CT scan for weight loss. WWYD?

[indigo99]

So I've been losing weight since DS2 was born. Including the baby, I lost 30lb the month I gave birth. Since then, I've steadily lost about a pound/week for 13 months. I was happy about it until I got below my wedding weight (lowest of my adult life). Then I started to worry, and my doctor isn't pleased either. Now I'm considered underweight for my height and haven't weighed this much since I was 17.

I am still BFing, but I have a healthy appetite. I don't get enough exercise, and I do feel very tired and lightheaded often. The only other symptom is some off/on pain in my upper abdomen for the last week.

All blood work is normal including thyroid. Since I have a family history of cancer, my doctor scheduled an abdominal CT for tomorrow. DH and I are weary because of all the radiation that exposes me to (I've had two CT scans before in my life).

Should I do the scan or not? I could get a referral to a GI specialist, but are they just going to want to order the same test?

[sntm]

what type of family history? is this a fishing expedition CT scan or looking for something in particular?

for upper abdominal pain, i would think the most likely sources would be gallbladder or stomach, so ultrasound or endoscopy to evaluate.

[MamaMolly]

I would do the scan.

[AnnieW625]

:yeahthat: but were you underweight before you got married? Are you on any kind of elimination diet for breast feeding? I have known people who lost oodles of weight due to elimination diets, but then eventually gained some weight back.

Good luck!

[Katigre]

I would ask if theere are other imaging options with less radiation available.

[California]

What about an MRI? Yes, I would ask for alternatives.

[DrSally]

Or even a sonogram to start out with? I have no,idea, but it doesn't hurt to ask about other options.

[123LuckyMom]

I would definitely pursue this to make sure you don't have a health issue that needs to be addressed, but I agree with PP that you should ask the doctors what, in fact, they're looking for and whether they could find those results with an MRI or any other options. If the CT scan is indeed the best option, I would do it.

[indigo99]

I wasn't worried until about a month ago when I passed my goal weight (never thought I'd reach it but it's nice to have a goal). That's when I went in and had the blood work. She said to follow-up in 3 weeks if I was still losing so I went back today. I was really surprised when she said that she wanted to send me over for a CT and chest x-ray. I told her that I'd rather not do the chest x-ray while BFing, and she agreed that it isn't likely I have a problem that it would show anyway. She wanted it done today, but I said I could go tomorrow so she can still get the results back in the afternoon. She'll be off all of next week and apparently feels some sort of urgency (I don't especially).

I definitely have breast cancer in my genes but not enough other close relatives to really know of anything else.

I have not dieted at all - no restrictions. I was really surprised to lose another 4lb this past month with all the Halloween candy I've been eating too. I did BF DS1 and never even lost all of my pregnancy weight from him so this is definitely different for me. I was needing to lose weight (I gained a lot with my pregnancies), but I don't need/want to lose any more now.

I already had my gallbladder out so that's definitely not it. I don't think that endoscopy would cover some of the organs that she is concerned about (liver and ovaries are two). I feel like this scan will just rule out the worst possibilities, but it's possible that there isn't even a problem so... I'm just worried about exposing myself to something that could cause cancer when I may not even have a problem. On the other hand, I don't want to lose any more weight so I don't feel like I can wait too long before looking for answers.

Of course the obvious alternative is to stop BFing and see if I still lose weight.

[KpbS]

I would definitely get the scan(s).

:hug:

[hillview]

I'd keep a log of what you are eating for 2 days and see what the calories are adding up to. When I went through a period of near anorexia (accidental) I was shocked to learn that I'd lost so much weight without "trying" when I looked at the calories it all made sense.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about the radiation from the scan (as someone who has had several CT scans) if they can explain what they are looking for.

[o_mom]

What else have they ruled out?

I had that after DS1 and it was my thyroid medicine on a too high dose. I agree with keeping a food log as well. I was able to see that I was eating a lot of calories, even for BF, and still losing weight with the thyroid meds too high.

[wendibird22]

Have you been tested for Celiac? That's a very common post-pregnancy cause of drastic weight loss. And quite a few Celiacs have had their gallbladders out and it was related to being undiagnosed Celiac.

That said, I'd do the scan.

[chinook]

I'd do the scan.

[almostmom]

If it were me, I wouldn't worry about the radiation from a CT scan. There are many people who have lots of these over their life span, so 3 doesn't strike me as a lot. It's good to be aware of that exposure, and I regularly refuse teeth xrays for this reason, but I think the benefits of knowing WAY outweigh the risks here. I haven't done my research on this, but it's my instinct. I've had a couple of CT scans for various things in the past, and I didn't consider that issue, though they were many years ago.

[ErinMC]

I'd do the scan. If the dr. feels some sort of urgency there may be something she's concerned about but doesn't want to worry you. That's my first thought.

