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confusedguy9
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Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject: mri question please help |
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hi, im a 17 year old who has been having a lot of troubles for close to a year now. I started getting head pains last january which i thoiught to be of my tmj dissorder. I had a Ct scan done in May which came back negative. i also had blood work at the same time come back negative. i got a night guard and the pains went away. Now over the summer i started getting constant lightheadedness and sometimes nausea and hot flashes. I worry exsessivly about the possibilty of a brain tumor or whatever else.
My question is, im now booked for an MRI Oct 21st. However he ordered it without contrast only. I'm wondering if anyone knows if this alone is enought to rule out all brain abnormalities even though its being done without contrast.
please input would be greatly appreciated. |
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brainman
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Joined: 13 Oct 2005
Posts: 4435
Location: Tennessee
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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Hi confusedguy9. I am very sorry about your health concerns. I do not mean to dismiss your worries; there is definitely something wrong and you need to find out what it is. There are so many things that can cause your symptoms. Brain cancer does not usually cause headache or lightheadedness. Brain cancers a tricky because the symptoms are different based on the specific location.
MRI without contrast is able to show a tumor... just not as well or as detailed as with contrast.
You could have migraine headaches, inner ear infection.... the list goes on and on. Do continue to work with your own medical team. Do keep us informed.
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Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
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confusedguy9
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Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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thank you very much for your response its greatly appreciated. The docs seem to think its an anxiety dissorder and if the mri comes back negative thats what they are going to narrow it down to.
Im wondering though if with the mri any tumor can be ruled out. meaning that i can 100% sure theres no tumors if it comes bakc negative even after its done without contrast. |
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brainman
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Luisepagan
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Joined: 07 Sep 2008
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:12 am Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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| Hello |
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confusedguy9
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Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:57 am Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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| thank you so much for your reply. To clear things up though, ..Are you saying that if there was a ttumor in my brain that was causing the symptoms i listen above and MRI would find it? and the only time they cant find tumors is when they are smaller than the 5mm slices? |
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brainman
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confusedguy9
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Joined: 08 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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| ok i understand now. do you think this statement would still apply even if its done without contrast? and how certain are you about this? i appolgize for all the questions im just really worried |
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ksplat
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Joined: 26 Apr 2007
Posts: 575
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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| Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:52 pm Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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Hello there
Sorry you have concerns regarding your health & I hope you can get some answers real soon to alleviate your concern.
I would like to say that my Bro had a very small tumour which was 1cm x 5mm @ biopsy. He did have symptoms with this smallish tumour, although his was a Gr 4 & very aggressive.
Thinking of you.
Cheers, Angie.
_________________
Brother diagnosed with GBMIV Feb 07
Treatment: Radiotherapy, Temodal, Gliadel Wafers, Dexamethasone, Keppra, Dilantin, Clexane
Went to our Heavenly Father after a 19mth battle,, 47 years young.
23 Sep 2008
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=19227
"Without Faith We Have Nothing" |
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brainman
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confusedguy9
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Joined: 08 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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| alright i understand that you cant give me any more info because your not sure. Brain man you do seem to be quite noligable on brain tumors themselfs however and probably the most informative person i will be able to talk to about my concerns. My mri is in a week from today and i have to know wether you think i should continue to worry about this if the mri comes back negative. Id also like to know of angies brothers tumor was detectable by mri and if it were done with or without contrast . thank you all so much. |
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brainman
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confusedguy9
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Joined: 08 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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| well i think i may worry if its not done with contrast but the fact is i cant ask for contrast because its up to them wether they do it wouth contrast or not because i live in canada and thats how they do it down here. im just wondering if there is a NEED to worry but arnt MRI's really accuate even without the contrast? you can find alot of stories on the web about people who had tumors missed with a CT scan but never an MRI. So as much as id like to just stop worrying, like you said its difficult because i likely have sever anxiety which is the cause of my lightheadedness in the first place but its so hard to tell myself that without knowing it as fact. i did the same thing after my CT scan i begged my doctor for an MRI and now he gives me an mri and im worrying about the contrast. He personaly thought from the very start this is an anxiety related issue but im just wondering in your own opinion if you think theres a need to worry after a no contrats mri and by that i mean do you think theres a risk of a tumor still being there. |
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brainman
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Joined: 13 Oct 2005
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Location: Tennessee
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:23 am Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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You CAN ask or even demand contrast if you would like it. It is YOUR test that they are doing for YOU. Never think that the doctor have a final word on test. Certainly, hear them and take their advice seriously but don't turn over the decision to them. The fact that you live in Canada may complicate things if the the contrast is not covered. You might have to pay for it.
Yes, odds are that anxiety is at least complicating things for you.
There is always a risk of an MRI missing a very small cancer, with or without contrast. But that risk is extremely small... not worth worrying about.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2405My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=2528
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 3: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/ |
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Mama 2 2
Experienced user
Joined: 29 Nov 2007
Posts: 82
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:56 am Post subject: Re: mri question please help |
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Hi confusedguy9,
I don't have much to offer on the other questions you have asked, but Brainman and ksplat have helped with most of those - but I can say that I'm quite sure in Canada contrast is covered with an mri and not something you have to pay extra for - at least in our case.
My husband has had countless mri's to this point, and while initially I had no idea whether they had contrast or not, I know for sure the last ones did and we did not pay.
That said, we are concerned about his condition at this point and as we are trying an alternative treatment, we are axious to get a scan done, and his next one is not scheduled unitl early Dec. As such, we are considering, if we can't convince the doctor to push up the scan date, to pay for one ourselves, and I know that in this case it does cost more to have a scan with contrast, by a couple hundred dollars.
As to the size showing up, we have never been given the actual size of the tumour ever, but last year when it reappeared in Oct it caused a grand mal seizure, and they told us it was just a 'tiny' amount of cells at that point and they wouldn't even call it a tumour - and it did show up on the scan (though I don't know if there was contrast or not . . . .)
It sounds like you should do whatever you can to get the information as complete as possible to put your mind at ease, and perhaps at whatever cost in may incur you. But also, try to take it easy in the process because as brainman said, the extra stress and worry will do you more harm than good. Perhaps some meditation or relaxation type therapy would be helpful with your anxiety - even yoga! You can buy a dvd at London Drugs for $10 (though depending on where you are in Canada you may not have a London Drugs . . . . .). It's taken a while to get to this point, and we still have tougher days (yesterday was one of those), but both my husband and I have honestly managed to really enjoy the past month, even though his situation has become much more serious.
Find something joyful in every day. 
~C~
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