’m not paid by the FDA, pharmaceutical or any such thing that will certainly be suggested – as I am posting a response that will likely displease and open me to similar fodder as the MD above.
-Molecular Biologist and Nurse
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Kim | July 21, 2012 at 2:03 pm
I had it done today with the IV. The technician warned me about what I would experience and I did.She said”You may feel heat throughout your body,have an awful taste in your mouth and feel like you are urinating.”The worst part was the IV site I have a big bruise.I hope I don’t have any other problems like mentioned above. So far so good, had it done 4 hours ago.
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Mary | August 3, 2012 at 7:44 am
Last month, my mother had the CT scan with contrast and has now been complaining of Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and profuse night sweats – has anyone else experienced these side effects???
P.S. Mr. “Radiologist”…your manner is coarse, uncaring and overwhelmingly biased…my guess is you are here to promote the unethical activities of the FDA by minimizing the suffering that people here on this site have experienced…your ruse is obvious and your actions are shameful!!!
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Anonymous | August 15, 2013 at 10:39 am
Had a ct with iv contrast yesterday and woke up today feeling dizzy and like my ears are full of fliud.
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beeka | August 6, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Had CT w contrast today. Had a vaso reaction and something called hypovolemia the actual radiologist was tremendously supportive. The tech called the Rad doctor immediately at the end of my test.because of my facial skin color being bright red. Future tests w contrast are to be avoided or done as an inpatient w a host of preventive meds. I was monitored, drank water and when my blood pressure got back up to 100 I was able to go home w a list of things to monitor. What was odd was that it was their reaction to me not my complaining. Anyway..very professional and caring. They are reporting back to my MD so this test will not be run again without precautions.
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Mariam | August 8, 2012 at 9:08 am
I had mine yesterday morning.Ct scan for brain.the injection was like a knife stabbing my hand and the sensation of being so hot …and burning ..until I thot I pee… was something …After its done till now…I just keep on peeing but I think its natural, flushing out.I hope not to get anything unpleasant after this…Please God..So,I Will keep you all posted what will happen tommorow….
So Have a Beautiful Day Everyone.(I do need to positive about my tomorrow ..:-)
Mariam K.Lumpur
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beeka | August 8, 2012 at 9:11 am
My tomorrow was better….even with some difficulties…I had the vascular reaction…my blood pressure is coming back up slowly with rehydration. TOMORROW is better
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zak | August 15, 2012 at 11:50 pm
I’m 27 testicles warmed a bit. I thought it felt nice. Hope they don’t find any problems with me but was a fun experience
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Anonymous | August 16, 2012 at 1:05 pm
I had a ct of the abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast and the clear drink prior to the scan two days ago. Still have stomach rumblings and diarrhea…I have had ct scans before but never had the drink .
I had no ill effects from the IV contrast except for the normal warm feeling kfrom injection…but do not think I want to do the drink again.
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Sarah | September 4, 2012 at 2:02 am
My Ct scan was today & the pain I felt in my arm after the blue dye was being injected was so painful that my body went into shock.
In previous comments above by Cherel Justice | April 21, 2010 at 9:13 am & Linda | June 29, 2011 at 5:10 pm the experience was very similar.
My arm was injected & the blue dye was suppost to be a warm feeling except it got to my shoulder & decided to reverse down my arm which left my arm feeling like it twisted right then left & then as my hand got hotter & hotter I could only yell my arm my arm, they stoppped the dye & were very concerned as I could only cry from the pain & shock of the whole ordeal.
No reason was given & they couldn’t find any damaged veins.I now have a very sore arm & feel a little out of it …. I would love to hear from anyone with any experiences like this one as I am a bit worried of any side affects to look for.
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Carol Grim | October 16, 2015 at 5:34 pm
I had that same experience. As soon as they started the injecting the dye. The pain was excruciating and moved down my arm. Cramping and like someone was trying to brake my arm. My hand cramped that I couldn’t open my hand, it looked crippled. Next day my arm at the iv site was sore, with a lump and I have pain at the side of my left breast like it’s getting a cramp.
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Rhys Berryman | October 16, 2015 at 6:35 pm
Carol, what you need to watch for are delayed effects… mine started 24 hours after the injection. Your body reacted immediately, which indicates your immune system was working OK, but now the danger is that it may want to KEEP working (as mine did), and that’s when it can turn into an autoimmune disease, as your body’s immune system attacks YOU (after your kidneys expel the poison). If it does, you will experience sore muscles and/or joints everywhere. PLEASE tell your doctor about any such symptoms! You may need Prednisone to quiet down your immune system. I’m sorry to hear that you (or anyone) has a serious reaction to this toxic substance. It is NOT fun.
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Jh | September 9, 2012 at 8:37 am
Idiots
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sharon | September 18, 2012 at 12:31 pm
5 days ago I had the iv dye and immediately felt my throat tightening after the injection and “warm” (more like burning) sensation. have been feeling like a tight/swollen throat since then. They claim it can’t be from that but I have never felt this prior to that scan.. anybody know if this is a side effect? I can breathe fine but it feels tight/swollen in my throat.
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Mr. Radiographer | October 3, 2012 at 3:17 pm
You are having anaphylaxis.. This is an allergic reaction. You are allergic to CT IV Contrast… Not to be confused with MRI gado…
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anonymous | May 9, 2014 at 12:52 am
I am confused, we have this person, Mr. Radiorapher, and we have a Mr. Radiologist. Are you 2 different people? A Radiologist is a doctor and a radiographer is a technician, trained only to take images, not interpret them, or to speculate on medical problems.
Actually Mr. Radiologist is the arrogant, doctor (allegedly, a doctor anyway) that is the one that seems to have all of the personality traits nobody wants their doctor to have. A radiologist has little to no contact with patients, so their lack of skills in that area, and a dislike for people often ls the motivation for choosing that specialty..
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Anonymous | September 30, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Had a cat scan with iv dye several years ago to check for a brain tumor. Since that scan the skin on my neck has turned darker almost like a severe sunburn. Has anyone had simular reactions?
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Dewiilliams | October 4, 2012 at 2:42 pm
4hrs ago I completed the CT, the physician asst questioned why my doctor ordered CT for gallbladder issues? So did I…I am no experiencing bad pains in my neck, shoulders, extreme nausea & heartburn to the point where I can barely breathe, stand or walk.
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Dodger | November 8, 2012 at 11:10 am
I stumbled upon this discussion because I am wondering if I had a reaction to the pelvic CT scan done on Oct. 31. I had to drink the “kool-aid” and they also did the IV contrast. Everything seemed ok until 5 days later. My chest, stomach and abdomen kept itching constantly. The next morning I noticed a rash covering the entire area. The rash looks like hives. Now, 3 days later the rash has spread to cover arms, back, groin and thighs. I have never had hives before. My throat also feels like their is a cotton ball in it. I can breathe fine though. Is it possible to have a delayed raction to the IV contrast that was injected? Wondering if it is time to go back to the Dr. or keep waiting to see if this goes away. But, the itching is extreme!
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Anonymous | November 16, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Great posts but sadly I found them a little too late. Had abdominal CT 3 weeks ago and have flank / lower back pain, eye sight has degraded and have proteinuria with 1g/L loss. Know I know this was The dye because I was checked for a UTI just a few weeks before with urine and blood test and everything was normal. Feel angry and seriously depressed with this – spoke to a few people who said the had foamy urine for a few days – it’s now 3 weeks!
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Paz | November 16, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Great posts but sadly I found them a little too late. Had abdominal CT 3 weeks ago and have flank / lower back pain, eye sight has degraded and have proteinuria with 1g/L loss. Know I know this was The dye because I was checked for a UTI just a few weeks before with urine and blood test and everything was normal. Feel angry and seriously depressed with this – spoke to a few people who said the had foamy urine for a few days – it’s now 3 weeks!
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Mal | December 10, 2012 at 1:27 pm
I had 2 MRI’s & a MRV done today on my head. I was injected with contrast dye intravenously (IV). I am now experiencing some nausea and slight bowel problems. My nurse didn’t explain to me how long the nausea would last. She only stated that the dye would stay in my system for 24-48 hours. Any suggestions/help would be appreciated!
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Rene | February 21, 2013 at 3:40 pm
My hands and feet are blue. I had a MRI done today of my brain and they injected contrast or dye into the vein in my arm. I cannot find any info on the web of this happening to anyone.
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Rachel | April 11, 2013 at 10:24 am
I have a question. In 2007 I went to the ER for appendicitis. In the ER they did a CT with IV contrast. After they injected me with the contrast my heart had a sudden cardiac reaction. The had to grab a crash cart and give me medicine into my IV to counteract the reaction. I was told in the ER that I was highly allergic to the contrast and should never have it. My doctors would now like to do an abdominal CT scan and I will be drinking Gastrografin (not barium) and avoiding the IV contrast due to my reaction. I’m scared because it’s a horrible feeling to have your heart stop and not be able to breath. I read an article on the Duke University website that given my reaction to IV that I should not drink Gastrografin. My Doctor seems to think this is okay.
