Considering cancelling my CT scan

[Belle82]

I have had two babies and (TMI!) I have now got haemorrhoids 😞
I was diagnosed with a fissure years ago, so when i bleed i always put it down to that.

I saw a doctor and she sent me a referral for a colonoscopy but the nurse (at the hospital) also booked me in for a CT scan (couldn't tell me why).

I have had to move the colonoscopy a few weeks back because i'm breastfeeding and i can't for 24 hours and he's not in a position to stop for that long yet.
The CT scan is next week and although i'm debating whether to go.

They want to do a scan from neck down to pelvic bone which is the biggest CT scan they do, again, no one can explain why.

I know it would be good to know sooner rather than later if there is anything nasty but i would prefer not to raise my chances of cancer for such a large CT scan for no reason.

if i go can i request they only scan the pelvic region and not the chest or abdomen?

WWYD
You are being unreasonable - still go to the appointment
You're not being unreasonable - cancel and wait for colonoscopy results first

Also I don't want to keep an appointment from someone who really needs it.

But on the flip side i have been anxious now about the results so it would be good to know if there is anything down there.

If you have been sent for a colonoscopy, have you ever had to have a CT scan as well?

Honestly I’ve had so many ct scans-you won’t be raising your cancer risk( otherwise I def wouldn’t be here) and I rely totally on scans to make sure the 2 cancers i have had don’t come back.Get the ct done properly and it literally takes longer to get up on the table than the scan itself.good luck and I’m sure it’s just pre cautionary

I've never had a colonoscopy no, but I don't think that HCP's book CT scans just for the shiggles... I'd definitely, definitely go for it.

Are you afraid of going?

I don't think they'd scan you without good reason. So I'd keep the appointment and rule out anything sinister. I was ill last year and had a ct scan, lumbar punture and MRI. They ruled out everything nasty in the end but it was a massive relief.

Tbh if you’re going to do the CT scan at all - get what they ask. From a breastfeeding point of view the radiation isnt really so much as issue, but they may use something called contrast media which is iodine based and this may affect breastfeeding.

would you me GP be able to give any pointers specifically to why you’re getting a
CT scan?

Radiographer here. The radiographers/radiologists in your hospital won't scan you unless they have a sound medical reason to do so. You are well within your rights to get clarification of why the doc wants a chest/abdo/pelvis CT scan. It's relatively high radiation dose and I wouldn't want to have it if I didn't need it either. The fact that it's been requested means your GP thinks there is reason. Are you sure it isn't a request for a virtual colonoscopy?

Under no circumstances would I cancel the scan.

Do you have any other symptoms OP?

CT is justified on a risk vs benefit.

You can have contrast for a scan and continue to breastfeed. Just like you can have sedation or an anaesthetic and continue to breastfeed. You don’t need to stop!!!

“It is the view of both the RCR and the SoR that patients who wish to continue breast feeding after being administered with contrast agent – usually given in advance of a CT or MRI scan – should be able to do so as there is no evidence of risk to the baby/child. If you have any concerns please, speak with your radiographer or radiologist.” www.rcr.ac.uk/posts/rcr-and-sor-statement-patients-who-are-breastfeeding-who-require-ct-or-mri-contrast

The radiation from a CT scan is irrelevant for breastfeeding. Don't know about contrast media.

If they've prescribed a particular scan, you should have all of it, otherwise you're having most of the radiation risk and potentially could miss whatever it is they're looking for.

Yes, a CT scan carries a risk of cancer, but it's really tiny. Probably about 2 years' worth of background dose at most, so fairly trivial within a lifetime of exposure.

Another way of looking at it would be one person out of a few hundred would develop cancer if they all had a CT scan, whereas about a hundred of them are going to develop cancer anyway.

Plus if you do have a serious illness (fingers crossed that you don't) it's best that it's detected early.

Oh and @Belle82 just ask for the rationale for why the scan is being performed if you are at all unsure!!

