I just got my authorization (after 2 years of begging) for HEPATOBILIARY IMAGING, a.k.a. HIDA Scan.

However, when I called to make the appointment, I asked about preparation and the CCK injection. He said there was no mention of a CCK injection. Rather, he said to bring a PINT of Half & Half to drink! A pint? Yuck!

Well, I'm lactose intolerant to boot, but I might just have to suck it up on this one. Have any of you heard of this in place of the CCK hormone? Does it work as well? I'm guessing they want to simulate a fatty meal. I'd rather just eat some BBQ beef ribs!

P.S. For those of you outside the U.S., that is a half milk, half cream product for coffee, etc.

I have never heard of such a thing! I am going to get a Hida scan soon. I would have cracked up if they told me to drink half and half. I can't eat any diary so that's out of the question. My stomach would be exploding. Lol on the beef ribs! I hope they aren't serious.

Scary thing is...they are serious!

I'm going to call tomorrow and find out what that is all about.

A HIDA Scan is a test where a radioactive dye is given and it is followed through the liver to the gallbladder and other places bile goes. It measures the empting rate of your gallbladder to see how well it functions.

No X-ray are used -- the radioactive tracer produces many images using the a special scanner to track the dye as it flows thru the liver , gallbladder and bilinary tract.

I suggest you do a search at the top of this page for -- HIDA Scan -- and copy one of the web sites that explains a HIDA Scan and take it to your doctor.

Whatever the test that is being planned for you certainly is not a HIDA Scan.

I wish you well---Harry

In case you go through with the HIDA scan with half and half, try chewing a lactaid or similar tablet that aids in the digestion of lactose when you consume the milk. At least you won't have to be sick from the milk intolerance on top of everything else.

Just got off the phone with the technician that would be administering the HIDA scan.

He explained that in order to use CCK, a doctor needs to be present (which they won't have available), since it can cause serious problems if a gallstone gets stuck. From what he said, according to recent studies, using Half & Half is a safer more natural way to make the gallbladder contract and is no less accurate than using the CCK hormone.

He even said that we can schedule to have do the first half of the scan, then go out for a fatty meal, then come back for the second half of the scan.

Of course, I'll want to research that, but it seems to make sense.

tattoo,

I still don't understand what type of test you are getting?
Does the test have a name? Is it done using
X-rays or ultrasound.
Do you think it is a test being done just to satisfy you?

A HIDA Scan is well documented as to how it is conducted, what type of radioactive isotopes/ tracers are used and how the test results are interpreted by a Doctor.

If you are satisfied then that is really all that matters.

Harry

What an odd explanation. I am guessing here, but I suppose if you have a stone and your gall bladder contracts significantly, it might force the stone into the cystic duct or even down into the common bile duct and get stuck there. But CCK or a fatty meal could potentially do that. Doctor or no doctor, you'd still have to be transported to a hospital if emergency surgery was required. What country are you in?

I have no idea about HIDA scans, but I know I had one almost a week ago - with CCK. Nothing was said to me about a possibility of a stone getting stuck, etc. But ever since Friday I have been sooo nauseas -- I have to keep drinking and chewing anti-nausea tabs. It was determined my gallbladder is only functioning or whatever they call it at 7.1%. I'm scheduled to have it out on March 5. Nothing was mentioned to me about using half-and-half or anything like that. My only concern is I think the HIDA scan set mine off and made it even worse than it was. So I called the surgeon's office this morning to see if we can move even earlier than March 5, because now I'm concerned about a stone, etc. But I'm told the HIDA scan with CCK is the best way to see it anything -- BUT -- I don't believe it can scan for stones, which scares me. I think ultrasound is best, which I don't think I have had.

tattoo,

I still don't understand what type of test you are getting?
Does the test have a name? Is it done using
X-rays or ultrasound.
Do you think it is a test being done just to satisfy you?

A HIDA Scan is well documented as to how it is conducted, what type of radioactive isotopes/ tracers are used and how the test results are interpreted by a Doctor.

If you are satisfied then that is really all that matters.

Harry


It is definitely a HIDA scan. He explained to me that the tracer will be injected via IV, but instead of using the CCK hormone to trigger the gallbladder, they use a fatty substance (Half & Half, fatty meal, etc.).

