Kinda concerned

[TawnyMyst]

In my thread in MIM I mentioned my headaches and several people expressed concern, I decided to see a doctor about them. He didn't seem too concerned but ordered some tests anyways. I had blood drawn the same day and he ordered a ct scan as well. I got the call to set up the scan yesterday afternoon. They want me to check in to the hospital at 6 in the morning on June 1 as an outpatient. I'm not to eat or drink anything but clear liquids for 24 hours before hand, which seems weird to me. Is this normal procedure for a test like this? Or should I be worried?

[Dave1982]

Not sure about a CAT scan, but I know for MRIs they usually administer a mild sedative to prevent anxiety or claustrophobia during the test, in which you're shoved into a noisy tube and must hold perfectly still the whole time. These can cause nausea. The clear liquids only will ensure that there is nothing in your stomach that you might vomit up and possibly choke on.

[charred]

This is normal

[TawnyMyst]

I've had an MRI before for my knee and didn't have these orders the last time nor did I receive a sedative, I actually fell asleep in the machine while they did the scan. I just wasn't sure if this was the same way.

[AdminAssistant]

I didn't have a sedative when I had my MRIs this week, nor did I have any special eating/drinking instructions. The CT scan I had was in the ER and an emergency thing, so obviously there was none of that. It only took 5 minutes, but the contrast they use is icky.

[Shpepper]

It sounds to me like the doctor is erring on the side of caution. Just in case you end up needing more tests at the last minute based on what they find in the CT scan. I hod those same orders when I had my first brain scan looking for causes of migraines.

[Sapphire Silk]

In my thread in MIM I mentioned my headaches and several people expressed concern, I decided to see a doctor about them. He didn't seem too concerned but ordered some tests anyways. I had blood drawn the same day and he ordered a ct scan as well. I got the call to set up the scan yesterday afternoon. They want me to check in to the hospital at 6 in the morning on June 1 as an outpatient. I'm not to eat or drink anything but clear liquids for 24 hours before hand, which seems weird to me. Is this normal procedure for a test like this? Or should I be worried?

Depends on what test you have to be NPO for. You really don't need to be NPO for a CT of the head.

Fasting blood sugar is another matter. Several blood tests require you to be fasting, including fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Headaches can be caused by a lot of things: brain tumors, bleeding vessels in the brain, drops in your blood sugar, electrolyte imbalances, migraines (typically caused by vasospasm of the cerebral arteries), to other things.

High blood pressure is usually an asymptomatic disease, but sometimes causes headaches. But you don't have to be NPO for that.

Odds are, the tests will all come back normal. That still doesn't make the headaches normal, especially if you have them frequently. A medical evaluation was a good idea, and I'm glad you went.

If the tests come back normal, what does that mean? Well, based on the kind and location of the pain, you very likely may be having classic migraine. It won't show up on the CT, or the lab tests. For most people they are an annoyance. For some people they get debilitating (mine can get like that). Dietary changes, stress relief, and identifying and avoiding triggers can help.

Start keeping a headache diary. When you get a headache, write down what you ate that day, what the weather was like, what you were doing. Write down where the pain started, how intense it was on a 1-10 scale, describe what it felt like. Write down what makes it better and what makes it worse.

That information will help your doctor determine what kind of headaches you are having (there are many different types), and how best to manage them.

Try lifestyle changes before medications.

[TawnyMyst]

I already had the blood tests done the other day and the only other test that I'm scheduled for that I'm aware of is the ct scan which was why I was questioning these orders. They haven't told me anything about the blood tests other than I'll get all results after the ct scan.

[Seshat]

They may want to do a fasting blood test.

They may want to make sure that IF the scan shows anything that warrants immediate action, it's possible.

There may be some other reason.

Ask!

[TawnyMyst]

Had my tests this morning, found out why they wanted me to not have anything for the 24 hours. They wanted to trigger a migraine during the test and oh boy did they succeed. At least they gave me good drugs after to help the pain. I just wish they would have told me this. I drove myself and had to take a cab home and go back tomorrow to get my truck. If I had known, I would have left the truck home and gotten a ride or taken a cab in the first place. I should get the results in a few days according to the tech.

[TawnyMyst]

Got all the results from the tests back and nothing, yes I had a migraine during the ct but still nothing. The doc has basically said sorry you have a headache, that's been constant for almost two months now but what do you want me to do?

I'm not sure what my next step is but I want this headache to go away!

[RootedPhoenix]

Your doctor just...kind of...brushed you off?

If so, that's pretty awful.