What do you think? If my heart stopped with IV contrast will I be safe drinking Gastrografin?
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christina | April 21, 2013 at 10:31 pm
I had a CT scan of the heart a week ago. after the scan I lost taste in my mouth and throat is like swollen and difficult to sallow and ther is some phlegm at the back of my nose. Its already a week till now. Please help.
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nicholas siravo | April 23, 2013 at 3:28 pm
that radiographor is a complete asshole what a stupid person to be doing test unbeleable to make a stipid remark like that thats the kind of assholes we have in the medical field today do they check them out to see if they are drug attics ectr ectr i almost lost my life having contrst and doctors and hospital said dont ever have it agin cause you will certainly lose your life its unbelevable whe have an idieot like him workin in the medical practice what a creep
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nicholas siravo | April 23, 2013 at 3:43 pm
i also undestand that it is really the machine that gives a chemical in the contrast that we are allergic to and i have to have a pet scam and i heard that pet scam can give an allergic reaction same way as the conrast from having a cat scan with contrast does so i got to ask some one who knows all about this before i have a pet scam what a joke that they dont explain it all to us why its the proper thing to do ive askt on here but but no doctor in the field has answerd why? unbeleable
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nicholas siravo | April 23, 2013 at 3:52 pm
i wonder does any one know what the proper name is that would be able to answer my qeshtion about the allergic reaction from contrast and same as pet scam from the machinethat despenses contrast i understand its a chemical the mchine gives off that where allergic to what machine ectr ectr is it the one that makes it or what ?
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kendall | April 24, 2013 at 7:30 am
I woke up yesterday morning feeling perfectly normal.I had a ct scan to check for calcium on my Kidneys(possible sponge kidney)My Kidneys have been functioning normally ,however I thought it would be wise to find out if I have calcium on my kidneys and if this is something that could cause me future problems. I am 39 eat very healthy ,work out regularly and consider myself a healthy person.I had a ct scan yesterday and as I was driving home I developed a dull ache in my lower back.I called the imaging center to ask if this could have come from the ct scan.They told me no that my back pain was not from the ct scan.With in three to four hours, after the scan, I felt completely exhausted.I wanted to go to sleep.That was around around 4:00 pm(this is not like me).I had to force myself to stay awake,because my husband was still at work and we have small children.I noticed at dinner that mentally I was feeling foggy.Usually at night time I put my children to bed and I am asleep by 10-10:30 and I sleep very well.The only reason I wake up is because the kids wake me up or to use the restroom.Last night however was scary.I feel asleep around ten and I woke up shortly after with my body switching between shaking, the chills, tingling running through my legs, and mental confusion.I was afraid I was not going to survive what was happening.I would get really hot then cold.I called my local er and spoke with a nurse who told me what I was experiencing could not have come from the ct scan and it did not sound life threatening. What I experienced and am still experiencing most assuredly came from the ct scan!!!It is 10:20 a.m. and I still have tingling in my right leg.I also have sore calves and the dull lower back ache.I hope this post helps some one from going through such a frightening experience.
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Lisa | June 13, 2013 at 5:18 pm
I’m not glad that you experienced these symptoms, but I AM glad someone had some similar symptoms to what I had with the “tingling in the legs.” During a doctor’s appointment for some abdomen concerns, I had an immediate order for a CT scan. The doctor also ordered some blood work. I was given some drink but really had no details about what I was drinking other than it was necessary for the scan. I did have to sign the scary paper about what could happen if you have an allergic reaction to the contrast IV fluid, which it said was rare.
During the scan, I had the each of the symptoms the radiologist said people commonly report experiencing: very hot flushed face, feeling of urination, strong metal taste in the mouth. Then, I went on my merry way and felt just fine. I wish, however, someone told me about what to expect afterward as far as needing to be near a bathroom, as I went on a long ride to pick my son up from college and went to dinner afterward. On the very long ride back, there was an urgent need to use a restroom for a purpose that one would not want to use a public restroom on the NYS Thruway for. I never had any tests like that before or even an IV before that day. I just thought it was some routine thing people do all the time, and it wasn’t any big deal.
The next day, I fell asleep for hours during various parts of the day, slept all night, and slept again like that the next day. I am not a big sleeper. A few days later, the oddest thing was the feeling of (and I can only describe it as…) “bubbling” in my the bottom of my feet and in the veins in my legs. About a week later, I began getting sore around my blood work arm, which was the opposite of my IV arm. This progressed over the next three days from a welted sore area near the blood work area inside my arm…to a welted sore area near my underarm…to a thin, faint red line from an area near the blood work area to the underarm…to a welted, 1-inch wide, purple line. I called to see if I should be concerned, as I couldn’t bend nor straighten my arm without pain and was told to go to Urgent Care. The doctor said I had “phlebitis from infusion” from the contrast fluid and prescribed a NSAID (weird, because that wasn’t the arm, but whatever…the doctor must know). After taking the medication, I felt nonstop “bubbling” in the veins of my feet and legs and fell asleep for hours twice that day. I stopped taking that medication just because I have never felt worse on any prescription ever. I wonder if your “tingling” is like my “bubbling.”
It’s now been about three weeks. I still cannot fully bend nor straighten that blood arm. There is still a 3-inch red area and what feels like a hard, firm, tight vein from the underarm all the way to the forearm. Now, I feel lumps in the vein. Is this kind of stuff really normal after getting the contrast fluid? Patients should be given a little more information. I only searched for information on the Internet regarding exactly what I was given after having weird symptoms to see if they could be caused by the fluids from the CT scan. Thanks to everyone who wrote in. It was informative. 🙂
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Cindi | May 8, 2013 at 8:52 am
Had abdominal/pelivc CT scan 4 hours ago, had the metallic taste in my mouth during it, felt the warm genitalia, all expected sensations.
Once I was done, I was done. I am 100% fine now. Don’t feel anything different than before I went in, except I am no longer hungry since I got to eat after the scan. This was the simple test I’ve been through so far. Was really nervous going into this, because of all the horror stories I read here……wish someone would have told me, it can be a breeze!! It was for me!
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Anonymous | May 10, 2013 at 2:10 pm
Yup, it seems like different people have different reactions to the contrast. Personally, I Just felt the “warm” sensation all over my body, actually I’d call it more a burning sensation. It was somewhat uncomfortable but since the nurse warned me that the most common side effects were a warm sensation, metallic taste, and feeling like you just urinated I stayed calm (even though the burning alarmed me because it similar to what I’d imagine some sort of heart trouble to be like as it was most intense in the chest area, and later groin [urination feeling], you can compare it to the burn you get from IV morphine if you’ve ever had that and felt the burn from it.. it’s just your veins and arteries having to expand rapidly which also causes a temporary drop in blood pressure (veins contract blood pressure raises, veins expand blood pressure drops)). I didn’t get the metallic taste however and the burning feeling went away in about 30 seconds to a minute.
As soon as the test was done, I was up and about and felt completely normal since. It’s only been about 29 hours since my CT so something could still happen but I think I’m 100% in the clear. I’d assume that my case matches the majority of cases and that’s why most of these professionals are chiming in saying how safe it is. What brought me to this site was just the fact that I always look up information about my treatments.
I don’t doubt other people have issues though, the radiologist that said it doesn’t cause problems blows my mind. I’m an engineer by trade so I’m science oriented and I can’t believe somebody that closed minded is in the medical field, and apparently thriving in it at that. I figured somebody who doesn’t understand that different people have different allergies and body states would’ve been weeded out by his peers, or hell, even his patients, long ago. Quite frankly he comes across as a huge douchebag and I would never put my insurance money in his hands.
So my final thoughts here are the majority of people probably have no issues, the reason it may seem like there’s tons of issues is just because the majority of people won’t come and post something like this if they encountered a completely smooth CT. So, if you’re reading this site in preparation for a CT w/ contrast don’t freak yourself out, it’ll be a breeze more than likely.
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Save Mungo | June 13, 2013 at 8:20 am
Strange. I just got back from my first ever CT an hour ago and had no issues other than the nurse couldn’t stick my first vein. He told me it would burn going in (didn’t), I would feel like I was having a hot flash (didn’t), the metallic taste (didn’t) and that I would feel like I wet myself (that did happen, and it was really weird.) But other than that, this was an extremely pleasant visit that I was worked up over nothing about. Aside from drinking the nasty Sprite Milkshake. 🙂
Feel great now! For those of you who don’t… why are you here! Go to a dang doctor!
