CT scan radiation while on babesia treatment? safe?

floridadude23

Regular Member

Joined : Sep 2015

Posts : 92

Posted 10/15/2015 10:35 PM (GMT 0)

Hi guys so I'm on Malarone for Babs treatment. To my knowledge Malarone is a pro-oxidizing substance.

Would getting an abdominal CT scan [not urgently needed but might need due to kidney stone], which would create lots of free radicals in the body, be extra damaging to my DNA and therefore long term cancer risk due to being on Malarone? Any thoughts? thanks!

Girlie

Forum Moderator

Joined : May 2014

Posts : 48365

Posted 10/15/2015 10:50 PM (GMT 0)

CT scans are a risk - but not sure how/if Malarone affects it.

I was curious - found this website -

www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-xray

I've had quite a bit of imaging since lyme symptoms - three xrays, one CT, and a few mri's.

Girlie

Forum Moderator

Joined : May 2014

Posts : 48365

Posted 10/15/2015 10:51 PM (GMT 0)

BTW - wouldn't an ultrasound show kidney stones? I know when I had an issue with my gall-bladder - an ultrasound was done.

CD3764

Veteran Member

Joined : Sep 2014

Posts : 4510

Posted 10/15/2015 11:13 PM (GMT 0)

If you can get a test done without radiation, I think that's the best decision.

floridadude23

Regular Member

Joined : Sep 2015

Posts : 92

Posted 10/16/2015 12:23 AM (GMT 0)

thanks for the replies. I'm not concerned with the radiation as much as if Malarone and its pro-oxidizing effects might increase the damage from any otherwise relatively low radiation dose from a CT.

momoftres

Regular Member

Joined : Jan 2012

Posts : 36

Posted 10/17/2015 12:39 PM (GMT 0)

I doubt there have ever been any studies about whether or not taking malarone increases your long term risk of cancer in conjunction with CT. However, your concern is legitimate, and logically speaking, it might. It is probably negligible since most of the antimicrobials we take for Lyme and co's target microbial metabolism with only a slight effect on human metabolism. Could you skip the Malarone on the day of your procedure?

I just had a chest CT scan and I loaded up on my antioxidants and DNA protecting supplements the day of and after the CT. I wasn't taking Malarone at the time, though.

I was concerned about the dose of radiation I got, and neither the tech nor the supervisor could tell me how much I got in millisieverts. I had to talk to the hospital nuclear physicist to get that info. He directed me to xrayrisk.com where you can find out based on factors such as type of test and age how much radiation you would be exposed to.

Could you get an ultrasound instead as Girlie said?

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply