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Worried over radiation exposure CT scans

6 replies

CoconutGirI · 12/03/2024 16:22

I'm currently pregnant and after passing out at the weekend I went to hospital to check my baby was ok. I felt fine afterwards and was able to talk, have a conversation / walk / make decisions for myself. I could recall the before and after surrounding the event.
I do often have low blood pressure and am pre diabetic. I dont know what my blood glucose was but they did find glucose in urine. When I went to hospital they ordered a ct scan. I refused. They then sent someone to talk to me again and I was told if I didn't have the ct scan to be deemed well enough then they wouldn't check my baby was ok.
I sat there the whole day and was so stressed out my bp and hr were really high due to this. ( as soon as baby was checked it came right down) I told them I didn't want it but felt they more or less cornered me and felt blackmailed into having this scan against my wishes otherwise I wouldn't get to check my baby was ok after fainting. I was out for around a minute. They kept banging on about amnesia surround the event. I don't know what the hell they are talking about because I told them what I was doing before and after . How would anybody remember what happened while they were out cold? For some random reason they were obsessed with blood clots / bleeding on the brain.

I'm now so worried that I've had the ct scans as I was told there's absolutely no risk to my baby and I've since read this is not true. Radiation scatters and a small amount may pass to the baby and the contrast also passes into placenta. I've read this can increase the risk to cancer to myself, which I was never told and also increases rhe risk my baby may develop cancer as they are so young and more subseptible and that it can possibly cause birth defects/ brain development issues. They actually gave 2 scans which I wasn't aware of. One without contrast and then one with contrast. Doesn't that mean I've been exposed to two separate doses of radiation ? I've read the more scans I have the more I'm at an increased risk if cancer and I just cant help shake that fear that I've exposed me and my baby to excess radiation when it was something I made clear I wasn't comfortable with. My scan was clear but now I'm suffering from intense anxiety and stress thinking I'm going to get cancer and any effects for my unborn baby. I'm aware it's all around us but I've it's the unnecessary exposure that's now built up in my cells I'm concerned about. I've never had xrays before, pay attention to ingredients, avoid the sun ect to protect myself as best as I can but now I just feel doomed . I've read cancer can show in as little as 2 years and I'm worried how ill look after my baby if I develop cancer or if something happens to my baby. I just feel I need to vent as I don't know where to turn to. I am at the point I can't sleep properly and I feel the stress is going to kill me quicker than anything that possibly could have been wrong with me

OP posts:
Avonia · 13/03/2024 03:30

Modern CT scans generate a dose of radiation much lower than that which is associated with harm to pregnant women. As a one-off, it's nothing to be concerned about.

Topseyt123 · 13/03/2024 03:40

It's a very low dose of radiation. Nothing to worry about.

I was born in 1966, well before things like ultrasound or other modern types of scanning were available. My mother had to have an abdominal x-ray due to confusion about how I was lying. That is a much higher dose of radiation but it was what they had then. All was fine and no lasting issues at all.

eeeeliallllx · 13/03/2024 03:46

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MyHighlandGoat · 13/03/2024 03:49

Did you already post about this the other day? It sounds like your anxiety has really peaked, which is understandable. It seems like you were pushed into having the scans against your will, which is not OK, but they won't have harmed you or your baby.

Have you spoken to your GP about managing your anxiety? There are lots of ways they can help you, and getting your anxiety under control now will really help both you and your baby, and allow you to enjoy their early days.

eeeeliallllx · 13/03/2024 03:51

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Nejnej · 13/03/2024 04:05

www.gov.uk/government/publications/ionising-radiation-dose-comparisons/ionising-radiation-dose-comparisons

I always find this webpage very reassuring - a CT head scan is basically the same radiation exposure as living in the UK for a year and much less than living in Cornwall, so very unlikely to have any effects on baby.

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