Question:
Anyone have a Hida Scan done?

I'm just wondering what you can tell me about your personal experiences about gallbladder pain. I am scheduled for a Hida Scan because I am having some pain which reminds me of gallbladder and had an ultrasound that absolutely showed nothing on. I'm also curious about the Hida Scan. Anyone feel like sharing their experiences? Thanks in advance. Stacy Wis.    — hawk4life (posted on February 6, 2004)

February 6, 2004
Hi Stacy, I had my gallbladder out about a year before my wls. I had been experiencing pain in my mid section that wrapped around my back off and on for years. when it started happening frequently, and lasting for days, I had an ultrasound. It showed no gallstones. My Dr ordered a Hida Scan. It involved getting an IV and while having a Ct Scan they inject something into your IV that tests your gallbladders ability to contract and empty (ejection fraction). The medication they put in the IV burned when they injected it and it made me hot and nauseated. The nausea passed after a couple of minutes. I was told that my ejection fraction was very low and that meant that my gallbladder wasnt functioning properly. Shortly after, they removed my gallbladder. I had bowel problems (diarhea) for about a month after the surgery, but I havent had a single attack since. It was well worth it. I hope this information is helpful! Mary
   — maryburton

February 6, 2004
I had a hida scan done a few years ago and my experience was the same as the previous poster, only I never had any nausea. I will say that my gallbladder was functioning correctly so maybe that is why I had no nausea. The stuff they inject does burn when it is going in. Not enough to keep you from getting it done though! Good Luck! Debbie
   — DEBBIE S.

February 7, 2004
Stacy, <br> I had my surgery with Dr. Kothari too. <br> I had gallstones before my WLS, and we waited until after the Lap RNY to see if my pain got any better, but it did not. He removed my Gallbladder after I was over a year out. I had a HIDA scan too. <br> Basically, it triggered a gallbladder attack for me and confirmed that the stones were causing problems and that the gallbladder finally needed to be removed. It was not a pleasant experience, but it was worth stopping all of the attacks once and for all. However, my ultrasound showed many gallstones, and the HIDA scan confirmed that I was ready for the gallbladder to be removed.
   — kultgirl

February 8, 2004
I had an hida scan done about 2 weeks ago. It takes about an hour and is not too bad except for when they inject you with the substance that makes your gallbladder react. For me it was mild nausea that lasted for only a couple of minutes. Incidently my gallbladder is hardly functioning at all and I will be seeing a surgeon in the very near future in reference to removal. Surgery 1/7/03. 252/119
   — sherry H.

February 8, 2004
Hi all! just a little note (I manage Nuclear Medicine, the place where HIDA scans....are done) The HIDA (or diida,pipida,hepatobiliary....all common names for the same thing) does NOT cause the nausea. The scan itself is painless and takes from 60 minutes to 4 hours depending on your gallbladder problems. The nausea some people felt is caused by an additional injected medicine called CCK (cholecystokinin). CCKis naturally created by your gallbladder everytime it contracts. What the doctors are doing during the scan is giving a controlled amount in order to indice contraction of the gallbladder while imagine to look exactly at what is going on during contraction and what % it actually contracts over a 30 minutes period. The nautious feeling you feel goes away pretty quickly and its a "natural" nausea... something you feel normally when there's something "not right" with thegallbladder. If you have known stones, getting the CCK is dangerous as if your forcing a contraction where a stone is blocking the way, a rupture "could" happen.
   — Ted D.

February 10, 2004
Don't worry, this procedure is a piece of cake. There is no pain involved at all. It is a lengthy test about one hour. The worst part is the injection they give you, It make you feel very nausesous for a minute or so. I had a like upset stomach for the rest of the day, but nothing to bad. Good Luck.
   — penelope R.