Had a phone call asking me to go for more X rays..

[worriedandstressed]

Had X rays last week because of low back pain which has been waking me during the night, but not so bad during the day. Hadn't been too worried until I saw GP, but was concerned and stupidly googled when I got home.

X ray dept has just rung and asked me to come in for more x rays as the consultant has reviewed my previous ones and needs a clearer picture. She was quite cagy when I asked her if it was something to worry about.

Has anyone else had this and it turned out not to be anything bad?

The person ringing you really won't know what the consultant has said - they will have just been told to get you an appointment.

Getting good x-rays is not as simple as it might seem, and sometimes they need another angle, or for you to be positioned differently to make an area clearer - which isn't obvious to the radiographers when they take them.

If they really thought it was anything to worry about, they'd be pulling you in sharpish for an MRI instead ime

This happened to me when I was a teen, I had a hairline fracture of the thumb which they hadn't picked up when they first looked at the x-rays. I wouldn't get too worked up just yet, it sounds like CMOT says - they want to check you out thoroughly.

Thank you. I am so worried and I know there's nothing I can do. The radiographer did 2, and then said she had to do an extra one right at the base of my spine which worried me at the time.

I've made this sort of phone call and it's really hard because you don't actually know anything and the one thing you musn't do is give people a false picture of their health. So you can come across as rather uhelpful when actually your intention is the opposite.
Cmot is absolutely right - if they see something 'sinister' your feet don't touch the ground we get you back so fast.

I very much doubt that the receptionist is being cagey because it is something sinister, as I expect she doesn't actually have a clue. What they need to say is I don't know anything, I have just been asked to book your appointment. Might make them feel less important but would ease the stress levels of the patient no end.

Well, she rang this afternoon and I'm going in on Thursday for more xrays. No mention of MRI though. Will just make a cup of tea and try to calm down.

Thanks all x

Definately don't worry about the fact that you had 2 x-rays and then a 3rd one of the bottom of the spine. This was probably to try and see the joint space more clearly between your 5th lumbar and 1st sacral vertebrae.
If we're REALLY lucky you see it on 2nd sideways x-ray and occasionally we have to do a 4th sideways x-ray to see this space by turning the patient onto their other side.
Everybody is built differently and not many of us are totally symetrical.
I would definately agree with CMOT's comment and hopefully you will have been fretting about nothing serious.
Good Luck!