CT scan tracer allergy

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Hi everyone.

I just wanted to ask if anyone else had a reaction to the Iodine tracer that you have whilst having the CT scan and mapping before treatment. I had mine last Friday afternoon and when I woke up on Saturday morning I had the shock of my life. Who was this thing looking back at me from the mirror? My face was that swollen along with my ears that my earrings had stuck in them!! I ended up at A& E for 5.5 hours and given steroids and antihistamines, it’s taken 5 days for my face to go down but now I seem to have a very sore lump in my neck, which I’m hoping it’s my lymph node doing its job. I will obviously get this checked out at my doctors tomorrow. I’m just curious to know if this happened to anyone else.

I hope you all had the best Christmas that you could of and let’s hope next year is ours xxx

  • Hello Maljay

    I get asked if I ever have an allerigc reaction and the answer is always no; but I am sorry that you seem to have had the reaction that they check for.  I very much hope that everything has died down and your poor face and ears are back to normal.  Please let us know how you are

    Irene xxx

  • Hi  ,

    Firstly welcome to the MacMillan Online Community although I’m really sorry to hear of your recent diagnosis.

    This sounds like a typical allergic reaction but nevertheless awful! It must have been a terrible shock when you saw the swelling! I hope everything has settled with the help of the antihistamines & steroids. I also hope you were able to enjoy your Christmas. 

    Nicola 

  • Hi Irene. Yes all back to normal now and lump is a lymph node doing its job. I start treatment on the 13th Jan and yes very apprehensive about everything, and not looking forward to being in more pain than I am now but like everything in life I will deal with it. This group has given me lots of tips which is brilliant. I hope you had a good Christmas xxx

  • Hi Nicola, yes all good now and surprisingly I had a lovely day, just what we all needed, laughter and fun. I hope yours was lovely too. And thank you 

  • I had a reaction to the iodine but it was the next day. I felt sick and vertigo symptoms. 
    i have refused the iodine at later scans as I don’t want that feeling again. 
    x

  • Yes I’m going to have to not have it again, I can’t cope with the reaction neither Disappointed

  • Yes I reacted to the contrast dye they used at my radiation mapping.  I came out in a hive sort of rash all over my body. I was given steroids but the rash took at least 10 days to go.  I now have on my records that I cannot have contrast dye with any CT scan.  I carried on being extra sensitive all the way through my treatment, had all the reactions to the chemo and started reacting very early in week one to the radiation.  I hope this won't happen to you but just be aware that you may react faster with reactions.  I now know this after all my treatment has finished.  I am in day 10 after radiation has finished but my burns and blisters are still very intense.

  • Hi there, when you said that you reacted early on in your treatment what reactions were they? And were you able to work through any of it? And thanks for the advice and I hope you start feeling better soon x

  • After week one of Chemo and radiation, I developed a light brown/reddish rash in my groin on both sides and also under my arms.  I was told it was too early to react to the radiation and my specialist said it was a fungi rash and I was given cream for it.  I now know it was the beginning of radiation dermatitis and this is now where all my skin has peeled and I am currently red raw.(RDI)  I should have been treating it with other creams. (I have since ordered Strata XRT cream)  The chemo reaction was nausea, reflux, mouth ulcers, cold sores, loss of taste and these were all combined together.  About week 3 of radiation I developed aching muscles in my buttocks, top of my thighs and right hip so I started taking celebrex for inflammation.  I am just about two weeks past my last radiation day but I am still getting new blisters and peeling of skin. I thought I was going to work as I worked part time but unfortunately I was so ill that I have had my complete treatment time off work. Fortunately I work in education and we are currently on summer holidays.  I really hope you don't experience anything like my reactions and I wish you all the best through out your treatment. 

  • Oh wow!!! It sounds like you have suffered right from the start you poor thing. I too have got the strata XRT for when I start as my son sent me some money to get some. And I’m very sorry that you have reacted this way but knowing that this could happen has prepared me just in case. I really wish you all the best. And thanks for the tip of under the arms, I will put the cream there too as I didn’t know it might affect there. I do hope all these reactions stop soon for you