FULL BONE SCAN...anyone here had one?

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I had one Wednesday, my reheumatologist should have the results in ten days. 

I arrived at nuclear medicine at 8:30 am, had my injection at 9 am, then three hours to kill until they started taking images. They were finished by 1:45 pm.

And I was exhausted. Took a cab home, couldn't have handled subway and bus. Best 20$ I've spent in months.

the procedure was lots of "don't move for the next five minutes" then, relax, stretch legs, etc. Toward the end, the technician advised me to go the bathroom again because the last stretch would be TWENTY MINUTES OF NOT MOVING! I can't even do that at night in bed.

so I went for a pee and we did it.

At times I could feel muscles contracting and I was worried I would involuntarily jerk my legs or arms. They replaced a few ceiling panels with a backlit bucolic autumn scene, presumably something peaceful to look at while you're flat on your back. I had lost interest after the very first five minute session and resorted to counting early on. 

For that 20 minutes I counted to 1200 for probably the first time in my life, and naturally I did it too fast, by about 200. 

But it I did it and the two technicians congratulated me for not moving.

the next day, Thursday, I had my first major flare up since starting sulfasalazine. Couldn't move, fever, chills, hit my hands and knees, and neck, hardest. But it was everywhere. More humid weather didn't help.

feeling some recovery today. 

 

2

I've had a full bone scan but I donl' remember having to stay so still for quite so long except for my MRI scan, which is different. This was not an MRI scan, then?

Well done you for staying still so long. Sorry about your fever and chills .

Good luck with the results!

3

Yes I had one.my rheumatologist didn't order it but nurse at my gp as been on steroids for years.now take vitamin d to protect.hope yours pk n u get on ok with sulfasalazine.I'm on that n had no problems but it still isn't enough even though I on lots other drugs

4

Hi Steve. I had a whole body dxa scan two months ago. It didn't take so long...about 20 mins and was a bit like being photo copied. This scan confirmed osteoporosis for me.

Your description sounds more like the MRI scan I had which took about 2 hrs,was very noisy and revealed degeneration on my legs and feet. I found the MRI quite uncomfortable and was unwell the next day.

Hope you are through your flare up soon.

Good wishes

5

MRI sticks you in a narrow culvert and then hammers it with mallets!

(Or so it feels. Take someone with you for that one and have them hold your feet. I got quite claustrophobic.)

6

It must have been a MRI.

my rheumatologist told me it could take a month or two to get an appointment for the total bone scan but the hospital called me a few days later and scheduled me for  less than a week after that. It's a new hospital and seems to be opening various departments gradually. Directional signs for nuclear medicine were on 8 1/2 X11 sheets of paper taped to corridor walls. There's an underground passageway that leads to the hospital from a subway station but they haven't created wheelchair access yet.

im just grateful they took me so soon. I saw my GP today and he was able to pull up some of the results on his computer just by using my health card number. I love young doctors, so able to take advantage of the technology at hand.