Contrast Flavor: Berry Berry or Banana Poll sort of

[IowaBrian]

OK new news from the dr office now you have to drink the contrast like normal and right before you get scanned you have to drink a 3rd glass but it is the juice mixed with contrast. They are also offering the juice but you have to come in early and drink it there as it goes bad in 24 hours.
I guess the docs think the extra contrast right before you are scanned will help them see more. Guess they never drank it before I am waiting for them to say you need two IV's pushing in the hot contrast so you feel like you are really going to burn up

[Fed]

At Dana Farber, they use Crystal Light (a variety of flavors) and mix in a capfull of the contrast solution. It tastes so much better and not as rough on your stomach (at least for me).

Across the street at Brigham and Women hospital however, they use the Berry-Berry or Banana contrast. Both are awful in my opinion, and whether I gulp or drink it slowly, my stomach does not handle it well.

So, you can imagine I do everything I can to keep the appointments at Dana Farber!!

Awww crap... my first surveillance scans will be at Brigham in a little over a week, so I guess I'll be stuck with the nasty stuff (and my med onc already warned me about it). Should I just not eat anything beforehand? Chundering would suck, b/c one would probably have to drink another bottle (is it a bottle?) anyways

[IowaBrian]

This might be a local thing where we have to drink the shake then right before the scan the give us the red juice drink. Your docs might not think it is needed to get the 3rd drink if you already drank the thick crap. But I believe that if you drink your contrast at the place of the scan and you drink the juice not the thick crap you still have to drink 3 cups I think ???
All I can say is that if you have to drink the thick crap get the plain and mix it with chocolate it is a little better.. That the thick crap causes my insides to turn into toxic waste land they say the juice cause the same reaction but quicker that is from the tech's mouth not mine so we will see. I should have another scan in a couple months so I have some time to get ready. AS for eating before the scan they will give you instruction mine are clear liquid 4 hours prior to exam and once you start drinking the crap DO NOT DRINK ANY LIQUIDS I copied this from my old prep sheet i put in crap for their word "prep or contrast". CRAP is much better.
Brian

[Scott]

Awww crap... my first surveillance scans will be at Brigham in a little over a week, so I guess I'll be stuck with the nasty stuff (and my med onc already warned me about it). Should I just not eat anything beforehand? Chundering would suck, b/c one would probably have to drink another bottle (is it a bottle?) anyways

A CT scan virgin? Refrigerate the contrast agent, and it's more tolerable. Just gulp it down. I've always been told that other liquids are OK, but don't eat anything. Be aware that the contrast agent they inject just before the scan will cause a warm feeling in your abdomen and a metallic taste. You definitely get used to the whole thing, though I'm glad I have them less often now.

[Marco1975]

flavors form the "!old continent".

here i drink something that tastes like "anise" (anice).
not too bad but anyway just outside the clinic there's a little wine shop. before i get home, when my doc says proudly "all clear", i use to stop and by a bottle of Montepulciano for dinner. three excellent bottles so far...

[Karen]

Marco,
So you have a wine cork collection like mine, but with better wines!!!
A salute, caro Marco!

[Marco1975]

TC brings to alcholism!

Someone should study this connection....

[Fed]

A CT scan virgin?

...no longer . Based on what Kman99 was saying before, I was expecting the worst. As it turns out, Brigham now has an orange-flavored version. It tasted like Tang, but with the consistency of a thick, endlessly frothy smoothie. It wasn't terribly bad. I think the annoying part is having to drink it over a period of one hour. I would have much rather downed it quickly.

[Karen]

So why the heck does it seem every center uses a different "drink" with different instructions on when to drink it? I would think that woule be a fairly standardized protocol for CT. Inquiring minds want to know....
Marco's "Sambuca smoothie" sounds the best so far.

[Marco1975]

Yesterday, another bottle!
"Morellino di Scansano" (year 2004 of course, the year of my diagnose).


P.S. This time the CT doc old me to drink just two glasses of contrast. maybe it's because the new ct machines? i remember last year the entire procedure took more time, and that i had to hold my breath for 40 seconds during one particolar "scans". Not this year. The technician told me that this new machine scans the whole body in 8 seconds. So maybe it's more accurate and powerful and need less contrast liquid.

[Vinny]

flavors form the "!old continent".

here i drink something that tastes like "anise" (anice).
not too bad but anyway just outside the clinic there's a little wine shop. before i get home, when my doc says proudly "all clear", i use to stop and by a bottle of Montepulciano for dinner. three excellent bottles so far...

Aaah. I really need to get in contact with my Italian side more often. If I don't mix Sambuca or Amoretto with my next CT smoothie, I may go the wine route instead.

I'm thinking it will be the wine. Marco, any suggestions? I love reds, although l often wonder about the quality of wines in Mid-Missouri.

ciao
Frank

[Marco1975]

Well, we have the wine, you have the mozzarella! .....or maybe not?

I'm quite sure that after a clear CT Scan, both Tuscany and Missouri wine taste delicious!

[IowaBrian]

I get to try the Juice tomorrow nothing like glowing on a Monday

[Matt_24]

I had to drink contrast the same day as my surgery (as they performed the CT around 4 hours after surgery). I slammed it down really fast. Wasn't too bad when you just chug it. I get down to radiation for the test and they realized that I needed another set of blood work before they could do it...so I was chugging more contrast before and during the bloodwork. Again, I just chugged it down fast. Best way to do it.

[Already Bald]

All of my CT Scans here in PA have been with the milky, chaulky tough to drink stuff. The last Scan I had up at Sloan-Kettering, the raidology deptartment was busy so they sent me to the Breast Cancer building about 8 blocks away from Urology. They gave me a red koolaid type contrast, it went down real easy. The tech told me to go slow and not to finish it- because it actually contained iodine. Guess it worked though, that was the scan that detected my relaspe .
It was very sad to see all those breast cancer patients, their cure rate is much lower than ours. Lot of tears in that waiting room.