Nuclear Medicine Scan?

• By miahmj
• Posted October 6, 2008 at 8:31 pm

It's me again! Would this nuclear medicine scan be a part of the gastric empty test that I am scheduled to have 2 days prior to this?
Marlys

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• By Kate1
• Posted October 7, 2008 at 7:59 am

A gastric emptying scan is part of nuclear medicine- they mix eggs (usually) with a radioactive substance that binds to the eggs. Then you eat them and they watch them go through your digestive system (or part of it) and they record how long it takes for your stomach to empty the eggs and for them to progress into the small intestine, etc. I think the test is usually three hours, but sometimes a doctor will order it for longer. You may also have another test scheduled through nuclear medicine, but this is all that I'm aware of. Hope this helps!

Kate

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• By miahmj
• Posted October 7, 2008 at 4:52 pm

Kate,
Thanks for your input! Since my gastric emptying scan is scheduled on Monday and the nuclear medicine scan on Wednesday I may not know until I get there if it is all part of the same test. It's very possible that it is since food takes forever to move through my system. I know the radioactive material is minimal but it's hard to wrap my brain around the concept of eating radioactive food. It's probably not much different than having x-rays taken - just sounds more impressive when I tell friends and family :)

Thanks again,
Marlys

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• By cripdee
• Posted November 14, 2008 at 1:34 pm

May I ask what happened with your scan. I am scheduled for I think the same thing on the 25th. It's called a "Cida" (please forgive spelling) scan. Is this what you had?

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• By miahmj
• Posted November 15, 2008 at 10:26 am

Cripdee,
The nuclear scan was actually part of the gastric emptying study that I had done. It was a 3 day test to evaluate how food moved through my entire system. On the first day I swallowed a capsule with some radioactive material in it. 1 1/2 hours later I ate a breakfast which also contained some radioactive material. I had to come back every hour that morning and every 2 hrs. that afternoon so that my abdomen could be scanned to see where the capsule and food were in my system. I also had to come back the next 2 mornings for another scan to see how they moved through my colon. It's a very easy test and the food taste normal - it was actually the easiest of all tests that I had done. I have not heard of a cida scan so am not sure if that is exactly the same. Where are you having it done? Good luck to you on the 25th!

Marlys

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