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ada hayes | August 26, 2013 at 2:37 pm
Had a CT scan last week – had a VERY odd experience. I am looking for the physiology of it. I am a get- er- done person so I drank the first bottle of liquid in thirds. I immediately went so “drunk” I could not hold on to the other bottle, could not hold my mouth shut or my head up – the nurse came in and asked “what had happened” I said I am “drunk” then I started shaking very hard. She thought my bloos sugar was dropping and quickly got a test strip – no it was 83. I got stiff then started uncontrollable crying. hard loud crying (I don’t cry!)No I wasn’t hurting no – I wasn’t in pain I was just crying for about 10 min. I kept stretching my neck when I finally got pressure relived by a burp everything was fine. I did drink the last bottle slower. Please explain this for me it could answer a couple other things I have going on. Thank you
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Rhys Berryman | October 31, 2013 at 10:59 am
August 22nd, 2013… I had an abdominal CT scan with contrast to look for cancer. They found no cancer, but two days later, the pain in my abdomen, thighs, and hips made walking VERY painful, and it also moved into my upper arms and shoulders. After more than two months, the pain and lack of strength is making almost anything I do painful. I am on Prednisone, and while it was 20mg per day, the pains almost all went away. But after a week, my doctor reduced the dosage of Pred to 10mg per day, and within two days, the pains were back, and have now spread down my arms to my hands. He prescribed Tramadol (100mg daily), which does NOTHING! The only pain reliever which seems to affect the pain is ibuprofen, but the doctor told me to not exceed 600mg daily.. Acetaminophen does nothing, and aspirin does very little. The doctor told me last week that the pain “should go away in three or four more months”. I was in reasonably good health for my age (75) until the CT scan; now it is constant pain and two to three hours sleep at night. Will this EVER stop? Or do I need to stop it permanently?
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Shannon | November 4, 2013 at 12:37 pm
I had scan with IV contrast on 10-30 to look for cause of blood in urine. Thankfully nothing was found but the following day I started with back and leg pain and by evening I could not sit or lay down. It was like the worst restless leg syndrome. I walked the floors all night and was brought to tears many times. Test was on Wednesday and Sat I went to my Dr crying. He had never heard of such a reaction but did not make me out to be crazy. He put me on prednisone, lortab and Benadryl. Today is Monday and I am finally feeling better.
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Tim Irvin Sr | January 21, 2014 at 9:28 am
Had two different types of the dye it was horrible the pain was like sticking a hot poker in my hand and pouring acid in my veins it burned from top of my head to the souls of my feet the second time was a thicker dye even worse now I’ve had diarrhea for two days and I wake up my eyes are like red coals,
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letalis | February 18, 2014 at 9:10 pm
So i had a ct scan with the contrast dye. Felt the warming sensation in my head and groin. About an hour later had a migrane that lasted about 8 hours and testicular pain that lasted about 4. Was not fun to say the least.
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Anonymous | August 22, 2014 at 4:41 pm
I am 42 and had one this morning for my lungs, they of course found nothing, but that overall warmth did occur and while I was holding my breath, my balls were on fire. It went away before I was off the table, but but I swear I was looking for the bastard that was holding a match to them.
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Rhys Berryman | August 22, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Today (the 22nd) marks exactly one year since my contrast injection, and I am down to 7mg of Prednisone today, which is ALMOST controlling the pain of Polymyalgia Rheumatica, which was triggered by the contrast serum (24 hours after the injection).
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Rhys Berryman | August 22, 2014 at 5:00 pm
I meant to say 7mg of Prednisone per day.
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Hope this goes away soon! | April 10, 2014 at 9:50 pm
Had CT scan with contrast and Barium. I drank mega glasses of water afterward to help flush the contrast from my system. Six hours later I looked like I had a sunburn all over my body and was extremely itchy. I had to purchase some Benadryl as I don’t have a history of allergies and didn’t have it readily on hand.The next day I felt like a truck had run me over, I felt very tired and had a sore throat with a hoarse voice to boot. I was not feeling this way prior to the scan. Not a great experience in my book. I hope that these side effects will subside soon. I will, however, be contacting my physician for consultation.
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Rhys Berryman | April 11, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Different people have different reactions (and different severity) to this toxic serum. I am in my 8th month of treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica, which began the day after my injection with this stuff. I cannot understand why the FDA hasn’t banned this terrible substance. I was on 40mg daily of Prednisone, and am now down to 12mg daily, which is controlling the nearly constant pain, keeping it at a tolerable level. It will be at least another year before I can taper off the Pred completely, if ever.
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Kacey Dunbar | May 9, 2014 at 1:39 pm
I had a CT scam done Tuesday with the contrast dye and the next day I started having blurry vision in my left eye. It’s Friday and it still won’t go away. Has anyone else had this problem? If so did it go away? I’m worried because I already have to use glasses and I don’t know if I should be concerned about the severity of it. Someone PLEASE ANSWER!
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Rhys Berryman | May 9, 2014 at 2:09 pm
Eye problems ARE a possible side effect of contrast toxin. If it doesn’t get better within a week, I’d advise you to visit an ophthalmologist. And watch for other side effects, such as sore muscles! Your body apparently doesn’t like that stuff.
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anonymous | May 9, 2014 at 3:21 pm
I had terrible vision problems from the contrast,and I already wear glasses too. I had to take a taxi to the hospital. I went home after the test and it developed over a period of hours.
I was almost blind. If I tried to look at my face it was an orb no hair features on anything, could not see anything on the tv or trees in the distance were just a blur. After about three days were over it started to improve and fairly soon I could tell there was improvement definitely. Then eventually it seemed almost normal. I am going to see if my vision is worse. It seems worse in some ways. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Scary!
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darby | May 16, 2014 at 9:37 am
To reply to the top comment of the guy who was dreading the ct scan because of testicals burning and the oragasm , well i am a female while i couldnt have the testical thing i did experience an orgasm the next morning , i woke up and felt this sensation it wasnt even sexually induced it just happend all of a sudden! and for the rest of the day my arms and hands have had a tingling burning sensation? Has anyone else exp. anything like this please reply in detail
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Anonymous | May 16, 2014 at 9:53 am
During the procedure I had the hot sensation and after I had some numbness in my arms and fingers but no orgasm
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trish | May 27, 2014 at 8:35 pm
The oral barium contast can cause reactions. I had a very red rash on my face and felt hot. I have to be careful and be premedicated. Also, an asthmatic. Ask questions its your body!
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Rhys Berryman | May 27, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Regardless of the method (oral or injection), medical personnel need to be MUCH more informative to patients about the possible side effects and long-term consequences.
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Cameo C Massey | August 17, 2014 at 12:12 pm
I had a pelvic CT last night with contrast, after it was done I had to wait 90 minutes in the ER for the results to find where the bowel blockage was. Next thing I knew all my fingers and both thumbs were numb like pins and needles kicked in. I asked if this was a side effect of the contrast but everyone kept saying No….It lasted for 4 hours!?!?
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Cameo C Massey | August 17, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Also I didn’t achieve orgasm, but I did wind up having a very sexual dream that almost resulted in one.
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vince baker | August 22, 2014 at 10:13 am
had a ct scan with the dye Aug 20 took a shower this morning notice my scrotum was looking brused and back of penis could this be a reaction from dye.
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Jim Ridgway | November 19, 2014 at 4:22 am
Had CT scan w/contrast yesterday at 2:30. This was my 7th CT but first with contrast. I had the typical hot flushing, metallic taste, etc. when it went in. Then started uncontrollable shaking for about 10 minutes. I was OK by the time I left the imaging center. Have been drinking more than usual to help flush it out. But now the morning after I have aggravating back ache on left side in kidney area. This has me worrying about renal issues. They did not check creatinine or eGFR prior but it had been in mid 70’s a couple of months ago.
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Rhys Berryman | November 19, 2014 at 7:53 am
One year and three months after my “contrast” injection, I am ALMOST over it. I am down to 5mg of Prednisone per day, and the muscle pains are 90% gone. I will NEVER allow this poison to be injected into me again, and I wouldn’t wish polymyalgia rheumatica on my worst enemy. The injection triggered it the next day. They didn’t tell me ahead of time that 7% of patients have a bad reaction to this stuff. Oh… one more thing: the high doses of Prednisone during the first 8 months after the injection gave me osteoporosis… a little “bonus”.
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Ana | November 20, 2014 at 11:10 pm
I too have had a bad reaction to contrast and dye or just the iodine when getting a ct. When the contrast went into my right arm. I felt a burn in my throat. The next day I had a horrible sore throat then was given z pack antibiotic a few days later. A week later my throat became mostly better but I still have a swollen throat. Three weeks later my throat still feels dry and it’s hard to swallow and having acid reflux. It’s iritated, I didn’t have the usual symptoms of a cold but more like an allergy reaction similar to inhaling paint or some other irritant from day 1. Im definitely getting my liver function tested thanks to you! And i also vow to be more careful to take good care of my liver in the future and not let a dr decide for me as I only have one and I’m only 43 and want a good quality of life. I simpathyze with all you here, who have very possibly suffered side effects of having a ct with contrast – this many people can’t be wrong. I believe almost all docs are good people but the practice has flaws that need to be corrected. God bless you and I pray that natural nutrients and time will heal you or make you better!
