Do I need to avoid caffeine and ciggarretes (yes unfortunately I am a smoker and am going on the patch soon to try and quit) 24 hours prior to test? How do I prepare? THANKS! Posted by Chloe07 (Member # 15663) on :
Columbia University requests that you have No Caffeine (Coffee, Chocolate) or Smoke (anything) 12 hours before a SPECT scan.
If you can't without going into withdrawl, than let your LLMD know, for sure.
Posted by Nessa1815 (Member # 15697) on :
What exactly is that kind of test? If you don't mind me asking?
Posted by Chloe07 (Member # 15663) on :
A SPECT scan is a type of nuclear imaging test that shows how blood flows to your tissues and organs.
You are injected with a chemical that is radioactive tracer, asked to rest for 45 mins (without talking at ALL), during the test a 3-headed machine rotates around your head while you stay as still as you can. It's pretty easy.
A SPECT scan is used to view how blood flows through and in the brain. It is more sensitive than both MRI or CT scanning because it can detect reduced blood flow to injured sites.
With Lyme disease, it is helpful in the differential diagnosis, though it cannot make a Lyme diagnosis on its own. Certain findings (Like Global Hypoperfusion, and others) are found more so in Lyme patients, and are more suggestive of Lyme than say...as psychological disorder (or whatever the physician is trying to rule out).
Cool! Let us know how it goes!!
Posted by njlymemom (Member # 15088) on :
Trish,
I am pretty certain that you need to abstain
from ciggarettes, and all forms of caffeine
(yes including chocolate) 24 hours before,
not 12. They should have told you this when
you made the appt.
My daughter and I both had a spect scan.
I hope you are having it done at Columbia Prsb.
in NY. I was told that the patterns of
patients with Lyme, MS and Lupus are different.
With both of our tests the "pattern" was indicative to
Lyme. I needed to see this as I was living
with an MS diagnosis for a very long time, and
it reassured me that I am truly on the right
path now.
Other than cutting out the caffeine, there is
nothing else to do, maybe bring a book.
My daughter is horrible with any needle situation,
she was fine when they injected the tracer.
The nurses and techs are really sharp (no pun intended)
and accurate.
To my delight, the machine does not make
that awful noise of the MRI.
Good luck tomorrow.
Posted by trish4 (Member # 14156) on :
Thank you everyone...yeah I think it is 24 hours but Ive already smoked ciggarettes today, I hope it will be alright. I am not going to smoke anymore until after the test. Yes I am going to columbia presbytrian, luckily I only live 30 minutes from there. Im leaving tomorrow at 7am to have a pregnancy test (even though i dont need it, its the law) and than the test is at 10. Did anyone who had this test ask for a sedative to help keep still for so long?
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