Contrast dye and already defunct kidneys question

[paddbear0000]

I ended up in ICU last week because I was vomiting up blood and couldn't stop. They had done a bunch of tests and found I had a tumor (or tumors, I was kind of out of it and don't really remember much) on my liver. I went back yesterday for a contrast dye CT scan to check number and location of it/them. They made me drink a gigantic cup off sugar free kool aid with the dye, then gave me an IV of it as well. My kidneys are pretty much defunct, but I do still produce a tiny bit of urine (although barely a drop since that stupid kool aid!). Does it really matter about the dye since I'm on dialysis? I felt rather queasy until dialysis today after getting the test. Should i be concerned? No one that gave me the test could answer my questions.

[Rerun]

They say the dye should be dialyzed out as soon as possible but definitely before 24 hours.  A normal person is told to go home and drink a ton of water.  We can't.  After my heart cath which used contrast dye I never peed again.  In my opinion it took the rest of what little I had of kidney function.

But, I don't think it can hurt your already impaired kidneys.  I have no idea what it does to the rest of your organs.

Best of luck on the Liver study.           

[Romona]

  I hope you feel better soon.

[Chris]

First, sorry to hear about what happened and hope things get better.

Second, when I had the contrast, it didn't much matter, I urinated little anyway and what harm it did do did not matter after that in kidney function. Although it was great not having to go while out and about like when I was a diabetic with normal kidney function needing to know where a washrom was (well more so when I was a kid).

[Sunny]

Sorry to hear about this. Hope you feel better and someone should have an answer for you soon.

[Hanify]

I've had the contrast thing done a couple of times.  They said it wouldn't matter as my kidneys are already stuffed.

[Des]

Sorry to hear about the tumor..

I have just had a angiogram and I insisted that they use the least amount possible and that they give me something to protect my kidneys.

Afterwards they insured me that they went out of their way to find iodine that does the least damage.

[paddbear0000]

Thanks for the advice, info and support everyone!

I didn't know there was another option. Yet another thing no doctor told me! No one told me to drink any water afterward, nor did they tell me I needed to dialysize within 24 hours!! It was more than that for me, although only by a few hours. Now that I think about it, I've barely peed since. I went in to dialysis 2.8 kilos over (a lot for me) and after only a half hour had to have only the minimum fluid pulled off because my crazy bp decided to crash and stay that way. I ended up going into the weekend having only had 1 kilo taken off.

[*kana*]

When I still had kidneys and I peed, they would give me pills 3 days before my CT/contrast and for 2 days after.  I also heard that tomato juice works just as good to help protect the kidneys from the contrast.  Only drink it if your potassium level is normal which mine used to be. 

[paddbear0000]

Thanks, I'll have to remember that. I need to have some contrast dye pictures done of my left eye as I'm having blood leakage again. I guess I should ask my doctor about the pills. Do you remember what they were called?

[Savemeimdtba]

Well... they SAY it can't hurt you - they figure if you're on dialysis - then you're kidneys don't matter.  BUT that little bit of urine you still make is VERY important to us... it's a big difference and I don't think they think about that :/ 

[paddbear0000]

I just wonder what effects the dye can have on the rest of the body when you can barely eliminate it?

[Chris]

Now I wonder if the dye used in the eye is in the same catagory that was/is used for CT scans. Anyway the thing of it is is that they use a different contrast  for us who have had a transplant. I think I saved the name since I had it in May. You have to drink 4 coups of 12 oz of this salty tasting stuff, but  I think they said there was another way to have it. If I don't find it tonight, I'll ask tomorow at the hospital when I pick up my labs to see if it is listed in charts I can get.

I know the dye for the eyes is based from the use of carrots.

[RightSide]

When I still had kidneys and I peed, they would give me pills 3 days before my CT/contrast and for 2 days after.  I also heard that tomato juice works just as good to help protect the kidneys from the contrast.  Only drink it if your potassium level is normal which mine used to be.

A couple of studies have found that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplements, taken before the contrast dye, can help protect the kidneys from contrast dye.  NAC is available from some health food stores.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcysteine

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12944058

And as someone else already mentioned, if you're on dialysis, you should have dialysis as soon as possible after your contrast dye CT scan to dialyze out the dye before it can damage kidneys.

For dialysis patients given contrast dye, there is about a 1-3% chance of contrast-induced nephropathy, which can indeed destroy what little remains of their kidney function.  Unless one of the above protective measures is used.

I had to have a CT of my abdomen at Massachusetts General as part of my transplant evaluation.  But my transplant coordinator told the radiologist NOT to give me contrast.  They said they can live without it if necessary.  If Mass General can live without the contrast dye, then so can your own hospital.  Ask them if it can be withheld.

[st789]

hope sort out things soon for you.  Take care.

[paddbear0000]

That 1-3% chance isn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be. I was thinking more like 90% or something. Thanks for the info on the pills!