Hi everyone,
I am booked in for a CT angiogram in a week’s time and was just wondering if anyone has had any issues with the contrast used triggering their AF. Any thoughts welcome!
Thank you.
Question on Contrast used for CT Scan - Atrial Fibrillati...
Question on Contrast used for CT Scan
Written by
Threecats
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76 Replies
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No I havent had any adverse effect from the drug and no AFib from it either.
No problems at all, I had 5 CTs with contrast last year.
BobDVolunteer
Had many and zero issues but it does make you feel like you peed. lol 😁
Thanks Bob, I’ll look out for that😊
Now, that's a relief ( but not literally😊) Thanks for that. I had read somewhere about experiencing that sensation when they inject the contrast . I wont need to take spare underwear then.... unless they tell me something dodgy's going on with the old ticker😀
I had contrast for a CT scan and I didn’t feel a thing. I was told I may feel the pee sensation and that I could feel something that felt like a hot flush, but after it was administered I didn’t feel any effects.
Thank you Autumn, that’s good to know. I’m only too familiar with the hot flush malarky, so that won’t faze me 🙄😊
I am glad to see people talking about the hot flash. I have only started having that since my cardioversion and it feels as though someone has me on the barbecue it is a very dry burning feeling and then it’s gone again. Another thing I did notice since the cardioversion was not having to run to the bathroom all the time to pee What a nice feeling to be able to sleep. A fib certainly does some strange things to us
I am thankful I have never had any test trigger my afib in fact if anything it seems to quiet down. I feel like it may be because I know I’m in good hands and someone is watching out for me to make me better
I think its important to consider the radiation dose. Under normal circumstances the
dose should be between 1-3mSv. That can be achieved when the heart is in sinus rhythm.
It also depends on the BMI (body mass index) and proper adjustment of the scanner. If in AF
it can help to inject betablockers, Otherwise the machine has a difficult time to find the
correct pauses and the radiation dose will increase because of the additional scans.......The
dose can easy get up to over 5mSv then. Its important to have a chat with the radiologist
before procedure.
Hi
In hospital I was given a CT scan within hours.
I just lay there.
It established that I had had a Left Frontal Eschaemic Stroke Embollic Type.
Later I had a Carotid Scan 4 days later which showed a shadow on my
thyroid. 4 months later my thyroid and 12 right lymph nodes which were
removed. Papillary cancer biopsied. I was lucky but the undiagnosed AF
caused the stroke.
CT scan piece of cake. But I guess they can tell things about your brain!
Hope results are OK.
cheri JOY 73. (NZ)
Thank you, Joy. You’ve certainly been through the mill but glad things are better for you now.
No problems with any of mine. With one my throat was a bit warm and my "undercarriage' felt very warm as if I had wet myself which was weird but you certainly won't need a spare pair of knickers 😊( which is what you might be worrying about?). And absolutely no Afib each time. So to sum up, rarely, you could feel a warm sensation for a few seconds in your body which is not unpleasant. The technicien tells you when they are about to inject the product . Remember to drink water just before and especially after to help clear the contrast product from your system (something they don't tell you generally). Take care x
Thanks for the reassurance and explanation of what happens Lilypocket. I was more concerned about the AF than the ‘undercarriage’ situation, although……😄
🤣 But I have to admit the undercarriage effect was strange and no one had warned me as I suppose it doesn't often happen.. But more seriously drink lots of water after as the contrast product can stay awhile so the faster it is excreted the better. X
I think they should mention it otherwise it’s likely to put the old heart rate up wondering what’s going on ‘downstairs’😂
I will make sure to drink plenty of water, thank you. No hardship as I’m a great water fan anyway, unlike my mother, who I think in a previous life must have been a camel 😀 x
🤣Let us know how it goes x
Will do thank you x
I had a massive allergic reaction to the contrast containing Iodine and went into anaphylactic shock but now they can use a different contrast if you have had problems before. I had no idea l was allergic to iodine!
Goodness, I’m sorry to hear of your experience. I’ve not had contrast before so I’ve no idea but at least I’ll be in the right place if anything like that happens!
Yes that’s what I thought too! They had asked me if I was allergic to seafood and I said I hardly ever ate it so they went ahead. I had the burning sensation as it went in and just remember shouting for the doctor saying I was having a reaction! Needless to say I haven’t been very keen to eat seafood since! I was absolutely fine afterwards they reacted very quickly and no one could have predicted an allergy. I’m sure it’s quite rare so you will be fine! Do let us know!
I’m not surprised you’ve avoided seafood since! I’m not a fan either. Glad you were sorted out in short order!
no issues here, (just had one yesterday) but then I am in permanent afib anyway... just the warm wave feeling as it goes through the system, as usual.
Thanks Riverside
Gave me a hot flush, and I’m way past menopause, as well as feeling like I’d peed myself 😳
So I'm not the only one 🙂
No issues for me either.
I had one a few hours ago and they said they got good images. The heart has to be below 60bpm for the CT scan. If the contrast provoked AF (and hence a fast heart rate) I don’t think they would be able to do the scan, so Ithink you should be ok. I didn’t come across anything along these lines when I was reading up on the procedure.
Interesting - didn't know the HR had to be beliw 60. Can't be many of us in that situation that would have a HR under 60.
If the metoprolol is not sufficient to lower it, I they give you an injection. I think they can do a scan above 60bpm but the image quality may not be good.
Ah ok thanks!
That’s a very good point Samazeuilh. Hadn’t thought of that one! Mind you, I’m going to need a bucketload of beta blocker to get my heart rate below 60! My hr is normally mid 70s during the day and no doubt will be higher in the circs! They said I’d be fine to drive home after but now I do wonder about that. Thanks for the “heads up”.
I’m glad your scan went well.