Hi Ladybiker...call your doc and ask for an ultrasound. The test is quick and relatively cheap. You have to come in fasting, I think for a good 4 hours or so. It isn't 100%, but it can pick up stones and a number of other abnormalities. As sick as you feel, I can't imagine why your doc would deny you that much. If there is a stone lodged somewhere critical, like the common bile duct, you may get that early surgery date. How is your color, especially the eyes? Yellowing of the skin or eyes is a red flag.

Probably the staff at the imaging place needs cream for their coffee. there are no imaging machines that can track half and half.

They are tracking the Tracer, which they will inject. The Half & Half is just to get the gallbladder squeezing (as with a fatty meal).

I had a HIDA scan done on Tuesday, and have been feeling extremely sick ever since. they used the CCK, and I called the hospital two days later and explained I couldn't eat, and I was really nauseaus, but they said that it wasn't from the test. My ejection fraction was 9.5%, so I am talking to a surgeon on Friday to schedule to have it removed. I have been having stomach problems ever since September, and they thought it was the gallbladder at first, but ultrasounds and an endoscopy and CT scan showed nothing. I am really nervous about the surgery, but praying that all goes well.

That's what they keep trying to tell me -- that the nausea is not from the HIDA scan. Well, I never had nausea until I had the HIDA scan. It's been at least 4 weeks now. I had gallbladder removed 3 weeks ago - fraction rate was 7%. The nausea is not as severe as it was, but I do still have it -- and I blame it on the HIDA scan. I had the HIDA scan because of chest pains, not because of nausea. At the time they did the HIDA scan, that's when the nausea hit during the scan, and I thought it would go away.

Regardless, I keep wondering if anyone else has had this problem, and how it was resolved - or is there something they need to use to flush the CCK out of my system?? Maybe it never cleared out?

Duplicate post, sorry.

Talked to a nuclear med tech today and asked about the half and half. He said they use to use that or a like substance but it is "old school". The ckk is easier to administer the exact amount they want to get the results. He doesn't know of any place that doesn't use ckk now.

We talked about the use of morphine during the procedure. The do not give it to the patient to help their pain but it helps them see the gallbladder if the first tracer (?) doesn't show it well. You must have a driver with you or you will not get the morphine. I asked about letting people go then come back and he said that they would do that if the gb wasn't visualized. It could take up to 4 hours but that was rare. Mine lasted 1.5 hours and I guess that is about the usual time. He said hospitals will administer the ckk at different rates. Mine took 7.5 minutes. Another hospital he was at took as long as 30 minutes. The faster it is injected, the worse the reactions can be but that horrible feeling usually passes as soon as the injection ends. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask him if many people complain about nausea days after the test. I know another poster is sure this has caused or worsened their nausea. The tech said they also use to inject by hand but had a tendency to inject too fast that way. I pump injected mine. I know there isn't much new info in all this but thought I would post it anyway.

I was one of the patients that had nothing but nausea after the HIDA scan. It has finally gone away after almost one month. I did not have nausea before the HIDA scan, but had the HIDA scan because of chest-type pains (not heart related), and when he injected the CCK I experienced the first nausea. By the time he got to the 3d injection it was really bad. I thought after that it would go away. It never did, up until about 3-4 days ago. I feel good now finally. Gallbladder has been out now for almost a month. I don't think most people experience the nausea afterwards. Apparently my body just took a long time to get rid of it.

Just got my results. EF was 12%. Looks like the Half & Half did the job. I could definitely feel my GB squeezing after drinking it.

I am waiting on a referral for the surgeon recommended by my primary, but I'm trying to find a good surgeon via word-of-mouth. Does anybody know of a cholecystectomy cafe in Los Angeles? :)

I met with my surgeon last week. He is a really great guy, and one of his prime concerns was that I feel comfortable with him, including asking as many questions as necessary.

My laparoscopic cholecystectomy is on June 13th. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Well, it's one week after my lap. chole., and I have to say that I do feel better in some ways already.

The surgery went really well, but coming out of the anesthesia was the worst part. I felt very "heavy" and couldn't breathe all that well. Also, my pulse was 120-130bpm; however, all that subsided later that day.

I've only needed to take two Vicodin the whole time. The first two days after were the toughest, being really sore and needing some help getting up and down.

My digestive system is out of whack right now and is trying to adjust, but I just need to give it time. Funny enough, when I eat now (very low fat if not fat-free) I feel like I'm having a minor GB attack which is weird. That, too, is diminishing a little every day.