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Rhys Berryman | November 20, 2014 at 11:35 pm
Ana… don’t mess around with acid reflux. If it has lasted three weeks, get medication to stop it NOW. Letting it continue can cause esophageal cancer. If maximum-strength Pepcid or Prilosec won’t control it, you will need a prescription med.
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jenny42012Jenny | December 26, 2014 at 6:42 pm
Hi, I have had two CT Scans with Contrast Dye. With the first one I had a rash, hives and my heart palpated for a short time, (I am astmatic) they gave me antihistamines and kept me in for an hour. For the second CT Scan I had pre medication and still had the rash but none of the other symptoms. I thought the premedication might stop all of the above symptoms – is this correct?
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Rhys Berryman | December 26, 2014 at 6:44 pm
My wife had a dye injection a few months ago, and they gave her a hefty dose of Prednisone BEFORE the injection, to shut down her immune system, and it apparently worked. She was only on Pred for three days, unlike my year-and-a-half.
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Xay | February 19, 2015 at 1:36 pm
I just had a CT scan yesterday for abdominal pain. I received an IV Contrast dye and I actually enjoyed the feeling. I am 18, so this was a first for me. The warmth actually felt quite therapeutic in the lower regions.
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Rhys Berryman | February 19, 2015 at 11:23 pm
I have read in more than one source that the contrast dye injection causes a reaction in 7% of patients and 1% is fatal. Mine was not fatal, but I was certainly one of the 7%, and I wouldn’t wish a year and a half of polymyalgia rheumatica on ANYONE. I am down to 2mg of Prednisone per day, and indications are that I am almost cured. I would not have another dye injection unless I am held at gunpoint, and even then I might refuse, rather than risk 12 or more months of pain.
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lisa | March 13, 2015 at 10:07 pm
Rhys 2 months ago had abdominal ct scan with contrast- within 2 days had bad collar bone pain that never had before- plus vision is now “off” in left eye- my collar bones hurt!! I know from the test- Dr said can’t be! I hope it will go away! I will never have another ct scan ever!
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Rhys Berryman | March 13, 2015 at 10:20 pm
Lisa… Please ask your doctor to prescribe Prednisone for you. I started out at 40mg per day for a week, then 30mg per day, then 20mg. It must be tapered off slowly after that; I am now down to 1mg daily, and will quit next month if the pains don’t recur. So far, so good; but the heavy dosage of Pred gave me osteoporosis, which is now being treated with alendronate. Yes, it’s possible the pain(s) may go away on their own, but it could take years. Even WITH Pred, it took me a year to stop the pain. The toxin(s) in the contrast serum cause our immune systems to overreact, triggering an autoimmune disease. You have to fight it, and Prednisone seems to be the medication of choice. You might be able to start with a lower dose than I did; it’s trial-and-error for awhile, until the correct dosage is found to quell the pain. Good luck!
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lisa | March 14, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Thanks so much for your reply- I appreciate your advice- I wish I never had that scan!! I had no pain before that scan!!! Never ever again!!! Lisa
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Anonymous | July 29, 2015 at 10:07 am
I had an abdominal CT scan yesterday with dye yesterday to try to get answers for blood in my urine a few months ago. Ultrasound showed nothing, so I up’d it to the CT scan. As soon as I was injected with the dye while lying on the tray, my brain felt like it froze, then my throat started to close.
I was given a shot of epinephrine, some pretzels and juice. I was so sick I vomited 5 times on the way home. Today, I am in bed with a horrible migraine. I am completely ill. I am dizzy, dopey and cannot even read a book.
I wish someone had warned me about the chance of being laid up in bed because of this procedure. I just had an allergy test and I’m not allergic to anything. Even when I have been anesthetized, I am usually only groggy for a few hours. I wish I had read this blog before because I would have cancelled my scan.
I am supposed to go on holidays the day after tomorrow and don’t know if I should cancel. I feel like I need to stick around in case something goes wrong. What if I have renal failure in flight?
I want to thank everyone for posting their stories. I hope those of you who are suffering get better and I very much appreciate people taking the time to note the after effects of this dangerous procedure.
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Rhys Berryman | July 29, 2015 at 10:11 am
As I am still (2 years) in the aftereffects of a contrast injection, I cannot understand why this terrible stuff isn’t banned by the FDA.
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Betty Marks | July 31, 2015 at 4:29 pm
I had a CT scan this morning and as I left they asked me if I needed to go to the bathroom – little did I know! I said no thank you and got in my car to drive 45 minutes to my house. Less than 2 miles down the road, I felt like a bowel movement was about to happen so I grabbed a plastic bag in the passenger seat and put it under me just in case and almost instantly I had uncontrollable diarrea in the middle of a rather large city traffic jam with no where to go. Needless to say, I drove my 45 miles, missing almost every light, and steadily having at its will diarrea for about 30 of the miles. It was a rather helpless feeling and a situation I could do nothing about. Went straight to my shower and then to the garbage can. Car was saved but my pretty white pants were hopeless. Let this be a lesson unto you – when they say do you need to go to the bathroom before you leave – GO TO THE BATHROOM. Not a pleasant experience but my wonderful children got a good laugh. Second lesson to learn – don’t share your most embarrassing moments with your adult children. It is now 8 hours later and probably 5 lbs. lighter but all is well. Have a blessed day.
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Rhys Berryman | July 31, 2015 at 5:10 pm
There seems to be no limit to the problems caused by the contrast injection. Drink LOTS of water, and allow your kidneys to flush as much of the poison out of your system as possible. My reaction (as stated before) began 24 hours after the injection, and I’m still not “right” after 23 months. I hope you can recover quickly and not have long-lasting problems.
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Anonymous | August 9, 2015 at 1:57 pm
I am 8 months out from my abdominal scan w/contrast- I had to start a whole vitamin regime after the dye to counteract the headaches and aches and pains that started immediately after the scan procedure- and I was a “healthy” person before!! Having the scan was a big mistake on my part- and that doesn’t even include the fact that I now have an increased chance of cancer from all the scan radiation. Never Again will I have a ct scan!!!
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Rhys Berryman | August 9, 2015 at 2:25 pm
The aches and pains are more likely caused by your own immune system, which was made hyperactive by the toxin in the contrast dye. My injection was two years ago, and I’ve been off Prednisone for six months. Pred was the only thing to relieve polymyalgia rheumatica, which was triggered by the injection (no radiation was involved in mine). After two years, I now feel about 75% as good as I did before the injection, and I don’t expect it to get much better. You will need more than vitamins to prevent your immune system from attacking your muscles. It is an autoimmune disease, which must be suppressed with corticosteroids. I’m not sure it can EVER be completely “cured”, but Prednisone makes it tolerable, and then you can gradually taper off the Pred..
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Anonymous | August 9, 2015 at 5:46 pm
Rhys thanks so much for ur helpful info on this site- unfortunately my Dr feels prednisone carrys its own risks and does not feel it wuld be good for me- so that leaves me with my “treatment” of select daily vitamins…
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Rhys Berryman | August 9, 2015 at 6:07 pm
Yes, Prednisone can have side effects, and it requires a SLOW tapering to get off of it, but it DID stop the pain of polymyalgia, which was triggered by the contrast injection. But being on Pred for so long gave me osteoporosis (moderate), for which the doctor prescribed alendronate (Fosamax), which caused my joints to hurt! (Instead of my muscles). I’m now off both of those, and am starting to feel better.
During the time I was on Prednisone, the doctor was running monthly blood tests on me, to be sure it wasn’t damaging my liver, and it didn’t.
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Jordan | August 12, 2015 at 2:33 pm
I had an abdominal CT last wednesday to rule out diverticulitis. I had to drink 32oz of water with the dye 2 hrs before. I was given a dixie cup of more contrast. As soon as I received the injection, I immediately felt a metal taste on the right side of my lower lips and right side of my tongue as well as the warm sensation. I went home not thinking much of it. The next morning i felt a numbing sensation in my lips which spread to the cheek and jaw line. I also broke out into hives on my torso. I saw my primary who told me to take Benadryl. It seems to take the edge off but the sensory loss is still there. Went to my neurologist on Monday who ordered 3 MRIs of Brain, cervical and thoracic spine to rule out spinal cord inflammation. MRIs were basically normal. I have a history of transverse thoracic myelitis three years earlier which was treated with an IV infusion of solumedrol which is prednisone in an IV form. Now he is ordering the same treatment as that helped get rid of the numbing and tingling in my legs which was the result of the prior myelitis.
I truly believe that the loss of sensation was triggered by the dye. I wish I never agreed to the contrast. Now i have to deal with this. I hope the solumedrol restores my feeling otherwise I’ll feel like I am constantly filled with novacaine in my mouth.
