I almost had an MRI yesterday. I say “almost” because I lay in the machine for about a minute and then became overwhelmed with panic and slid out. I felt like I was in a coffin – the machine’s opening was so narrow my arms touched the sides – and I knew there was no way I could lie perfectly still on my stomach in that death-tube for 45 minutes.
I was so embarrassed that I chickened out, and also embarrassed to be so frightened by the experience that I was shaking all over as I apologized to the lab technician.
Please, somebody, tell me I’m not alone in succumbing to claustrophobia in the MRI machine.
They do have open MRIs, but they don’t seem to be used for all parts of the body. I had to have an MRI on my hand, and I wasn’t able to get an open MRI.
All I can say is, I’m glad it’s just a stupid synovial cyst on my thumb, because there is no way I’m going back into that tiny tube. I’d have to be unconscious first.
Indygrrl, yes, they have open MRIs now, but a lot of doctors prefer closed MRIs because (presumably) the image is better. That’s what my neuro said, anyway.
I’ve had 6 MRIs - three brain and three lower back - and even though I’m slightly claustrophic, it’s the kind that doesn’t kick in right away, and even when it does, it’s only slight.
I just had an MRI about a month ago, and I was worried about the claustrophobia because I’ve freaked out at parties when the people are crowding me.
I didn’t have a problem with the MRI at all. It was a closed machine, but it was really brightly lit (even with my eyes closed) and there was a cool breeze coming from the head of the machine to the foot.
With my eyes closed for the 25-30 minutes, I could just pretend I was outside with some really loud birds.
I’ve had about 5 MRI’s… my suggestion is close your eyes… keep your breathing slow and practised… concentrate on taking deep breaths in and letting them out slowly… imagine your on a beach (or whatever floats your boat). They aren’t a problem if you concentrate on something else.
I think my problem was due in part to the surprise of finding out just what the procedure entailed. Since I was getting a scan of my hand, my primary doctor had told me that I could probably lie on my back with my arm stretched above my head, so that most of my body would be hanging out of the machine. Even when I got to the radiology room and saw the machine, the technician pointed out that you could see the windows and the trees outside from the far end of the tube, and I assumed that my head would be sticking out of the tube somehow. Instead, I had to lie on my stomach with my bad hand in front of my chin under a strap, my head in the middle of the tube, and I was told not to move my head during the 45-minute procedure. I still didn’t realize just what I was in for until I was in the tiny tube with earplugs in my ears, feeling completely, um, smushed into myself, unable to move and knowing I couldn’t move for nearly an hour. I tried closing my eyes, but that just made the feeling of compression worse. Then I realized that as bad as I felt then, the loud jackhammer-like noise hadn’t even started yet, and I knew there was no way that I would be able to tolerate that while slowly smothering. I panicked and slid backwards out of the machine.
Valium won’t help, believe me. I’ll still be stuck in there for nearly an hour. I’ll have to talk to my doctor about trying something else.
I’ve had two MRIs, and fell asleep during the second one, so I’m not your man as far as talking about claustrophobia.
The only complaint I’ve had is that the first time, the room was WAY too damn cold if they’re going to make people take their shoes off in the machine. That breeze ** GarniGal ** mentions didn’t help either. The first time, I just laid there and chatted with my dad, and the second time, I just flat-out fell asleep(well, in between the loud stretches)
Dammit, people, you are not providing me with the descriptions of panic and terror that I wanted to read! I want to know that I am not the sole wuss on the planet in regard to this matter…help me out here.
bump, your dad was in the room while it was going on? If I had my mom touching my foot and talking to me during the procedure, that might help.
God, I really am a baby. Every time I think about yesterday, I feel sick and weepy, like I had been mugged or something. Sheesh.
I hate the ones that slide you into a narrow, closed end tube, turn you upside down on your head and then begin to fill with water. Those really suck.
Naw, I’ve had a couple and it didn’t bother me at all but I’ve never been claustrophobic. Could your doctor prescribe a Valium or something for you prior to a second attempt?
I’ve had 3 MRI scans. The first one I was paralyzed and in tremendous pain so I had no opportunity to freak out about the fact that my arms were folded on my chest and pinned so I couldn’t take deep breaths. The second and third scans were a breeze. Try to ask for an open MRI from now on.
I didn’t particularly care for it…I was in extreme pain and couldn’t stand to be still. I was begging them for some pain killers, but they said by the time they took effect, I’d be done.
On the bright side, they did give me some headphones with tunes. Not sure how that worked with the magnetic field and all, but it was damn loud without them.
The tight space didn’t bother me…I could see out the bottom where the techs were and it was well lit.
I fell asleep in the MRI gizmo. It kept making these annoying knocking noises that woke me up.
Granted, I also slipped myself into the coffin-sized slot of a mausoleum once, just to check it out. Pretty cool (literally, the concrete cell was quite cool inside.)
As a kid MRIs didn’t bother me but now – forget it! I requested an open MRI the last time I had to have one. The thought of going into that tube is scary!
Mama Tiger panicked a few weeks ago when she had to have one of her knee – apparently the tech pushed her in farther than she was expecting, and when she thought her head was going to go in too she freaked. The guy came back in and let her sit up and calm down, and explained exactly how far she was going in (chest level). If she’d had to go any further, she’d have refused at that point.
I’ve had many MRIs of the brain. Well, not ‘the brain’, so much as ‘my brain’. I’ve never had any problems with claustrophobia, and fell asleep in the scanner once. So, gallows fodder you are alone. Hear those tumbleweed sounds above the infernal beep of the scanner…?
Having said that, a lot of the time I’ve been looking via a mirror arrangement at a video screen located outside the machine. With this arrangement I find that you do not really realise that you’re in a tiny torpedo tube; the vid screen effectively replaces the tube walls with … space. IYSWIM.
There’s an MRI about 50 ft from my office (I work in a diagnostic imaging clinic). I haven’t had a chance to go through it yet, though I am signed up to do few calibration scans in the next few months. You’d be surprised at how many of our patients get claustrophobic inside of that thing. It’s nothing to be ahsamed of and we do offer sedation for patients that can’t handle the confined space. Believe me the techs are used to it and it’s nothing you should worry about. I don’t know about the clinic you use but we’ll actually sedate you (ie put you under) not just slip you some valium to calm you down.
They do have a device these days called a “Stand Up MRI” which is the open one that others have reffered too, not all clinics have one because as others have pointed out they aren’t capable of doing all of the scan types that a regular one can do, and from what I understand they aren’t always as accurate either.
** Indygrrl ** that would be the barium shake that made you sick I assume? FTR it’s not required for all scans just GI studies where they need a contrast agent. In other words something that will show up on xrays when they need to scan soft tissue, such as your intestines.