I have some minor diarrhea, but it is not anything unmanageable. I think the constipation from the anesthesia was worse. I'll report back in a few weeks unless I'm feeling TOO good to think about it.

Too soon to tell if the surgery was worth it, but it seems like it was!

:)

P.S. For some reason, my blood pressure now seems to be much better than before the operation. I can't explain it, but I've had to cut my BP meds in half just to keep from "bottoming out."

Glad that you are recovering from the surgery! Hope that the rest of your recovery goes smoothly. I am now nearly 3 months post, and feeling better (at least my stomach is) then before the surgery. I am having probs with kidney stones, or whatever else the dr thinks it couls be, but at least my stomach isn't pitching a fit every time I eat. Now I can pretty much eat whatever I want (except teh stuff on the kidney stone diet), which is amazing! Hope all goes well!!
Daisy

Glad that you are recovering from the surgery! Hope that the rest of your recovery goes smoothly. I am now nearly 3 months post, and feeling better (at least my stomach is) then before the surgery. I am having probs with kidney stones, or whatever else the dr thinks it couls be, but at least my stomach isn't pitching a fit every time I eat. Now I can pretty much eat whatever I want (except teh stuff on the kidney stone diet), which is amazing! Hope all goes well!!
Daisy

Still feeling pretty good, although today I have some reflux (urgh) and a light-colored, although otherwise normal, BM (sorry). I just have to be patient and let my body adjust, I think.

I can eat most anything, except really fatty foods of course, with no problems. I hope my bile flow increases so I can incorporate some fatty foods as a treat without problems. I'm going to try eating some fresh beets to coax my body to thin out the bile and promote bile flow.

bananarama, sorry to be so graphic, but were your BM's kind of strange at first, then normalize?

Hello. My BMs actually were normal throughout. I was constipated, but that was about it, and that ws just because of all the pain killers, because pretty soon after surgery I got kidney stones, so I never got off of them (still on them, due to round 2 of kidney stones, and they aren't doing surgery until September). I never had the dumping symdrome that is apparently associated with having your gb out. I am glad that you are able to eat most things. Yeah, I still have an issue with fried stuff, but anything else I am good with. I didn't know that there was a way to get your body to make more bile. I would love to be able to eat fried food again, but to be honest I am scared of trying it. I don't think I will ever eat country fried steak again. I have had it
3x since the surgery, and each time it made me really sick. The last time I tried it was last week. Not fun.
Hope your recovery is still going well. Sorry you are still having issues, but it gets better.
Hang in there,
Daisy

The one semi-fatty food I tried last weekend didn't give me the dumping syndrome until the next day, which I thought was odd. I guess it's not a huge deal considering that I've never done well with fatty foods; I try to stay away from them for health reasons, but I love a treat once in a while.

Thanks for your feedback!

Im sorry I didnt see this thread earlier. I had my GB removed on 6-9-07, was in the hospital for 4 days prior to the surgery and 2 days after. I had a HIDA scan that put me into a FULL blown GB attack after they injected the CCK, the day before the surgery and they DID indeed give me Dilauded (which is supposedly stronger than morphine) during the test. The Nurse stuffed a rag in my mouth because I was yelling the pain was so bad! The Dr. was in the room and said, even before they knew the results of the HIDA, that my GB was for sure bad, I had positive murphy signs prior to the test and being thrown into a GB attack during the HIDA is a sure sign you have a bad GB. Later that night in the hospital, I vomited pure bile (very disgusting)... Im sure the HIDA scan and CCK prompted that as I havent vomited anything during my previous GB attacks.

Anyways, after having it removed I was very sore and had problems with diahrrea for the first 1.5 weeks after eating anything. Now im back to normal :D

All in all, the surgery was a sinch and I felt 1000% better when I woke up in recovery, I knew that my GB had been giving me grief for a while and I just didnt know it. BTW, I had 3 attacks in 1 week and never had any problems before whatsoever. It came on sudden and very strong.

Today is June 27 and for the past couple of days Im back to my normal diet.

Adidas,
I am so glad taht you are feeling that much better after teh surgery. that is great. Sorry that things went so bad during the Hida. I thought I was going to die during that thing. And I couldn't stop vomitting for days afterwards, but was told by teh technicians that it couldn't have been caused by the test. That test was miserable!! But I am so glad that they found the problem and got rid of it!! Goodluck with the rest of your recovery!
Daisy