Mid 70s is a fairly standard rate-I would have thought they could get that down to below 60bpm without too much difficulty. You are also asked to hold your breath during the scan (the machine plays a recorded voice at intervals); that alone will lower your heart rate by about 5bpm. Hope all goes well.
That’s a good point, thank you.
I have regular CT scans and have never had a reaction.
Thank you Irene.
I haven't, but that doesn't mean you won't. If you've had a problem before with contrast dye, let it be known.
Thanks Blue. I’ve not had contrast before so will see how it goes.
I was told by the radiologist that she had only seen reactions to the dye on a handful of occasions over the 12 years she had been doing scans. The risk is very low indeed; you are asked if you have existing allergies, asthma etc., which increase the risk. If you are concerned you can sit in the waiting area after the procedure for an hour or so under observation (thirty minutes is obligatory). You will be asked to drink plenty of liquid afterwards to flush the contrast from the system.
That’s reassuring, thank you, although I do have asthma and allergies, so I’ll let them know. They’ve already said I’ll have to hang around for a couple of hours afterwards for obs.
I've had a few scans without any issues - except one.
I was somehow given too much of the dye and the dye is Iodine based so I got hyperthyroidism. This lasted for three months and wasn't much fun.
If you take an iodine supplement let them know in advance.
I’m sorry to hear of your experience, philologus. I hope you are fully recovered now.
I had two CT scans this week and had no problems with the contrast. Make sure that you are not allergic to it.
Has anyone had a problem with steroids triggering Afib?
Al
The scanner failed during my angiogram, they reset it and started again ok, but they had to re-load me with contrast, which made me feel pretty wafty for the rest of the day ..
Have had many ct scans done in the ER but without the contrast dye as it makes me swell up like a balloon as I am allergic to it but I have still had them done plus mri's also successfully with the dye when needed . They will treat me with some doses of something a day ahead of time and I don't swell up at all but afib has never been a problem with them. Have a Great Day.
Hi Threecats, I had a CT colonoscopy in January whilst I was having a nasty episode of afib with a heart rate over 150bpm! My afib was triggered by the bowel cleansing preparation. I had the contrast and my afib episode continued it's normal trajectory of 30 hours plus (slowing down in the last 24). I honestly don't think the contrast will trigger afib, bit you never know we are all individuals
Crikey Karendeena, that sounds like a challenging time you went through there! Hope all is ok now. As you say, it’s impossible to say what response I’ll have but the varied and interesting replies I’ve received have been good to hear.
I was assured I had gone through the worst with the bowel cleanse, I couldn't face doing that again so was advised to go ahead. The contrast didn't bother me
I’m glad the contrast didn’t bother you at least. I’ve heard how gruelling the bowel prep can be.
Yep, it's awful, for two days I felt dreadful and then the dreaded afib episode just topped it. I spoke to my consultant's secretary today and have been added to his waiting list for an ablation. Have you ever had one?
I’m sorry you had to go through that and AFib on top - the icing on the cake🙄 Life can certainly have its challenges, for sure!
I’ve not had an ablation. I was on the list to have it done but then discovered I have sleep apnoea. I started CPAP therapy for that and so far ( says she, touching wood!) the AF has gone into remission. Mind you, I had an echo last month that now shows I have pulmonary hypertension, in case I was starting to get complacent! Do you have frequent AF episodes?
I was tested for sleep apnoea but negative, so my afib is 'lone' as they cannot find any underlying cause although my dad had it and my mum has 'slow permanent afib' that she cannot feel.My episodes are nasty and very symptomatic, up until now have been about every 4 months with no obvious trigger, having said that I have had 2 since September, I think the covid vaccine triggered one of them x
It’s so hard trying to find the triggers sometimes, isn’t it. I hope the ablation is helpful for you x
sorry only just saw your post- I am what you’d call sensitive/allergic to quite a few things.
My most recent April/May this year I was in AF already, it didn’t make it any worse - they did chemically speed up my heart rate to simulate the heart working harder but probably just for a few seconds while taking images - they’ll warn you through the intercom before you have anything like that!
You may have a blood pressure cuff on for monitoring, you may have a call button in one hand so you can summon attention if necessary. You often feel the hot flushes and yes - a warm sensation like you peed but didn’t! I had a cardiac consultant in watching the images/assessing them & you (not sure if that’s standard policy but, the staff explain fully and constant check you feel ok throughout the scan
Hi, there’s no need to apologise, I appreciate you taking the time to reply.
I, too, am sensitive/allergic to a lot of stuff, I’ve had to swap to different brand of tablets before now, due to problems with the fillers used Anyway, thank you for sharing your experience, it’s good to hear how well you were monitored. They’ve said I’ll be there around four hours in all, as they monitor you for two hours afterwards, apparently, so I’m sure I’ll be in safe hands.
I thought that the contrast agent might have triggered an episode, but can't be sure. One never knows the exact cause.
They gave me a shot of metoprolol as well to slow the heart right down (apparently, my pulse of 65 wasn't low enough) so they could get clearer photos.That did cause me to feel a bit strange so they kept me back and did some more obs before letting me go.
As others have mentioned, contrast made me hot and flushed and like I'd peed....... very odd sensation.
Best of luck.
Thanks Ducky. They’ve said I’ll be under obs for a couple of hours afterwards so I suspect that’s why. Can’t imagine many people rock up to these appointments with a pulse below 65. Trying to find a parking space will be enough to get the old ticker going - car parking there is a nightmare!
I took my chauffeur otherwise known as Mr Ducky 😊. My average resting pulse is around 50 so 65 was high 🤣. All down to Diltiazem. Without that it would be twice that.
So what I need to know is this - do you loan out Mr Ducky for hospital runs and could I afford his rates 🤣🤣
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