nuclear medicine

[Monicageller]

hi guys, i have my scan on friday at the nuclear medicine center at my local hospital. im kind of nervous because i dont really know what to expect, ive never had a scan for anything before. my parents keep telling me everything is okay, but i cant help but disagree. if everything is okay why do i need multiple scans? i was just wondering if any of you had a scan in the nuclear medicine department and weather you can tell me what to expect? xx

[yorkshiregirl44]

Hi,

I had a scan in nuclear medicine for some blocked glands insside my mouth. The scan was painless almost like an xray and during it i had to drink some liquid through a straw.

There were no side affects to the liquid and it was done within about 20 minutes.

Hope it goes well for you...

Christine

[Clutter]

Monica, You'll be given a small dose of radioactive iodine in a capsule to swallow and will be scanned an hour or so later to measure how much iodine is taken up by your thyroid gland which will help determine whether you have hot or cold nodules and what treatment may be recommended.

I had a whole body scan after radioactive iodine ablatement. I lay on a surface which moved under a gamma scanner and back again. My arms were loosely tied down to stop them falling and catching in the scanner. I was never completely inside the machine. It took about 40 minutes, was a little cold because of the air con and a little noisy when it was overhead, but I still dozed off. It might only be necessary to scan your head and neck which will be quicker.

I had no pain or ill effects from the radioactive iodine or the gamma scan.

I hope it goes well. Let us know how you get on.

[Davnic]

Hi, I had just my thyroid scanned a few months ago. I had small injection of radioactive iodine, then 20 mins later had scan in Nuclear Medicine. I wasn't totally enclosed at all, it was painless and they talked me through it all. Scan only took 15 minutes to take the 3 pictures. Hope you get on ok.

[nightingale-56]

I had a Radioactive Iodine Uptake Test done 37 years ago at a hospital in Rochester. This was done over three days. On the first day I was given a radioiodine capsule to take and an X-ray soon after. I then had to go back on the 2nd day at exactly the same time for another X-ray and again on the third day. I had no pain or discomfort, but on the first day soon after taking the capsule I felt very weepy and took myself of to the loo to have a good cry. A nurse said this was because it had temporarily lowered my white cell count and gave me a Mars Bar, which she said would help (?). It did seem to. Don't think you would get the Mars Bar for free nowadays though.