Among Friends

[AnikaBrodie]

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@RetRN wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

I have had several head MRI scans but have never had any issues with my hearing. I've been having them since 1991,& I don't think they gave you the earplugs back then.

If you want to really be claustrophic get a bone scan. that scanner is an inch from you and you can't move a muscle for a very long time. I'd rather have an MRI any day - they are over quickly.

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Over quickly? Your posts never cease to amaze me. I thought you were in great health, rarely needing health care. I never quite know what to believe when I read your posts.

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@151949   @RetRN

Over quickly?  I don't think so.  DH has had many MRIs in the past several years and none have been over quickly.  He also has not been allowed to move while in the MRI tube.  His MRIs have all been a minimum of two hours.  I don't call that quick, especially when you have to be completely still the whole time. 

Many people say they keep their eyes closed the entire time.  I wonder why the technicians don't offer blindfolds to the patients who may want them.  @RetRN, do you know anything about this?

[SaRina]

I've had several MRIs and I can absolutely understand others' fears about it. My problem was I couldn't tolerate the loud noise, so they gave me headphones with piped in music. That made all the difference.

If claustrophobia is your problem, make sure to close your eyes before going into the chamber. Yes, it certainly can make you feel trapped to see yourself enclosed with mere inches on all sides. While your eyes are closed, listen to some relaxing music or meditate. Relax your body and breathe.

If the strange, loud noises also bother you, definitely get headphones with music... and just remember, there is nothing to worry about the noise. It is simply the magnetic waves bouncing off of surfaces. Harmless.

Any physician should be more than happy to prescribe meds to relax you beforehand and, by all means, avail yourself of that option.

ETA:  I've had several MRIs and none took more than 45 minutes. Generally, they have entailed three 15-minute segments.

@saltysails, I have never had to hold my breath or was told to breathe in any particular way other than normally during an MRI. Your instructions obviously depended on your particular situation. I wanted to mention this so everyone understands that is generally not an additional issue to have to deal with. 

[Suziepeach]

Being a retired radiology technologist, I was embarassed and felt stupid being afraid of having a head MRI done .

The technologist offered to cover my eyes with a cloth and I said no, I didn't have ear plugs as she used a small foam sponge to cover each ear and small towels to hold my head in place.  I told her at the very beginning I would NOT have my head put in that cage.  I let my Xanax take me there and gave it my best shot meditating. 

I don't remember how long it took but it was like an hour and half maybe..  one without contrast and then with contrast.  She said after, "See it wasn't all that bad."  Nope it wasn't just the anticipation of actually having it done. 

[sandy53]

My DH has to have a strong anti-anxiety medication before an MRI.  He cannot do it otherwise.  He also tells them not to have him lie down until immediately before they are ready to begin the test.  He cannot be horizontal and wait.  It drives him nuts.  

Good luck.  People who do not have this severe anxiety find it hard to understand.  

[151949]

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@RetRN wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

I have had several head MRI scans but have never had any issues with my hearing. I've been having them since 1991,& I don't think they gave you the earplugs back then.

If you want to really be claustrophic get a bone scan. that scanner is an inch from you and you can't move a muscle for a very long time. I'd rather have an MRI any day - they are over quickly.

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Over quickly? Your posts never cease to amaze me. I thought you were in great health, rarely needing health care. I never quite know what to believe when I read your posts.

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You know some times people have conditions and get cured of them then don't have a reason to continue to need treatment. Sometimes we get an MRI previous to having surgery - have the operation and the condition is over with - miracuclously cured. Then we can get on with our lives enjoying our life.

[151949]

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@sandy53 wrote:

My DH has to have a strong anti-anxiety medication before an MRI.  He cannot do it otherwise.  He also tells them not to have him lie down until immediately before they are ready to begin the test.  He cannot be horizontal and wait.  It drives him nuts.  

Good luck.  People who do not have this severe anxiety find it hard to understand.  

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True - I have sympathy for those who have this despite that I don't really understand it.

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@151949 wrote:

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@sandy53 wrote:

My DH has to have a strong anti-anxiety medication before an MRI.  He cannot do it otherwise.  He also tells them not to have him lie down until immediately before they are ready to begin the test.  He cannot be horizontal and wait.  It drives him nuts.  

Good luck.  People who do not have this severe anxiety find it hard to understand.  

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True - I have sympathy for those who have this despite that I don't really understand it.

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Well, if you don't have that phobia then I guess you wouldn't understand it. No way could I be in an enclosed space like that. Getting in an elevator takes all my nerve.

[noodleann]

I've always found MRIs more annoying than anything else. They're not painful, so that's a huge issue off the table.

I keep my eyes closed from before being put in the tube until they roll me out to avoid a panic attack. No headphones; sometimes I've found myself falling asleep, which makes no sense, given all that  hammering.

Have had multiple brain and spine MRIs, all in closed tubes, but the most unpleasant was the most recent, a leg MRI in an open tube. It was unpleasant because I had to hold a very uncomfortable position for nearly 45 minutes, my arms had to be held in a certain way and they fell asleep and hurt, and I didn't get to bundle my feet up, so they were singing pins and needles, too. The great thing was it gave me a clean bill of health for the osteomyelitis I'd been battling for nearly a year.

I will no longer get the contrast injections for any further head/spine MRIs b/c of what I've read recently about the substance they usually use on me. Not going to go into it here, but definitely recommend researching it before allowing the injection.

Last item, check to make sure the MRI is covered by insurance, and check on the copay. 

[151949]

@proudlyfromNJ  I worked as a critical care nurse - sometimes we would have to take our patients on a trip to radiology or the OR or somewhere. Onto the elevator we would go - patient in the bed, ventilator , monitor , several IV's on pumps and Lord only knows what else may be attached to them. When  I'd take my eyes off monitoring the equipment in the elevator I'd see the poor patient looking totally terrified. I'm sure us packing up all that gear plus the about 6 or so people it took to transport it all, and cramming it into an elevator was very terrifying to the  patient.I'd try to reassure them that we do this all the time, but I doubt they believed it.

[shoptilyadropagain]

I had my first MRI about 4 or 5 years ago.  I knew enough that I had to be completely still the entire time.  That was harder for me than dealing with any claustrophobic element.  

Mine was a portable unit brought to our local hospital about once a week or every other week.  I was not offered headphones for music and, other than lying completely still, really had no idea what to expect.  I naturally closed my eyes but wasn't prepared for all the noise.  I literally thought my little town was in the middle of a war zone.  I thought kids were beating the sides of the unit with baseball bats, etc.  It took me several minutes to figure out this was probably normal.  I wish the technicians would have told me (especially being a first-timer) what to expect ahead of time.