› Forums › General Melanoma Community › CT dyes- allergy reactions
- This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 8 months ago by
Vermont_Donna.
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- September 16, 2011 at 5:33 pm
I am asking if anyone can tell me something about the dyes. I have done scans and scans for most of my life.
3 months ago I had a reaction and I itched and hived on feet, legs, truck, back face, and arms starting about 5 minutes after the CT scan. They treated me with a couple IV pushes of Benadryl and said next time I would need to be premedicated due to allergy reaction.
I am asking if anyone can tell me something about the dyes. I have done scans and scans for most of my life.
3 months ago I had a reaction and I itched and hived on feet, legs, truck, back face, and arms starting about 5 minutes after the CT scan. They treated me with a couple IV pushes of Benadryl and said next time I would need to be premedicated due to allergy reaction.
Yesterday I had my scan and I had to take Medrol 32 mg 12 hours before and then again at 2 hours before as well as 50 mg of Benadryl 1 hour before. The tech says the premeds usually always work in 99% of the patients…I drink 3 glasses of medium stuff that taste like gator aid…then after they do a couple run throughs in the machine they use a drip of Optiray 320. This time they started the drip and ran me in the machine and on the way out I was starting a serious reaction to the dye. I went into shock and it was an awful ordeal yesterday. Hives, itching, urge to vomit, bottomed out on BP , breathing trouble, blacked out, they pushed steroids and Benadryl in my line and some other things. They hooked me up to monitors and over a course of time I had 7 adrenaline shots to the chest. I was trembling and shaking all over like Parkinsons.They had to monitor me so they admitted me and kept me on O2 and gave me zantac in IV as well. They wanted to give me Duladid but my hubby and I said no.
I didn't even get to do my MRI or my Anti PD 1. My question is I had to reschedule my Anti PD 1 and MRI…and the nurse says I need to take the premeds again. It had to be on the first drip of the CT dye I had reaction….now I am scared because of the MRI dye…anyone know if I will end up in shock again??- Dr W says I need to be certified as allergic to Iodinated radio contract dyes and Optiray320 and I should never take the stuff again…why would I need to be premed again for the MRI? Isn't it also an iodinated dye? It was so close to death yesterday and if one drop in my vein can do that what is going to happen if they use it again for the MRI? Do they have a substitute dye for people who are allergic?- Lynn
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- September 16, 2011 at 5:47 pm
I'm allergic to Iodine also, luckily I knew this going into this ordeal (my skin reacts to anything with iodine in it). I am given Cimetidine 300mg , Predinisone 10mg (5 tabs 2X), and Benedryl.Whenever I make an appointment, go have something cut off, ect. I remind them. When the start to stick the drip in I remind them. Even if I have premedicated, I still remind them in case I do react, they will know immediately what it is.
I have had a CT scan without dye, it is just not quite as good. I think you will find a major change in your premed. The premed combo works great for me. I hope it does for you.
Good Luck!
Mary
Stage 3
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- September 16, 2011 at 5:47 pm
I'm allergic to Iodine also, luckily I knew this going into this ordeal (my skin reacts to anything with iodine in it). I am given Cimetidine 300mg , Predinisone 10mg (5 tabs 2X), and Benedryl.Whenever I make an appointment, go have something cut off, ect. I remind them. When the start to stick the drip in I remind them. Even if I have premedicated, I still remind them in case I do react, they will know immediately what it is.
I have had a CT scan without dye, it is just not quite as good. I think you will find a major change in your premed. The premed combo works great for me. I hope it does for you.
Good Luck!
Mary
Stage 3
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- September 16, 2011 at 6:18 pm
I had 2 adverse reactions to the IV contrast for CT scans, the 2nd more significant than the first. Ever since, my CT scans have been without contrast. The contrast given during MRIs never affected me; I'm not sure how it differs.
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- September 16, 2011 at 6:18 pm
I had 2 adverse reactions to the IV contrast for CT scans, the 2nd more significant than the first. Ever since, my CT scans have been without contrast. The contrast given during MRIs never affected me; I'm not sure how it differs.
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- September 16, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Lynn,
my experiences much like yours. After many years of CTAs with contrast I developed the allergy. Because the trial errors on did not allow steroids all subsequent CTs have been ordered without contrast. I also found out from one of thetechs that the "lightweight" and much tastier pretreatment contains a small amount of iodine. So it was back to no contrast and the horribly tasting barium pre-drink.
