Can anyone here tell me what bright white spots on a bone scan may be an indication of? I just went 4 a bone scan on Tues. & seen some when I was able 2 glance at the screen.I am having a terribly nerveracking time waiting for results,I have been in pain and undiagnosed 4 about 15 yrs.
They told me that the white spots indicate where your pain is - but it is not specific to exactly what is causing the pain, but gives the docs the general idea of where to look. THere are a lot of nurses on here, they can probably tell you better - my tech was probably giving me the short version to avoid talking to me too long!
How'd you do w/the scan? That poison they put in you made me SO sick within a few hours, I thought I was a gonner!
I'm sorry to hear you've been in pain for so long. I hope they can find some answers AND relief for you soon!
have you gotten any results yet?? i know you must me a nervous wreck. i too have to go in for a bone scan to rule out metasticies. what i was told from the doc...the dye helps illuminate areas of inflammation, necrosis, any abnormalities and so on. i do not know what color they appear as on screen though. my thoughts are with you...waiting is torture. please let us know what comes of this. prayers are with you erin
Welcome to healing well! I've had a bone scan done of my hips down to my toes... my podiatrist ordered it 'cause they didn't know what was wrong with my feet, thought I might have a series of micro-fractures in them. So they did the bone scan to see. The white spots, like the technician said shows where there is more concentration of your blood. When you are injured or have broken bones, your body sends more blood to that area to try and fix the damage. That's why they inject you with the radiation before the bone scan. So that your blood has time to route it to the "problem" areas. When they see the bone scan, they basically can see where you are having problems. I guess to rule out the fact that people try and say they have pain when they truly don't. The bad thing with the bone scan is that it doesn't tell them if it is fracture or neuroma or inflammation...just that something is wrong in that spot. CaMama hit it spot on!
Erin - I got sick when I got the injection too... not too bad, but was nauseous and just felt crappy.... felt that way for a couple days... then all of the sudden, I was fine. When do you go in for yours? - DuckDiagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Dactylitis/Spondylitis
-Currently taking 50mg shot weekly of Enbrel
Diagnosed May 1998 -Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia
thanx Ducky for the info! i have the script to get the Bone Scan...but as of right now i don't have the funds to get it done and no insurance. i really do not know the status of my charity care assistance via the hospital; so i don't know if i can schedule it just like that. and if so, i can't pay a balance or co pay.
it is crucial i have it done...i just need to get settled down here right now...things are really bad and i don't have the energy or ability to straighten this procedure out and set it up.
having to tackle one thing at a time, but the Bone scan will be done before January.
Erin, by the time I returned home from the scan, I felt awful. My chest hurt (it was hard to breath) and my stomach was nauseaus (I can never spell that word!) I ended up sleeping the afternoon away. Maybe I needed more water in me to flush it out - but I can't remember if I was supposed to eat or not beforehand. I seem to remember having to fast before the dye but could eat during the hour I waited for the dye to move thru out my body? Or maybe I wasn't allowed to drink....I can't remember it was so long ago.
I do remember white spots showing up where the pain was and it seems one doctor said, 'yup, I see you have somethign going on there...." with such disdain like he still didn't beleive my claim of torture. <sigh>
Anyway, with your health and being so frail - just be careful when you get it in case you do have a reaction.
Thank you all 4 ur input as of 2day I still haven't gotten any results(This is so frustrating!) As 4 the dye it did not affect me however I was exhausted just from the procedure they say its painless but I'd like 2 see them try stayin still on a hard surface 4 so long when ur in pain! Ducky what are u telling me that I will need to get a different test 2 actually know what exactly is wrong? I have a quack 4 a Dr. and I have no idea what he will do next, so any suggestions on what I can suggest 2 him would be helpful. This bone scan he scheduled 4 a new pain I have in my foot but I asked the technician to do a whole body. Sometimes I think my Dr. is avoiding diagnosing me!
hi, i'm in for my bone scan friday. i get the injection at 9am and then the test at 12. hoping it doesn't make me ill...this is an important weekend and i'de hate to be a mess for sunday. so is the radiation dye like IV contrast/iodine?? it causes nausea?? do they premedicate you if you're in pain or can't hold still??
