MRI contrast dye stopped???

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
1

I will spare the ‘middle’ part of my ongoing illness/symptoms etc. Please see profile…

The latest update:

During the past 12 months I have been struggling with acute and chronic lumber, leg, hip etc etc pain; it is getting worse. I have on average 12 weeks remission. The latest episode left me suddenly falling to the ground (thankfully just got in) with my spine in spasm, unable to move for fear of my whole spine breaking out of my back like an alien (thats the only way I could best describe the pain). Anyway, I spent yet another 10 days in bed, with full personal care, pair of crutches, for the small steps to the loo - so degrading having hemp with personal care when I am so independant! :frowning:

I had an MRI contrast booked for last Monday. To spare you the boring details, it was the only option because I have had several ct angio’s for a vascular brain illness (AVM) so the MRI contrast was suggested by my vascular neurologist, to eliminate spinal AVM, and MS.

I spent over 30 minutes with several processes of scans, and then as they pulled me out of the machine for what i thought was going to be time to inject the dye into the canular that was in my arm, the nurse stated that I did not need it doing? Her words as follows: "We have a consultant radiologist who has stopped the scan and doesn’t want to put you through the contrast because it is not neccassary. I asked why she had made the decision to over ride my vascular neurologists decision and they for obvious reasons couldn’t give me an explanation.

I rang the radiologists secretary and asked if she would give me a call to explain WHY she made the decision to over rule a request that was a crucial way of eliminating a spinal AVM, and or MS. She hasn’t called me as yet (SURPRISE!!)

Her decision has left me with mixed feelings; I wonder why she had to do this, and am now thinking the worse: did she see what was already requested without the scan, or has she seen something much worse??? I just don’t know, and no one can answer that question apart from her!

My other concern is when I go to my vascular neuro, he may ask WHY his request wasn’t met, and i will have to waste yet more time going through the same process again!

I am going to ring this Dr again on Monday, and hopefully she will answer my request to speak to her.

Keep well all.

Bx

2

We’ve been hearing this on here for a while now - it seems that rather than follow the consultant’s orders, the radiographer can make a decision whether or not to use contrast. A least one consultant has been furious about this from my recall of posts on here, but I suspect that budgets are the main driving force and they are more important in the NHS than a consultant’s nose being out of joint :frowning:

Whatever the reason they didn’t use contrast, I doubt very much that it is because they spotted something terrible on your MRI. If they had, you would already have had a phone call.

Karen x

3

I had a full brain and spine MRI on Tuesday. Before I went into the scanner, I checked to make sure that they were going to do a contrast scan as my neuro had requested. I was told that the contrast might not be necessary. I questioned this because my neuro wanted to check for active lesions which would enable me to start treatment with Tysabri. ( I have had several relapses while on Rebif last year). She said she would inform the radiologist and I did get the contract injected. I wonder why they think they can override the neurologists’ instructions. If I had not questioned them and they had decided not to use the contrast, it could have affected my future treatment. Amily x

4

Sorry, contrast not contract injected. Amily x

5

Shocking that it has happened to others. However, with reference to my case, it is vital that they eliminate spinal AVM, and the only way (other than ct angio) is to do the contrast. Well, they have shot themselves in the foot for sure, because I am going to request that they do it ALL over again (double cost).

6

Shocking that it has happened to others. However, with reference to my case, it is vital that they eliminate spinal AVM, and the only way (other than ct angio) is to do the contrast. Well, they have shot themselves in the foot for sure, because I am going to request that they do it ALL over again (double cost).

7

I’m glad you managed to get yours done Amily. x

8

I wonder if less contrast is being used these days because there are newer types of scans that do the same job, maybe better? Diffusion weighted imaging shows the flow of fluid in the brain, which is abnormal around lesions, and detects new, active lesions. Susceptibility weighted imaging shows blood vessels and apparently is a way of looking at spinal AVM in detail. If this is the reason, you’d think the radiologists would let neuros know!!! Kx

9

Hi, I also went for a contrast MRI and the radiographer told me they had decided against it (after the brain scan).

I asked the neuro about it at next appointment & neuro said they often let the radiologist make the decison. Don’t know why but it does seem to happen fairly often.

Btw I was already dx so they were only looking for changes so they certainly hadn’t seen anything terrible.

Pat x

10

Hi I went in and was told that they may need to use contrast. The did the spine first (were the known lesion was) and after that they said that no dye was needed. They then started to do brain. Half way through that they brought me out saying that dye was now needed. So I got dye and they finished the brain scan. I was really spooked as the brain before had been clear and I now reckoned that they had seen something. Turned out there was nothing there so they had just wanted to make sure.

I reckon they use it if they have to.

Moyna x