Even though I'm now off ipi and had to have steroids administered for now the problem we will continue to order the CAT scans without contrast.
By doctors say that it really doesn't make a great difference in routine scans.
If it's good enough for them I'm happy.
Jerry from Cape Cod
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- September 16, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Lynn,
I forgot to mention that I have absolutely no problem with the MRI contrast and the doctors, technicians and nurses assured me that is a completely different formulation.
Jerry from Cape Cod
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- September 16, 2011 at 8:09 pm
Lynn,
I forgot to mention that I have absolutely no problem with the MRI contrast and the doctors, technicians and nurses assured me that is a completely different formulation.
Jerry from Cape Cod
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- September 16, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Lynn,
my experiences much like yours. After many years of CTAs with contrast I developed the allergy. Because the trial errors on did not allow steroids all subsequent CTs have been ordered without contrast. I also found out from one of thetechs that the "lightweight" and much tastier pretreatment contains a small amount of iodine. So it was back to no contrast and the horribly tasting barium pre-drink.
Even though I'm now off ipi and had to have steroids administered for now the problem we will continue to order the CAT scans without contrast.
By doctors say that it really doesn't make a great difference in routine scans.
If it's good enough for them I'm happy.
Jerry from Cape Cod
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- September 16, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Thanks everyone… I have seen video's of people going to in to anaphylaxis shock but never in my life did I think I would experience something like that…I figured since I had the premed I wouldn't have any problems.
I am thinking since I am on Anti PD 1 and it's basically kicked up my system to fight it probably intensified the reaction. I think Medrol couldn't bring it down enough to allow the dye. The first drop and I was history.
I am so afraid of going into shock again for the MRI.
The trial did cause my thyroid to screw up and I am on synthroid now. And since Iodine is collected by the thyroid I am thinking there has to be a relationship between that…any ideas out there? Lynn
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- September 18, 2011 at 12:36 am
Same trouble with CT contrast–developed the allergy somewhere along in this journey. Doc orders it without now and feels pretty strongly that it is not an issue despite how eager all the CT techs are to premedicate me and still use it. I never let them; sometimes they end up agitated with me but hey….it's my life!
I went in to all of this with a thyroid issue and years of Synthroid so I wonder if that didn't impact everything.
MRI contrast has never been an issue.
Good luck!
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- September 18, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Hi Lynn,
That sounds absolutely horrible and scary!! I have had to be premedicated also for CT scans with contrast, starting 12 hours before the scan and at certain times doing the prednisone and benedryl…..I have always suspected an allergy to iodine as betadine is a problem for me (I get huge hives)…well upon further reading and checking (but not speaking to an allergist) I have read that many people are allergic to not the iodine but some other component in the solutions….still not good….I would really get all this checked out as I am sure you will………we dont want that to happen again!!!!!!
Hugs,
Vermont_Donna, satge 3am NED
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- September 18, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Hi Lynn,
That sounds absolutely horrible and scary!! I have had to be premedicated also for CT scans with contrast, starting 12 hours before the scan and at certain times doing the prednisone and benedryl…..I have always suspected an allergy to iodine as betadine is a problem for me (I get huge hives)…well upon further reading and checking (but not speaking to an allergist) I have read that many people are allergic to not the iodine but some other component in the solutions….still not good….I would really get all this checked out as I am sure you will………we dont want that to happen again!!!!!!
Hugs,
Vermont_Donna, satge 3am NED
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- September 18, 2011 at 12:36 am
Same trouble with CT contrast–developed the allergy somewhere along in this journey. Doc orders it without now and feels pretty strongly that it is not an issue despite how eager all the CT techs are to premedicate me and still use it. I never let them; sometimes they end up agitated with me but hey….it's my life!
I went in to all of this with a thyroid issue and years of Synthroid so I wonder if that didn't impact everything.
MRI contrast has never been an issue.
Good luck!
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- September 16, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Thanks everyone… I have seen video's of people going to in to anaphylaxis shock but never in my life did I think I would experience something like that…I figured since I had the premed I wouldn't have any problems.
I am thinking since I am on Anti PD 1 and it's basically kicked up my system to fight it probably intensified the reaction. I think Medrol couldn't bring it down enough to allow the dye. The first drop and I was history.
I am so afraid of going into shock again for the MRI.
The trial did cause my thyroid to screw up and I am on synthroid now. And since Iodine is collected by the thyroid I am thinking there has to be a relationship between that…any ideas out there? Lynn
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