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Jordan | April 8, 2016 at 6:49 am
Well after 4 days of iv steroids, further testing and upteen Dr visits and MRIs, it turns out that the sensory loss was not a reaction to the dye but rather the beginnings of relapsing and remitting MS. So what I thought was a reaction to the dye was actually a blessing in disguise. My neurologist started me onTecfidera which I have been taking since Oct and after another MRI in Feb, all is stable without new lesions in the brain. So if it had not been for the contrast, and CT I may have never caught the MS early enough to treat and control it.
But if you ask me, I would never have that particular dye again!
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Lynn | August 15, 2015 at 4:07 am
I know I’m a little late to this party, but I just ran across this site and wanted to contribute my experience. I had a CT scan two days ago looking for kidney stones. They had me drink the clear liquid (with iodine, I was told), and they hooked me up to the IV for the dye. Immediately after starting the IV, I had an unbearable, sharp pain that felt like a needle was being jabbed up the inside of my arm towards my shoulder. I yelled out in pain and told them to stop the IV immediately – which they did. This was not one of the side affects they told me I could experience. Although I did not experience the diarrhea the same day, I did the next day, along with bubbles in my urine, which I have never experienced – I’m guessing that was from the oral contrast.
No matter what, I won’t be doing that again.
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Rhys Berryman | August 15, 2015 at 7:40 am
I learned (AFTER the injection) that there are many possible side effects from the injected contrast dye, sometimes (but not often) fatal. After two years, I am still paying the price for that horrible experience, which hit me 24 hours after the injection, when I could barely walk. I think every muscle in my body was hurting, and it was soon diagnosed as polymyalgia rheumatica, triggered by the toxic injection. Although Prednisone (for a year and a half) helped a lot, I have never felt really good since the injection.
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Lynn | August 15, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Wow – that is just awful.
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Jennifer | August 28, 2015 at 10:34 pm
Hi. On Jan 22, 2015, I had a CT scan of the abdomen and pelivis with the drink and injection.
I stared reading the consent form I was about to sign, and the tech says “you can read it if you want”. I began to have a gut feeling not to go through with it, but then I come across the line in the consent form where it says “your doctor has weighed the pros and cons and believes the benefits of this procedure outweigh the risks”. I put blind trust in an authority figure and paid for it.
I thought they were only scanning my abdomen, as that was were the pain was. Yet , they scanned my pelvis also, which I never knew until I requested my records. In addition, I had no idea I was getting a contrast injection after the drink until the moment of the test, and the tech never told me to drink water afterwards.
The next day, I began to feel very sick. I had a rash and I was extremely pale and lethargic. I went to bed early, hoping to sleep it off. Instead it got worse. I went to get checked and was given Benadryl. It did nothing.
Over the following months I have had a chronic dry feeling in my throat and aching in my sides and lower abdomen. I have slowly developed serious bulging veins on my hands and feet- the blood is pooling, pointing to valve insufficiency. Veins are appearing all over my body, even under my eyes. My skin tone and texture has changed, and I get a red lace-like rash all over my body when I have even the slightest chill. I have developed Raynaud’s Phenomenon in my hands and feet.
The doctor did not believe me when I said something was wrong with me, he said I have anxiety. As a result, I was left to watch these changes in my body occur with no intervention-it has gotten worse and worse. I just want to know what is happening to me!
I just started with a new doctor, who is testing me for Lupus. I am only 31, yet my health is ruined and my self-confidence has been shattered. All from a test that my doctor ordered in my supposed best interest.
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Rhys Berryman | August 29, 2015 at 8:09 am
It has been two years since my contrast injection, and I am finally about 90% over the effects, plus a year and a half on Prednisone. The muscle and joint pain was so severe that I considered suicide for awhile, but I’m still here. I cannot understand how this toxic (and occasionally lethal) injection is allowed by the FDA.
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Krystoff | September 1, 2015 at 9:18 am
Glad you’re better. Was it Lupus?
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Rhys Berryman | September 1, 2015 at 9:43 am
No, not lupus; it was polymyalgia rheumatica (an autoimmune disease), triggered by the reaction to my contrast injection. It hit me (hard) 24 hours after the injection.
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Jennifer | September 6, 2015 at 10:44 am
How wrong is it that this is allowed to happen? I am so mad I just want to cry! I am waiting for my return appointment on Sep 21, but what does it matter? The damage has already been done. Nobody believes me when I say it is connected to the contrast injection. I am so lost.
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Rhys Berryman | September 6, 2015 at 6:52 pm
Jennifer, please talk with your regular doctor about your reactions. The toxin in the contrast injection caused my immune system to overreact, and after my kidneys had removed the toxin (in about a day), my immune system (which was in “overdrive” needed something to attack… so it attacked ME. Prednisone works by putting the brakes on our immune system, and after a year and a half my polymyalgia rheumatica faded to about 10% of what it was, and I’ve been able to quit Prednisone. Your doctor can explain the side effects and how to taper off as the muscle pains subside. I wish you luck; don’t give up, you will most likely get better, but it can take time. PLEASE discuss this with your doctor and don’t just suffer through what could be a long process.
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Jennifer | September 27, 2015 at 1:18 pm
I went back to the doctor on Monday. Tests for lupus came back negative. I am still suffering. My circulation is terrible, constant numbness and tingling. Veins popping out everywhere, Very swollen hands and feet, skin has lost all moisture and smoothness and has also taken on a darker reddish tone; I used to have smooth, soft, clear, white skin.
Now the doctor is testing me for lyme. She doesn’t believe me about the contrast. She doesn’t even seem to care. I have to wait another whole month now until my next appointment. It has been 10 months and I have no answers. I continue to suffer. I watched my body transform before me and I can’t live with it. I have been severely suicidal and I am getting closer to doing it. I just want to die because my body has been ruined and nobody cares or believes me. Why did I allow them to do this to me?
I have actually found scientific journal articles that speak to the toxicity of this stuff. Obviously the drug companies silence the voices of these researchers until years down the road when it all comes out that the stuff really is carcinogenic.
My well-being has been robbed by the very people who are supposed to help protect it.
First, do no harm,
Yeah right.
I will probably end up killing myself before the end of the year. Please, everyone, DO NOT agree to have this injection. DO NOT believe the status quo- this stuff is TOXIC to our fragile endothelial cells.
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Rhys Berryman | September 27, 2015 at 7:39 pm
Jennifer, my doctor referred me to a rheumatologist when the toxic injection sent my immune system into high gear, causing it to attack me. Polymyalgia rheumatica is an autoimmune disease; it is NOT caused by a virus or bacteria and is not contagious. The toxin is expelled from your body by your kidneys within 24 to 48 hours, but your immune system and adrenaline production keeps working, and needs something to attack. Its usual choice is muscles and joints. It sounds like your doctor refuses to acknowledge what has been done to you; you MUST see a different doctor. Please don’t kill yourself; I understand the pain, but Prednisone can alleviate it and eventually get rid of 90% of it. I can honestly say that after 25 months, I can go on with a fairly normal existence, and was able to quit Pred after 18 months (tapering off slowly). PLEASE don’t give up… polymyalgia rheumatica CAN be controlled.
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Jennifer | September 22, 2015 at 4:15 am
092215
I had a CT of my abdomen done with contrast (by mouth and IV) on Friday. It gave me almost instantaneous diarrhea that lasted until it was time to drink the next bottle of barium. I didn’t think I’d be able to make it through the CT! I did though.
The tech was an angel who administered the iodine contrast sloooowly, so that the burning sensation wasn’t as intense. Usually it makes my heart pound, my genitals burn (and not in a good way!), and I feel like I’m having a panic attack. His method insured none of that was as unbearable as other times I’ve had this test.
I felt nauseous and “not hungry” through Sunday. As I am NEVER not hungry, I know this had to be from the barium and/or iodine. But hey, I don’t mind not being starving all of the time so I figured I can live with this side effect!
On Monday, I started itching. It is a burning, intense itch that produced welts. I attributed the itching to a sudden onset allergic contact reaction to my laundry products – although I’ve never been sensitive before.
After washing with cool water, and wearing loose clothing the itch subsided. But it kept coming back off and on, most intensely at night when my skin made contact with the bedclothes. Where ever there was a “crease mark” on my skin, or pressure from laying down, it would burn and I would itch. I nearly scratched my hands raw in my sleep.
I have never itched like this before. I do have Sjogren’s, arthritis and I know my immune system is in high-gear. I don’t take any medication except HRT and Tums for heartburn. I am hyper-sensitive to medicines, which is why I’m not on anything. I am allergic to shellfish (which has nothing to do with iodine, they’ve discovered) and sensitive to latex – it makes a red, burned looking area where they put bandaids, and makes my lips swell some if a dentist uses them while working on my teeth.
