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What Could Cause Vision Issues And Sleeplessness After A CT Scan Of The Abdomen And Pelvis?
Question: Ttwo weeks ago I had a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis. Since then I am experiencing vision problems, sleeplessness, under certain lights (like in stores) I get headache and also have low energy. Could there be a correlation? What can I do to get better?
Brief Answer:
probably unrelated
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The CT scan is probably unrelated to your current symptoms. Before doing the CT-scan contrast media was probably injected into your vein (this is required in most cases for CT scan of the abdomen). The contrast media may cause worsening of the renal functionality which can be detected with a simple measurement of serum urea and creatinine. If they're both OK then this assumption can be safely excluded and the CT-scan can be considered unrelated to your symptoms.
Your symptoms are not helpful in themselves to form a decent differential diagnosis list. They're too vague and do not 'ring any bells' on their own. Regarding the recommended treatment, it depends on the diagnosis. You'd better start with the most 'specific' symptom which may be the vision problems. You haven't specified what kind of vision problems you've had, so I can't have any clue but this is something to start with by seeking the advice of an ophthalmologist. Common causes of low-energy include anemia, electrolyte disorders, renal disorders, infections, etc - the list is too long. Until you get the chance to consult an ophthalmologist perhaps you can sleep it off (zolpidem should help you with that). Bad sleep may also account for many of the symptoms you've mentioned.
I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Regards!
probably unrelated
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
The CT scan is probably unrelated to your current symptoms. Before doing the CT-scan contrast media was probably injected into your vein (this is required in most cases for CT scan of the abdomen). The contrast media may cause worsening of the renal functionality which can be detected with a simple measurement of serum urea and creatinine. If they're both OK then this assumption can be safely excluded and the CT-scan can be considered unrelated to your symptoms.
Your symptoms are not helpful in themselves to form a decent differential diagnosis list. They're too vague and do not 'ring any bells' on their own. Regarding the recommended treatment, it depends on the diagnosis. You'd better start with the most 'specific' symptom which may be the vision problems. You haven't specified what kind of vision problems you've had, so I can't have any clue but this is something to start with by seeking the advice of an ophthalmologist. Common causes of low-energy include anemia, electrolyte disorders, renal disorders, infections, etc - the list is too long. Until you get the chance to consult an ophthalmologist perhaps you can sleep it off (zolpidem should help you with that). Bad sleep may also account for many of the symptoms you've mentioned.
I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your reply. First, the CT scan did not reveal any problems. I did not have any contrast injection. The zolpidem is not working as well as before. The vision problem is that I just do not see as well as before ( I need cateract surgery). I do react to EMF and I am wondering if the addl. radiation has affected me. In that case, would time help?
Brief Answer:
the radiation cannot cause any immediate symptoms
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Since you didn't have any injection, the symptoms cannot be attributed to the CT-scan. Abdominal CT-scans expose the patient to significant amounts of radiation but its effects are not immediate. Radiation may cause problems in the long-term but not immediate symptoms at the dose of a CT-scan. A large dose of radiation may cause various dramatic effects on a patient's health but I'm talking about doses many times the dose of a simple CT-scan (or numerous CT-scans as a matter of fact). Such effects normally only apply to patients that were exposed to large amount of radiation after nuclear accidents.
If your vision is blurry then the cataract is the most likely cause unless the symptoms occurred abruptly; in that case an urgent ophthalmological assessment would be required.
Regards!
the radiation cannot cause any immediate symptoms
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Since you didn't have any injection, the symptoms cannot be attributed to the CT-scan. Abdominal CT-scans expose the patient to significant amounts of radiation but its effects are not immediate. Radiation may cause problems in the long-term but not immediate symptoms at the dose of a CT-scan. A large dose of radiation may cause various dramatic effects on a patient's health but I'm talking about doses many times the dose of a simple CT-scan (or numerous CT-scans as a matter of fact). Such effects normally only apply to patients that were exposed to large amount of radiation after nuclear accidents.
If your vision is blurry then the cataract is the most likely cause unless the symptoms occurred abruptly; in that case an urgent ophthalmological assessment would be required.
Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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