I was better by the next day, I believe. Just down and out that day. I wonder if I was dehydrated and that made it worse......It was redish blue dye....poison.....icky stuff...
They did not pre=medicate me and I had trouble w/my feet and standing. Possibly the offer it?
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, but yes, you may have to have more tests run to find out exactly what is wrong. I know my podiatrist ordered the bone scan, which showed him the areas of interest in my body that seemed to be having issues, 'cause my word wasn't good enough.... and I had to have an MRI to go with it to rule out neuromas and such... Have you heard anything yet?Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Dactylitis/Spondylitis
-Currently taking 50mg shot weekly of Enbrel
Diagnosed May 1998 -Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia
for this bone scan, one cannot be pregnant right? it is radiation and Xrays? just wondering before i go ahead with it....you never know! and i don't know if they make you hand over urine samples the day of either?
No you cannot be pregnant. They should ask you if you are or think you may be since they will be injecting you with radiation. Then you have to lay there while they do x-rays, and it does take a while for it (at least for me it did) they did a scan on me from my hips down. They didn't make me provide urine samples... I told them I wasn't pregnant... of course they asked how I knew for sure and I told them it was because my husband and I have both been taken out of the gene pool! :) Good luck! Let us know how it goes... how are you feeling by the way?Diagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Dactylitis/Spondylitis
-Currently taking 50mg shot weekly of Enbrel
Diagnosed May 1998 -Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia
thanks Duck for the quick reply. i guess it's time to drop by the drug store and get a pregnancy test then! i mean, i just have a weird feeling...although highly unlikely; but i would never want to put anything like this at risk ya know? with all these things going on sometimes i don't know whats what! last week i had like 3 episodes of "morning sickness" which could be from the CD! or the steroids; and i've been eating like a lumberjack! which could also be from the steroids. and i'm retaining water...which could be from the steroids! LOL see what i'm getting at? i doubt i'm pregnant..but will find out for sure tomorrow before i go for the scan. my elbow is killing me. recieved a few shots of pred to help break the RA flare; just feeling a little wasted/exhausted. as long as my joints don't get any worse this week i'll be happy. {{{{{{{{{ hugs }}}}}}}}}} erin
Erin, hurry and get that test... holy cow.... as much as a child is a blessing, you really don't need a pregnancy on top of everything else... let us know how it goes... - DuckDiagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Dactylitis/Spondylitis
-Currently taking 50mg shot weekly of Enbrel
Diagnosed May 1998 -Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia
thanks, i know! can't get out of the house right now, so hopefully later tonite or first thing in the morning.
i really don't think i am...i think all these weird feelings are related to the prednisone. looking poofy! and tired but can't sleep & have been hungry. so just to make sure. can never be too safe!
Very true statement... you can never be too safe! :) How are you feeling now? It's rainy here and my joints hurt... but other than that, I'm groovy! :) Let us know how you are doing.. - DuckDiagnosed January 2005 - Psoriatic Arthritis/Dactylitis/Spondylitis
-Currently taking 50mg shot weekly of Enbrel
Diagnosed May 1998 -Graves Disease
-Complete Thyroidectomy September 1998 - While 11 weeks pregnant
Other Complications - GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia
Good luck today Erin, I hope the dye doesn't make you ill. Did you take that test yesterday? You are probably right on the steroids doing it, but it IS better to be safe than sorry!
I had my bone scan done and it showed all the areas that were hurting me. THe doc said that it is showing all the areas where there is something wrong with your bones, inflammation, or large calcium deposits heading to that spot that shows up bright.
I didn't get much in the way of answers though. I did find out I did not have avascular necrosis, which is great, but no answers as to WHAT is giving me so much pain and stiffness.
"History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid"