After reading what the radiologist said, apparently this could not possibly be a late onset side effect of either contrast material. Except if it isn’t that, then wtheck? I did determine it wasn’t my clothes, by the way. I washed them in hypoallergenic soap, and rinsed the heck out of them, and even used a vinegar rinse.
Here are some the possible side effects listed for barium – it does not specify a “when” so I am not convinced it couldn’t be days later:
Hives
Itching
Redness of Skin
Andddd – GO :- )
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Rhys Berryman | September 22, 2015 at 8:30 am
The flimsy warnings about the toxic “contrast” injection make very little mention of the delayed effects. Mine began almost exactly 24 hours after the injection; and now, 2 years later, I am 75% over the side effects. These injections are pure evil.
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Donna Barcus | October 27, 2015 at 9:39 pm
Nearly 30,000 Americans Get Cancer From This One Procedure EVERY Year: Will You?
September 25, 2010
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/25/high-ct-scan-radiation-is-deadly.aspx
CT scans yield higher-resolution images than regular medical X-rays. Unfortunately, they also expose the patient to hundreds and sometimes thousands of times the amount of radiation.
The routine use of CT scans has vastly increased. In 1980, there were roughly 3 million CT scans performed. By 2007, that number had increased to 70 million. CT scans are now being promoted to healthy people — even whole body CT scans.
According to Life Extension Magazine:
“The problem is that the explosion in unnecessary CT scans has been going on every year. If we carry this back just ten years, this means that 150,000 Americans are facing horrific deaths from CT scan-induced cancers.”
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
Despite clear evidence that the radiation from x-rays is damaging to your body, our current medical system continues to promote the careless and excessive use of radiation-based diagnostic scans.
This year, one in every 10 Americans will have a CT scan (computed tomography).
The amount of money spent on medical imaging doubled between 2000 and 2006 to about $14 billion a year—and that is just Medicare alone, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office.
More than 70 million CT scans per year are now performed in the US, including at least 4 million on children. This is up from just 3 million in 1980.
Nearly 30,000 Get Cancer EVERY Year in the US from CT Scans
According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine last year, CT scans alone will cause nearly 30,,000 unnecessary cancer cases (about 2 percent of cancer cases), which will lead to about 14,500 deaths.
But wait, there’s more bad news.
While 30,000 cancer cases is a large number, a New England Journal of Medicine study from 2007 estimated that overuse of diagnostic CT scans may cause up to 3 million excess cancers over the next 20 to 30 years.
For those slow on math that is 1,00X more deaths over the next 25 years.
David Brenner of Columbia University, lead author of the study, told USA Today:
“About one-third of all CT scans that are done right now are medically unnecessary … Virtually anyone who presents in the emergency room with pain in the belly or a chronic headache will automatically get a CT scan. Is that justified?”
Why are so many CT scans being done, when they result in so many unnecessary deaths?
There are several reasons:
Physicians fear being sued for malpractice if they miss something.
Some patients pressure their physicians for scans “just to be safe,” especially after hearing advertisements touting the benefits of new hi-tech tests (without disclosure of the risks).
Physicians are more often using scans to screen “the worried well” (such as scanning former smokers for lung cancer).
Many doctors have purchased their own imaging equipment for their practices. This adds a financial incentive into the mix and sets the stage for overuse of the technology.
There’s a trend toward commercially advertised full-body CT scans to “find everything wrong with you.” Consumers with extra cash lying around (in excess of $1,000 in most cases) are being encouraged to undergo a full-body scan as a preventive measure.
While high-tech imaging can be beneficial in certain cases, it must be used SPARINGLY because it exposes your body to dangerous radiation—radiation that is proven to cause cancer.
And you are being exposed to more radiation from your diagnostic test than was previously thought. Studies have recently found that radiation doses from CT scans tend to be higher than the amounts generally reported.
When the diagnostic procedure causes the disease you are trying to avoid, perhaps you should reconsider the procedure!
Becoming aware of the risks of medical scans is part of becoming a smart consumer and knowing your health care options. Research suggests that a dismal seven percent of patients are informed of the risks of CT scans.
Why X-Rays are so Damaging to Your Health
There are four primary reasons that x-rays (and other diagnostic tests that rely on ionizing radiation, such as mammograms and CTs) should be minimized:
They cause chromosomal mutations that are often irreparable, and the effects are cumulative.
They cause DNA changes that are proven to lead to cancer.
They cause DNA damage in your arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
They often result in misdiagnosis and false positives, increasing the likelihood of follow up tests—further increasing your radiation exposure.
X-rays and other types of ionizing radiation have been, for decades, a proven cause of virtually all types of mutations—especially structural chromosomal mutations. X-rays are an established cause of genomic instability, which is frequently seen in the most aggressive cancers.
X-rays act like tiny little “grenades” that are far more damaging to your DNA than the metabolic free radicals, which are routinely produced by your cell’s natural metabolism. Ionizing radiation can damage the genetic material of every internal organ or cell lying within the path of an x-ray beam. Within an organ, even a single high-speed high-energy electron, set into motion by an x-ray photon, has a chance of inducing the types of damage that defy repair.
That is why there is no safe dose of x-rays.
And when such mutations are not lethal to the cell, they persist and accumulate with each additional exposure to x-rays or other ionizing radiation.
On top of the DNA mutation effects, there is the issue of arterial damage and increased risk of blood clots.
How can radiation move you closer to a heart attack?
Radiation damages the DNA in your arteries, which in turn causes the cells lining your arteries to multiply abnormally, decreasing the size of the arterial lumen and effectively “narrowing” your arteries. This radiation-induced tissue inside your arteries is similar to scar tissue, decreasing vessel elasticity and increasing your risk for arterial blockage.
According to John Gofman, M.D., Ph.D., evidence indicates that more than 50 percent of deaths from cancer and more than 60 percent of deaths from ischemic heart disease may be x-ray-induced.
Misdiagnosis – Yet Another Drawback that Can Significantly Harm Your Health
Full body scans (as well as mammograms) can frequently lead to misdiagnosis rather than provide peace of mind. They are notoriously unreliable and often have incidental findings that are within the “normal range” of variation, but worry the patient needlessly and create the desire for follow-up tests, and/or even more unnecessary medical interventions.
False positive diagnoses are far more common than you might think—as high as 89 percent in mammograms!—leading many to be unnecessarily and harmfully treated by mastectomy, more radiation, or chemotherapy.
Just the stress of having to cope with a diagnosis of a potential cancer could be enough to move the body toward disease and away from health.
Radiation Accidents More Common than You Might Think
If the dangers of “properly executed” CT scans don’t scare you, the additional risk of x-rays-gone-wrong will undoubtedly give you a chill.
The complexity of medical radiation technology has created new avenues for error by way of software flaws, faulty programming, poor safety procedures or inadequate staffing and training.
When those errors occur, they can be severe – even deadly.
The following types of radiation injuries have been reported:
DNA damage and mutations
Acute radiation toxicity (burned skin, nausea, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, loss of taste, tongue swelling, hair loss, etc.)
Skin burns, including gaping holes in the body that won’t close
Wounds that won’t heal due to damaged blood vessels and chronic inflammation, which deprive the area of nourishment
Organ damage
Bone death, such as destruction of the jaw, and loss of teeth
Death
The New York Times published an article in January of 2010 about the alarming rise in radiation-related injuries and deaths, including those listed above. People know very little about the harm that can ensue when safety rules are violated and these powerful and technologically complex machines go awry.
The difference between a routine CT scan and a death sentence is as simple as a computer error causing you to be blasted with errant beams of radiation, leaving you in unspeakable pain, or worse.
Your Odds May be as Low as 1 in 20 for Sustaining a Radiation Injury
There is no good estimate of the frequency of these radiation accidents—regulators and researchers can only guess how often radiologic mishaps occur. They’re chronically underreported, and some states don’t require they be reported at all.
Dr. John Feldmeier, an authority on the treatment of radiation injuries, estimates that 1 in 20 patients will suffer radiation injuries. According to the New York Times article, the nation’s largest wound care company treated 3,000 severe radiation injuries in 2009 alone.
You might not even realize you’ve suffered radiation overexposure, if you don’t happen to connect your symptoms to the radiological event.
This is precisely what happened to 200 patients in Los Angeles who underwent a specific type of CT brain scan at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The unsuspecting patients received eight to 10 times the normal dose of radiation due to an incorrectly programmed machine. The overdose wasn’t discovered for 18 months and only came to light after a patient reported losing patches of hair following the scan.
On the whole, diagnostic imaging tests have increased your average radiation exposure sevenfold since 1980.
Increased exposure means increased cancer risk.
Widely Overused CT Scans May Cause 1 Million Excess Cancers per Decade
There is no doubt the use of radiation in medicine has many benefits—that’s indisputable. However, you may not be aware you could be having the same x-rays done for a fraction of the radiation exposure.
