# What impact does a CAT scan have? (on cycle, and on embryo)



## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

cross-posted in I'm Pregnant
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...87#post8712387

So I just was sitting here thinking to myself, "huh, I know I've been busy as bee and paying no attention, but, isn't my period due any moment"?

So I go look on my Fertility Friend page* and, um, I'm on 17 days post-ovulation and still no period or even PMS.

*I've been charting on FF since my first were born... both when I'm trying to conceive and when I'm not. Then our youngest was conceived when I thought I was in the "safe" zone (an "oopsie-daisy baby"), which was met with giant smiles about 2 seconds after finding out. But this time we are really really REALLY not trying to conceive, so in addition to charting, we use other protection EVERY SINGLE TIME. (But it's like 88% effective with perfect use, so it's no guarantee.)

So my period is not only 3-4 days late, but my luteal phase is 17 days and going, which is extremely long for me. (I virtually always have about a 12-13 day luteal phase.)

In addition to freaking out (a little) and totally scratching my head... I had an abdominal CAT scan about 2 days after ovulating. They made me POAS before the test, and of course, the test was negative.

I'm starting to sweat.

So here are my questions:

1. Does anyone know if a CAT scan can mess up your fertility/cycle at all? For example, could it be the reason my luteal phase is so long (assuming I'm not pregnant)?

2. And if I am pregnant, how bad is it that I had an abdominal CAT scan ~2-3 DPO? That's A LOT of radiation folks.
















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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

Have you POAS after the one they had you do before the cat scan?

can you share a link to your FF chart? I'm thinking you didn't ovulate when FF says you did

not sure about the impact of a cat scan on an embryo


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

No, no I just checked FF and realized I'm late. And I have no sticks... so NOT in my life right now.

I'd rather not share my FF chart.







I guess it has a lot of stuff (when dh and I DTD for one) that, I don't know, I'm not up for sharing.









I am hoping I'm just off on ovulation but the thing is, I just don't see it. My cycles are fairly regular... not to the day but within a couple of days either way. I get strong EWCM and noticable mittleschmertz (sp) on about day 3 of 4 days of EWCM pretty much like clockwork... then AF starts about 12 days later (though this does vary a little... has been as little as 11 days but never more than 14 days and definitely never 17, now almost 18 days).

But yes, I'm hoping I just totally whiffed it this time. I am really really hoping that. Because we hadn't planned on having any more kids much less now. And I'm worried about the CAT scan most of all.


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## quirkylayne (Sep 15, 2005)

Stress - like having to have medical procedures and a CAT scan - could be messing up your cycle.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Update...

Just got AF after lunch (18 DPO). THANK GOD!







I have never been more happy to see AF in my entire life.


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

about the chart sharing personal info - on the charting homepage set up page, there are check boxes that you can uncheck so it won't show when you BD, or test or any of those things. I don't want anyone seeing when DP and I DTD either! but if you are uncomfy sharing I understand! You can post the 6 temps before the rise, and the three temps after the rise in text format if you want (or not







)

If you have a strong thermal shift (.4F or more) and dry up then I'd say you ovulated, but if not there's a chance FF is wrong. It has been wrong a lot for me. If your o date is right, then you are probably pregnant. then again, you may have a corpus luteum cyst - a CL cyst can cause your temps to stay elevated with out a pregnancy.

I did find this on another page

Quote:

In 1990, the Committee on Biological Effects published a review where they reported a summary on radiation effects on the fetus. Time and again, they quote the sensitive period seems to start at or after the eighth week. At five days post menses, there is very little if any connection between the maternal system and the dividing blastocyst. Dosage is also a consideration and the rads involved in a CAT scan this early would probably have no effect on the pregnancy or fetus. In addition, the American College of Radiology has stated that "no single diagnostic procedure results in radiation dose significant enough to threaten the well-being of the developing embryo and fetus".

ok bear with me, this might not make sense.

according to a princeton webpage:
The threshold dose for developmental effects is approximately 10 rem.

according to this fact sheet for informed consent:
an abdominal CAT scan has an effective dose of 7.2 mSv

the conversion for rem to mSv is 1 rem = 10 mSv

so

7.2 mSv = 0.72 rem

.72 rem is way less than the 10 rem from the princeton webpage, so I'd say everything is probably ok even if for some reason you are pregnant


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

woohoo!!







:

it took me a long time to type out that post, so I didn't see your update before I posted


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

Thank you for finding all that information for me.







: Sorry we cross-posted... I could have saved you the time!


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Periwinkle* 
Thank you for finding all that information for me.







: Sorry we cross-posted... I could have saved you the time!

anything to keep from doing the laundry!


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