DH had colonoscopy but because he had anal fissure they couldn’t get the camera far enough to rule out anything nasty. He then had botox to enable the fissure to heal, then 8 weeks later (last week) they did a CT scan of abdomen and everything below. The stuff he was given to take the day before was dreadful, he took first dose at 10 am and at midday he had to rush to toilet and nearly every hour thereafter he had to literally run to toilet. He took another smaller dose at 6 pm and come the morning he didn’t think he would be able to go to appointment due to needing to rush to toilet every hour. We couldn’t get through to cancel, so he went for it, he said it wasn’t pleasant, they put a large tube up your colon to push air through to blow up bowel. It took around 30 minutes, they thanked him for managing to take the liquid the day before and DH told them exactly how awful it was, but they assured him it was necessary. We are now waiting on the results.

Please go. The increase in your future cancer risk as a result is tiny.

I had cancer myself, 6 years ago and would take any test suggested by professionals. Not wanting to sound scary but with the NHS as it currently is, someone who knows what they’re doing believes you need a CT. They’re invaluable in ruling things out.

can you express/take baby and a relative/friend with you?

@Mindymomo that's a virtual colonoscopy. Very different to what the OP is having.

OP your scan will include a small cannula in your arm for the contrast
And a scan that takes less than a minute usually.

You sound like you are latching onto excuses to postpone facing this situation. Which will just make you even more anxious and miserable.

Better to get it over with. Then you can move forward without the fear hanging over you.

They always consider the risk vs benefit of the tiny dose of radiation from CT and whether an alternative should be used - they've arranged this because it's important and the best option.

Who told you you need to stop breastfeeding for 24 hours after a colonoscopy? That shouldn’t be the case and would be worth challenging. We can be shocking in this country for saying “computer says no” to breastfeeding without thinking about it and a lot of HCPs have limited expertise around breastfeeding.

Colonoscopy
CT scan

It sounds like you could do with a conversation about why they’re recommending what they are but I wouldn’t be especially concerned about the radiation from one CT scan. Repeated scans for no good reason are another thing. You would also get a bit of a dose of background radiation from things like flying, visiting Aberdeen or Cornwall.

The colonoscopy is a far worse experience than a ct scan. Have the CT Scan, I had one for gall stones and it picked up a kidney tumor! If you are having the colonoscopy make sure you have the sedation.

@hennaoj are you ok? That's pretty scary 😟

Also, it would be pointless to scan your pelvis but not your abdomen for a gut issue.

They are far more likely to be looking for inflammation through your digestive tract (which starts at your mouth) than cancer. Colonoscopy can only look at your large bowel not small intestine.

You don’t need to stop bf for a colonoscopy. They say you will to have the sedation but ask them to look into it and all the drugs are fine to have whilst bf.
they tried to get me to have one without sedation and I had to be rather arsey about.
my diagnosis was ulcerative colitis in the end.

I'm fine now, had it taken out in May. Had the necropsy results come back yesterday and completely benign. Rarer to be benign so I'm very very lucky,

Not being rude but that's standard for a colonoscopy. If the bowels aren't empty and clean how do you expect them to get a good look? It's not pleasant and I've had a few the worst thing about the whole experience is drinking the moviprep night before and morning of but as I say without it then it's a pointless exercise, Where pardon my French but they would be wading through shit.

They probably want to rule put anything more sinister given your previous history. I'm not clear what your issue is with the CT scan. Also not sire why you cannot bf but if there is a medical reason can you express some in advance. Do you have anxiety about a potential diagnosis, can you ring the consultant's office to ask for clarification and support?

If you're scared about going in it, it's not that bad. I had to go in after a bad accident to check most of my body, mainly my back I think, for any more breaks. Had to go in up to my chest. It's just a big tube, and it's done quite quickly, you're not in there for ages. Dont remember being told anything about radiation risk to be honest, but I might have been, I was panicking about what I'd broken at that point. And I've had a lot of x-rays before now so it wouldn't have concerned me anyway.

Honestly not that scared about the results or the procedure.

But it wasn’t even the doctors who booked it in, when I spoke to the nurse she said it came up on the system and gave the impression that it was an automatic choice of things.

She even said if the colonoscopy comes back clear I don’t even need the CT scan.

I just don’t really want “5 years of natural radiation” if the results can come from something with no radiation. 🙁