Within the professions of radiology and radiologic physics, there are mainstream experts who have shown how the dosage of x-rays in current practice could be cut by more than 50 percent, without any loss of information and without eliminating a single procedure.
The potential for dose-reduction may far exceed 50 percent without loss of quality, and in fact with an improvement in quality due to uniform exposure:
Radiation can be reduced at least 5-fold for some common x-ray exams
Radiation can be reduced at least 8-fold for abdominal exposures
Mammogram radiation can be reduced 55- to 69-fold for various breast images
One CT Scan is 100 Times More Dangerous than Chest X-Ray
CT scans emit far more radiation than conventional X-rays—a CT scan of the chest delivers 100 times the radiation of a conventional chest X-ray, and a mammogram delivers 1,000 times more radiation.
Over a ten-year period, a woman can receive as much radiation exposure (5 rads) from routine mammograms as a Japanese woman one mile from the epicenter of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
Many nonessential radiation-based scans could be eliminated altogether.
Thousands of Children Die Every Year from CT Scans
High doses of radiation are of particular danger to children, because they have many developing cells and organs. Children also have many years of life ahead of them over which they will experience multiple x-rays—and the risk is cumulative.
What is inexcusable is that CT scans given to kids are typically calibrated for adults. Children are routinely receiving two to six times the radiation necessary to accomplish the task (American Journal of Roentgenology 2001).
As a result, it is estimated that 1500 children may die each year from CT scans they had earlier in life.
How You Can Protect Yourself from “Indecent Exposure”
I would encourage you to avoid x-rays whenever possible.
There may be times when a CT scan is warranted, depending on your condition. But oftentimes a CT scan can be substituted with an MRI or an ultrasound, both of which have fewer harmful side effects, while still able to produce the necessary information.
The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter offers some good suggestions for questions you should ask before undergoing a diagnostic scan:
Is the test really necessary?
What difference will it make in my care?
Is there a non-radiation alternative, such as ultrasound or MRI?
Is the facility accredited by the American College of Radiology?
Will the test use the lowest level of radiation for adequate imaging? (Will it be adjusted for my size, or my child’s size?)
Will the scan be limited to the indicated area, and will nearby areas be shielded?
Avoid CT Scans Unless Your Life Depends on It
I believe the evidence is very clear that you need to avoid CT scans at all costs. There is absolutely no justification to use a full body scan as a screening of any sort. That is just utter nonsense and the risk in no way justifies the benefit.
Occasionally CT scans are useful diagnostically, but in most cases MRIs can provide similar imaging results and at this time appear to be far safer.
Natural Ways to Help You Strengthen Your Body Against the Assaults of Medical Radiation
In addition to seeking to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure and using the safest medical testing available whenever you do need a medical image test, you may be able to lower your radiation-induced risk for cancer by using a potent antioxidant.
If, for whatever reason you are forced into a CT scan, this is the best advice I can give you, to protect yourself from this massive ionizing radiation exposure…
Astaxanthin is a potent carotenoid and everything I have studied suggests it is the most potent antioxidant to protect against this type of damage. You can take 2-4 mg of astaxanthin to protect your cells and tissues.
The downside, however, is that you need to be on it for several weeks to prevent the damage.
The side benefit is that the astaxanthin will also likely prevent the most common cause of blindness, age related macular degeneration, cataracts and also help you from getting sunburned.
A 100% Safe Imaging Alternative to Mammograms
As mentioned earlier, mammography is another example of overused, risky imaging technology. Not only does it expose you to potentially dangerous amounts of radiation, it also compresses your breasts tightly, which can actually spread dangerous cancer cells, should they exist.
Updated guidelines now call for women under 50 to forego routine screening mammography. This is a small step in the right direction; however, there is a far better option.
I highly recommend thermography, particularly for breast screening.
Thermographic screening is entirely safe, non-invasive, and brilliantly simple. This technology measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates the information into anatomical images.
There is no pressure or compression of your breasts, and no radiation. Perhaps best of all, this imaging system can detect signs of breast cancer up to 10 years before either a mammogram or a physical exam.
If your doctor or other health care provider recommends a CT scan, mammogram or other imaging technique as either a screening tool or to diagnose a physical complaint, I strongly encourage you to explore all your options before agreeing to be radiated.
Don’t trade your good health or a minor complaint for an increased risk of x-ray-induced cancer in the future.
198.
Chris J. | January 30, 2016 at 2:42 pm
Hi Rhys,
I can sympathize with you greatly. Back in Aug 2013 I had an Thoracic MRI for upper back issues which unintentionally revealed I had cysts on my kidneys. I was sent to a Urologist who ordered a CT-Urography with IV contrast. The Dr. already knew I had allergy to iodine, and I am not sure what media was used this time. However, I did have extreme joint and muscle pain for over 2 weeks before things simmered down a bit. I could honestly feel every single joint in my body and seriously thought I was going to die.
Things slowly got a little better with time, but I would keep having strange things happen all over my body. Extreme arm weakness especially in my right arm with large bruises between my bicep and tricep. I would get muscle tears you could hear and then pain when just reaching for something without even lifting anything. I went to PT appointments because they thought I had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Then they sent me to PT to learn how to do trigger point stretches. Shoulders and neck continued to hurt so bad, and they said I had arthritis in it. Nothing seemed to help.
I told the Doctors I felt like I had some kind of connective tissue disorder. This went on for 1.5 years with not any relief. Then in mid-June 2015 I started having a constant moderate headache in my temple with a small area of numbness just in front of my ear. Docs could not figure it out. I had head CT, MRI, and MRA but nothing found for the cause. After 4.5 months of constant headache they decided to treat me for TMJ with Naproxen. After 4 days, I had facial numbness extend from ear down jaw, out cheek bone, and up to forehead. Then they tried Indomethacin for Hemicrania Continua, which also increased my numbness symptom to my whole right side of head, down my neck, out my shoulder, and down my right arm. This also gave me some severe eye pain. After stopping the eye pain subsided some, but the numbness did not. Then they decided to treat me for Migrane with Topiramate, which after one day gave me a slight ringing in my ears. By day 3, it was now a constant moderate level ringing in my ears they call Tinitus. I still have this after over 2 months. The doctors thought I might have Temporal Arteritis, but I am only 51, and my ESR and CRP blood panel were normal, so they decided to rule that out. The typical TA patient would be in their 70’s
I always felt that the day of the CT Urography, was the day my health took a dive and have not since recovered.
After wondering more about my allergic reaction to the CT contrast dye, I came across a site that talked about the dangers of Gadolinium for patients with kidney disease and a Medical condition called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis. This sounds like something you and I may have contracted.
Do you know what type of contrast dye was used for your imaging?
I think this condition only happens with Gadolinium.
I just came across your thread a couple of days ago and was amazed at the info you gave and how it sounded like my symptoms.
Maybe I also have contrast dye induced PMR or Temporal Arteritis.
Your comments about your condition have been extremely helpful in confirming my suspicion that all these symptoms are related and started after my kidney CT contrast crisis. Docs say that PMR and GCA/TA are related. I’ve seen stats saying 50% of patients with GCA/TA also have PMR.
I am still suffering with all the symptoms today of which the constant headache, eye issues, and constant ringing in both ears are the most annoying and make it difficult to sleep and only get 0-2 hours/night.
This is most difficult when trying to hold down a job.
Sorry this is so long. I just hope I can get the doctors to understand what I have been going through and hope to get prednisone treatment soon.
Your comments are leading me down the right path to correct diagnosis.
Kind regards,
199.
Rhys Berryman | February 1, 2016 at 11:12 am
Chris… It sounds like the contrast dye hit you even harder than it did me. However, that’s not quite accurate, because it isn’t the toxic dye which gets us… it’s our own immune system’s REACTION to the toxin. If your kidneys are in good condition, they remove the toxin within 24 to 48 hours. But our immune systems sometimes cannot revert back to normal after an “emergency” response. This is what creates an “auto-immune disease” (the immune system attacking our own bodies). Of course, it’s not a “disease” in the true sense of the word, as there is no virus, bacteria, or contagion involved. In me, the reaction turned into polymyalgia rheumatica… my immune system concentrated on my muscles. In your case, it apparently also affected joints. According to the rheumatologist who treated me, I am lucky that the polymyalgia didn’t morph into R.A., which it sometimes does. Prednisone made life bearable for the year and a half until I was able to taper off of it, finally to zero last April. I wish you luck in finding relief, and I hope you are seeing a specialist; our regular doctor was able to identify the problem, and he fortunately sent me to a rheumatologist. I hope you can get your system back in balance.
200.
Chris J. | February 1, 2016 at 8:23 pm
Rhys….Thanks for the insights into my immune system response. I found out today that it was Omnipaque I received for IV contrast which is a iodine based dye.
Just to compare notes, do you know what type you were given?
Now they want to do an MRI with Gadolinium next week. I am very concerned and think that maybe I should back out. If I had a bad response to iodine based dye, why should I think that I would have a good response to Gadolinium if my kidneys are having problems?
I’m currently trying to find a good Rheumatologist that understands these issues. I live in Wisconsin. Are you in a neighboring state?
If you don’t feel right giving this info, I understand. Just looking for a doc that understands the situation. So far I’ve seen 6 doctors from PCP, 2 Opthamologist, a Neuro Headache Dr, a ENT, and a Rheumatologist, but none have figured it out and will not listen.
I’m glad you were able to get the prednisone to treat yours, even though I know it is not the most friendly medication either with possible bad side effects. From what I’ve heard thought it sure beats PMR.
201.
Rhys Berryman | February 16, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Chris… I started out on 20 mg of Pred every day to suppress the immune response against my muscles. It DID work, but as you said, Prednisone has side effects, such as osteoporosis, vision, and heart problems. But once you start using Pred, and IF it helps, you need to taper it off… slowly! Quitting too fast will cause PMR to return, and you need to start all over. It took me 8 months, but I haven’t had to use any Prednisone for 10 months, and the polymyalgia has not returned. But it damaged my right knee joint, caused some vision problems, gave me osteoporosis, and moderate stenosis of my aortic valve (probably a side effect of excessive calcium to fight the osteoporosis). For 77 years old, I am mostly pain-free, without the need for any pain killers, other than an occasional ibuprofen or aspirin, and maybe a Tramadol twice a month. Good luck… You CAN beat PMR, but it takes time.
202.
bonnie | January 31, 2016 at 12:28 pm
Can anyone explain why I had a warm gush immediately to my EARS even before the warm feeling in the nether regions?
203.
Rhys Berryman | February 1, 2016 at 10:35 pm
Bonnie… Sorry, but I can’t explain that one. My reaction to the contrast toxin didn’t start for 24 hours, and it first attacked my abdominal muscles; I could barely stand up or walk. It sounds like your body had a mild toxic shock immediately; it seems to affect people differently.
204.
Gina | February 17, 2016 at 3:18 pm
I had the IV contrast over a yeah ago. I felt extremely sick immediately afterwards and in the weeks and months afterwards I slowly developed venous disease. Now,I have dilated veins all over my body, with blood pooling in my legs and arms. Now I am going to have to pay for expensive procedures to remove the diseased veins but, since my whole system has been weakened, this will be a chronic condition that I will have to deal with forever. I am only 32-years-old.
Search this stuff on Google Scholar. There is still much they are discovering about how this stuff effects the body.
Had my vitality stolen over what my doctor called a “routine” procedure. Sure wish I had listened to my gut and not let them inject me! All I hope for now is death.
205.
Rhys Berryman | February 17, 2016 at 3:57 pm
Gina, in my case a rheumatologist helped me get over the worst of the effects of the toxic injection, but don’t give up. I’m sure your regular doctor can recommend a specialist for you, to deal with your specific issues. Yes, I also have lifelong problems because of that injection, but the doctors have been able to make it bearable. I cannot understand why the FDA allows that stuff to be used; it is evil. And even if “only” 7% of patients have an adverse reaction, that’s still too many.
206.
Dawn | April 10, 2016 at 8:54 am
It is reassuring to learn my experience with contrast dye and radioactive iodine is not unique. I have had pain in left side for past three months that increased in frequency and intensity until I awoke 48 hours ago violently ill. Urgent Care tried to send me to ER for CT with contrast but I knew this would cost me three times as much as having test performed medical park where Urgent Care is. I was given water to drink after drinking the dye which I, of couse, vomited up in 15 min. Radiologist elected to proceed with test and radioactive iodine was administered. My joints also hurt the day after. Day two I awake with the bitter, metallic taste mentioned by others and I felt like a donkey had kicked my back in the kidney region. Mr.Radiographer, the radiologist who has posted on this site, stated that creatnine levels are checked prior to test being performed but mine were not. I had no labs of any kind prior to CT. The antinausea injection I was given did not work so hydration was a challenge. It is reasonable to be concerned about after effects of contrast dye. I cannot even metabolize food preservatives and processed foods, why would this chemical be any diffetent?
207.
Rhys Berryman | April 10, 2016 at 8:47 pm
I would not want to minimize the side effects which may be caused by the oral contrast solution, but I cannot comment on it. My serious effects, lasting a year and a half, were from the INJECTED contrast solution. Injecting this toxic substance into your bloodstream can cause your immune system to go bonkers, which is what happened to me, and I’m still dealing with unwanted effects from all the Prednisone which I took to counteract the polymyalgia rheumatica, including vision problems and moderate aortic stenosis (a heart murmur). It’s possible that taking this poison orally could cause problems, too, but we’d need to hear from patients who have had experience with this method.
208.
Margaret Gano | May 2, 2016 at 12:32 pm
I have to take the barium n the dye every 6 weeks. The last few time I experienced shivers n sores in my mouth for one day.plus some rashes.on my face. I thoughy it was a flu. Thr very lsst time which was last wed, one hour after I got ut i got the shivers. N could not breath. Arms n legs were aching. Rashes appear on my face. Corner of my eye n chin. my mouth got really dry n after the first night although the shivering stopped. My face was swollen n my mouth was swollen up with sores.Never happen, in one year. Now doc said I need to take cortisone when I take it again. I had to as I m a cancer patient
Now my mouth has white patches n is very sore, with dry lips. My face n chin has peeling skin from rash.my mouth hurts. After some benadryl the other symtoms went away n left me with these sores. Will try Orajel n biotene rinse. Any suggestions?
209.
Rhys Berryman | May 2, 2016 at 1:02 pm
Margaret, you apparently have had a severe reaction to the toxin(s) in the contrast injection. You MUST consult your regular doctor, not just the specialist who performed the tests, because they tend to minimize the dangers of the injection, or even tell you that something else caused the reaction(s). Fortunately, my regular doctor recognized the problem, and in my case, he referred me to a rheumatologist and my eye doctor. Your situation seems more widespread, so DON’T just wait for it to go away. You will need medication to counteract the effects of the toxin. I wish you well!
210. ER Visit for Abdominal Pain – Navelgazing Writer | October 10, 2016 at 3:20 pm
[…] You see, when the dye goes through the IV and into the body, it makes a searing beeline for the groin. More specifically for me, my clit. (Men say it goes to their testicles.) […]
211.
lisa | January 12, 2017 at 9:35 pm
i had a contrast abdominal ct with iv and experienced metallic taste for two days, extreme fatigue immediately after, joint pain, pain in right kidney area, vomitng and diarhea, headache and a return of asthma after 3 years without symptoms. The dye sure felt like a toxin to me. I feel poisoned. Ibeleive ny bkdy will recover from tnis though. Take care everyone
212.
Anonymous | November 14, 2017 at 6:27 pm
That’s stupid
213.
Michael Joseph | February 19, 2018 at 4:38 pm
Trust me you do not want to do this test. This ha destroyed my health in ways that are immeasurable. I never needed this test and it will probably kill me the damage was just that severe and im not sure if the dumb radialogist didnt over radiate me. I was in excellent health. Played ice hockey all of my life for 45 years and now I can barely wash a car without getting tired. this shit detsroyed my viens and my entire body chemistry. I can list about 30 different symptoms. I do not believe I will survive this. The reaction I had was delayed and the tech said to me the most I could expect was maybe a headach and he dint tell me I could have an anaphylactic reaction. This is not to mention that I listed hey fever as an allergin and it was on my chart and it appears to me they didnt read it. This reaction can cause multi system organ failure if you have a sever enough reaction. I think I had four reactions in total at night. Because the radiologist told me only a headach I had no idea what was happening to me. This is insanity what has happened to me. It ha destroyed my life and I didnt even need the test. I never even went to the docs in all my life but I decide to go and he gives me a full work up. I had bronchitus but got rid of that but when he asked me what brought me here i said a cough and he sends me for a cat scan of my stomach and my lungs. I mean seriously this shit is criminal what has happened to me. Simply criminal. I dont expect to make it but thank god I got everything i needed to get done in my life. I definitely had a threat life but this ending sucks. I will die before I ever drink that barium or take that iv injection and I mean literally. I have lot weight and my digestive system no longer functions properly. I never even had a stomach ach in my life. I could eat a brink and digest it in a day before this. Now forget it, it takes days. I know a woman who died ultimately from complications this caused. I have lost everything. My business, my work etc. I feel like Im just waiting for the end and that is sad. Do anything to see to it that you avoid thi test. This happened to me last april early. My life was awesome. I had the greatest life trust me. Paid to train hockey players and now it is all gone. I am beside myself. I am gratefull that I o have faith in an afterlife because this shit poisoned me. Im ny opinion I have been murdered. To the radiologist doc that was so rude you know jack shit pal. I went from healthy to practically dead overnight. We all have t go but man what a way to go, just horrible