Barium contrast scan whilst ttc

[clementinesandbananas]

Does anyone know if this is safe?

I'm meant to be having an abdominal CT scan with barium contrast this week, but we're currently ttc - my period is expected Sunday if I'm not pregnant. So if I am pregnant, I've already conceived and implanted.

Is it safe to do this?

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

I had what I believe was a barium scan (injected with radioactive stuff?) for my lungs while I was actually about 11 weeks pregnant, they just gave me a half dose. I would tell them you are ttc and might be pregnant.

[FlamingGallah]

The barium isn't a problem at all, it's completely intro and not radioactive, and doesn't stay in your body.

What would be a concern however, is the radiation dose you would get from an abdominal CT if you are pregnant. I'm not quite clear on your timeline, but if you know you are pregnant or could be, then you must tell the radiographers and decisions would need to be made about whether to proceed or not. Unless the risk outweighs the benefit, as in an urgent or critical situation, we have to try and avoid exposing the fetus to xrays.

Hope this helps, happy to advise further if you wish.

[FlamingGallah]

Schro what you had sounds like a ventilation scan, to look for pulmonary emboli perhaps? That's slightly different, a nuclear medicine scan where you breathe in radioactive xenon gas to look at the blood supply to the lungs.

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

It was because of a suspected PE, yes. Sorry about that, had it mixed up! It wasn't breathing anything in though, it was an injection of something.

Sorry OP, I was thinking of something different entirely.