Good luck!

[o_mom]

If it were me, I wouldn't worry about the radiation from a CT scan. There are many people who have lots of these over their life span, so 3 doesn't strike me as a lot. It's good to be aware of that exposure, and I regularly refuse teeth xrays for this reason, but I think the benefits of knowing WAY outweigh the risks here. I haven't done my research on this, but it's my instinct. I've had a couple of CT scans for various things in the past, and I didn't consider that issue, though they were many years ago.

CT scans have about 200 times the radiation of a dental x-ray. All the dental x-rays I have had in my entire life don't add up to the dose of one abdominal CT scan.

I think the OP is right to want to know exactly why this test is needed and what they are trying to determine from it. If the doctor is wanting to get it now because of her vacation next week, I would ask if there are other tests that could clarify the need for a CT.

[indigo99]

Well I had the test. I woke up thinking that I wouldn't. Then I called my doctor's office to get the results from my bloodwork yesterday (no significant changes from last month and nothing abnormal). I didn't speak directly to the doctor, but I explained my concerns to the intern and had him ask the doctor if I could do an MRI instead. He called me back after speaking with her and said that she still really wanted me to do the CT.

I think there are just so many different possibilities, and this is one way to rule out most of the worst (time sensitive) ones with one test. The intern said that the CT was the best test for what she (the doctor) wanted so I asked what that was, and he said mainly malignancies. Without having more cause to suspect cancer, I'm not sure how much sense it makes to test for cancers with a test that can cause cancer, but DH agreed that I should probably just go ahead and do it. I'm betting that it all comes back fine, but I should know in a few hours.

[ChristinaLucia]

Sorry I just saw your update. Hope all is well!

[wendibird22]

Well I had the test. I woke up thinking that I wouldn't. Then I called my doctor's office to get the results from my bloodwork yesterday (no significant changes from last month and nothing abnormal). I didn't speak directly to the doctor, but I explained my concerns to the intern and had him ask the doctor if I could do an MRI instead. He called me back after speaking with her and said that she still really wanted me to do the CT.

I think there are just so many different possibilities, and this is one way to rule out most of the worst (time sensitive) ones with one test. The intern said that the CT was the best test for what she (the doctor) wanted so I asked what that was, and he said mainly malignancies. Without having more cause to suspect cancer, I'm not sure how much sense it makes to test for cancers with a test that can cause cancer, but DH agreed that I should probably just go ahead and do it. I'm betting that it all comes back fine, but I should know in a few hours.

I had an abdominal CT before being GF because I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. For me it was good peace of mind that there were no masses or other visible abnormalities. Just a word of warning though that CTs sometimes pick up other inconsequential things. I ended up having to do a chest xray as follow up because there was a shadow on one of my lungs. Turns out it was probably my boob or a rib shadow :ROTFLMAO:. There was also a cyst on one kidney but I guess that's also common and just something they note. But it was unnerving to get a call that I needed a follow up test.

[chinook]

This must be a VERY long afternoon for you. Sending hugs!

[kaitlyns.mom]

Thinking of you! Hope you get an "all clear" result soon. :grouphug:

[indigo99]

So I had an appointment already scheduled to go over the results this afternoon, but the doctor agreed to call and cancel my apt if there was nothing to report. They didn't call, and the receptionist told me that they definitely had received the results (I called to be sure before driving over) so of course I was worried about all the things that could be wrong when I went to the appointment.

The doctor said that all of my major organs looked fine (spleen was on the large side of normal but not worrisome). The only finding was an uncommon vascular issue called superior mesenteric artery syndrome. While it can cause weight loss (due to loss of appetite and nausea), it is most likely a result of my weight loss. It can be the cause of my recent abdominal pain though and can turn into a chronic issue or become acute and dangerous. I basically don't have the normal fat pad that separates a section of blood vessel that branches off of my aorta so it's sitting on top of my small intestine and compressing it. Of course it's also possible that it isn't actually causing me any issues at all and was just an accidental finding.

She wants to schedule a breast MRI for me after the holiday and is sending me to a GI specialist. She suspects that they'll want to do endoscopy to look at the insides of everything.

SO... I'm not happy about doing the CT, but I can't really regret it. This artery thing can cause chronic abdominal pain and be really difficult to diagnose so it's good to know about. Although I still don't know the cause of my problem, it's good to have some of the major (scarier) possibilities ruled out. I'm going to start weaning this weekend (would have already if DS hadn't been sick for the past 6 weeks). With that and thanksgiving, hopefully I can slow down or stop the weight loss.

[Globetrotter]

It's good that you had it done. It's so hard to know in advance what is the "right" thing, but I tend to err on the cautious side. It sounds like you caught it before it's done major damage, no?

I hope there are no other findings :hug: