Hi all
A little advice please re upcoming CT angiogram/aortagram ??
My letter says if pulse is over 60 they will inject betablocker BUT I already take bisoprolol morning and evening, so what should I expect and is the scan itself fairly quick once the dye goes in, I previously had a brain scan that was horrible, followed recently by a chest lung scan that was much quicker
I'm very nervous indeed but obviously need to know state of my plumbing lol
Ahh that's alot of scanning you have had to go through are they checking for anything specific? Hope all goes well and hopefully you won't need beta blockers x I probably would if I was having it my resting heart rate is like 95 lol.
hi hope yr well,
brain scan was early July following retinal TIA chest was recently in hospital as they thought may have lung clot but was ok
now this before i go to meet surgeon for first time
this will be at JR Oxford
Hi Jessica
I've had a CT brain scan and the CT angiogram with contrast / dye. I didn't like the brain one at all (if I recall my head was in some kind of vice inside the scanner). The heart one was much better in my case.
I was scanned first without any dye, once they're happy with that part they injected the dye which was towards the end of the exam. (I had a 'drip' in my arm and a BP meter on my leg & ecg on my heart - so they're checking everything all the time)
I concentrated on what they were telling me to do, there was a loud speaker inside the machine telling me to breath in and when to hold my breath. That made it pass much faster.
I was also injected with something that relaxed my vessels, I'm not sure if this was a betablocker but they said it opened my vessels. Again this was done after the initial scan I think but I didn't notice this.
The results, knowing how much my vessels were blocked, was definitely worth the discomfort of being in the machine (for about 25 mins it felt like).
All in all not to bad (for me). Hope this the exam you're speaking of
All the best
ps when I mentioned to the radiographer that the dye gave me a headache, he said it wasn't the dye but the agent that opened the vessels, I don't know if they give that to everybody)
Thanks so much just knowing what to expect really helps
I had a CT angiogram with contrast in 2020, ironically before I had any heart problems.I was told HR needed to be 60 or below and that if neccesary they would inject betablockers. I was given them to take orally before. Apparently the betablocker they inject is short lived, or so they told me.
Thank you I hope you are keeping well these days
Could be better, but there are others much worse off.I forgot to say it wasn't the quickest CT scan I ever had, have to say the woman who did mine was not nice.
According to her you have to take a half breath in and hold it like that every so often, not for long, the scan took under 10 mins, probably nearer 5 mins.
She called a cardiologist in to see about giving me beta blockers, he gave her short shrift as it wasn't needed.
The funniest thing was she'd put some sort of headrest there, but I have multiple problems with my spine and most other joints. They want the arm with the canula going up and behind you, I find that impossible so my arm was in the air. It got tired and uncomfortable really quickly. I called out 3 times, gradually getting louder, but no response. I was pretty fed up for a variety of reasons and decided I wasn't going to be ignored. I pushed tge headrest out of the way and started to wriggle out. That got her attention.
Oh my goodness That sounds terrible poor you x
I didn't want the scan, it all blew up after a casual mention of chest pain I'd had 6 YEARS EARLIER . I'd had it all checked at the time, and all clear. Then they wouldn't let it rest after I made the mistake of saying something. They worried me as they were so adamant that I needed investigation . I refused an invasive angiogram so thought I'd shut them up by doing the CT one. As I said it was 2020, not the best time to be in a hospital, no social distancing, and to top it off they rang the evening before to ask if I could go 30 mins early. My lift had to rearrange their schedule but we did it, only for me to spend that time sitting in a corridor that was as busy as Piccadilly Circus. Not a happy bunny.
Which hospital was this ?
I had a CT angiogram last qwek and they also mentioned the possibility of giving me a tiny dose of Bisoprolol if my heart rate was high, which I didn't want as I am on a high dose of it aa it is. Thankfully my heart rate was 58, so not needed They give you a GTN tablet to place under your tongue throughout the scan and they did explain that this can give you a mild headache, which passes quickly.
The dye they inject to view the vessels clearly can give you a feeling as if you've wet yourself, even though you haven't. They will warn you of this beforehand. My scan took about 15 mins.
Wishing you all thr best with your scan. It's honestly totally fine. The brain scan sounds so much scarier, so you did really well.
HI I've lived with migraines for yrs so I guess 1 more headache won't matter in the great scheme of what lies ahead lolX
Oh wow, you have been through a lot. The headache was mild and only for a few minutes. The thought of getting everything checked out for my own peace of mind gets me through all the various exams. It's a short exam, unlike the MRI. Best of luck to you x
Hi Jessica after recently having my scans last week and including brain scan. I can assure you it was all over with in 20 mins. Yes when the contrast goes in you feel like you've wet yourself (you haven't lol) and the GNT spray gives you a little headache for 2 mins but it's fine.
I also only had to keep my head still for a very short time for the brain scan.
Youve got this ❤️
Thank you 😍🌞🌞❤️
I was a mild beta blocker by injection, but I was short acting and I was ok to drive home after a short wait.
Thank you GC
Scared about upcoming angiogram
CT Angiogram - Advice on how to prepare 
CT Cardiac angiogram
CT scan results huge difference to Angiogram
