does anyone with AF/heart failure have any experience of reaction to omnipaque - contrast dye

[amyrosie]

This is a follow up post. Sorry to ask again, but still anxious and deliberating whether to have a CT colonograph in a couple of weeks because there can be a reaction to the contrast dye (omnipaque) - I am in permanent afib which has resulted in damage (heart failure stage 2 according to cardiologist 2years ago) which I feel is worse now - my breathlessness is certainly worse. Help - should I just forget about the CT test. I was referred for CT SCAN by Bowel Screening Wales - following positive 'blood in poo' test. I have suffered from IBS for 25 years. Surely this makes me more likely to experience serious adverse reactions to the dye.

[TomTitTot]

Hi, I don’t know if this helps but I’m someone who reacts to contrast dye containing iodine. So I’m prescribed three 50 mg tablets of prednisone and one 50 mg of Benadryl.

I take the first tablet 13 hours before, the second tablet 7 hours before and the last tablet and the Benadryl 1 hour before the test. They monitor very closely and recommend that you drink lots of water afterwards to help flush out the dye.

Best, 🫶🏻🕊️Anne

[amyrosie in reply to TomTitTot]

Thank you. No one had discussed these options with me. 👍

[Qualipop]

I don't have AF but have had a heart attack. I've had several bowel investigations with o problems at all although I don't know the name of the dye. I've also had several kidney cT scans with dye. I'm one whose heart goes absolutely crazy if the dentist uses the anaesthetic with adrenaline

[amyrosie]

Thank you - I just saw this. Have still not decided whether to go ahead with the test.🤔

[amyrosie]

Thank you. I'm in permanent AF anyway but any stress really sets it racing (the procedure) as well as worrying about he effects of the dye. Unsure what too. 😔

[bridgeit]

Hello Amyrosie. I'm not medically trained, but I've had more scans than a frequent flyer's airport luggage over the last several years. I have regular contrast CTs with gadolinium, which makes me feel very hot and as though I'm wetting myself, I've also had CTs with omnipaque as an oral dose that I needed to swallow over a period of hours prior to the scan (no ill effect at all) and a CT myelogram which required a contrasted lumbar injection, which left me with a headache owing to disturbance of cerebrospinal fluid volume.

I do have a heart issue (or two) but not stage 2 failure. I've had no permanent ill effect from any scan to date.

Any procedure, including a scan, is a balance of risk. If medics are concerned about a bowel issue, it really should be investigated. A contrasted scan will enable a multidisciplinary team to have a look at the whole picture to assess the state of your entire abdomen.

However, my understanding is that a colonoscopy is the best method of examining the bowel specifically. This procedure is judged to be more effective for bowel than a CT scan, even if it's contrasted. For a colonoscopy, you wouldn't need any contrast material.

It all rather depends upon what your specialist is looking for and what the outcome for you might be if it is present but not scanned and thereby perhaps not picked up/treated early. I suggest you go back to your clinical team for the full story, so that you are in a position to make a fully informed decision about all of the scan options and can discuss/weigh the balance of risk.

Information is key; make sure you have all of it!