# Ever had an MRI? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871 "2015-09-28T20:28:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/41 "2015-09-29T15:46:23Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > A couple I think. Or maybe they were cat scans. I had dye injected. They needed to see if I had fluid building up around my heart. Was that a CT? Did you have to take off all your own clothing, no jewelry etc. at all whatsoever? was it cold? If so, it was an MRI. Contrast might have been used with either CT or MRI I believe. The only time I’ve had contrast was CT - to rule out appendicitis. I remember the very very bizarro feeling of being absolutely CERTAIN that I’d just peed my pants (a fairly common sensation). ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/42 "2015-09-29T16:08:00Z")
I just had an MRI of my foot last week and definitely felt some pulsing. When the machine started clanging, I would first feel almost like someone was tickling my foot and then feel my calf muscles tightening up. My main observation though was that there’s definitely a market for someone to design more comfortable ways to do this. I get backaches if I try to lay flat on my back, so I was hoping to keep one leg bent at the knee, but it wouldn’t fit into the machine until it was lowered considerably. Seems like someone ought to design systems that can tilt the MRI tube and allow for more comfortable seating during the process. I assume there must be reasons why this can’t be done but I have no idea what they might be. ---
**Author:** ![Mart44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mart44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mart44)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/43 "2015-09-29T16:12:42Z")
I had two ‘contrast’ MRI scans about 6 months ago. The second one was of my entire torso. Got to go for the same this coming Friday. There is that hot feeling as the dye goes in but I’ve been OK with that. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/44 "2015-09-29T16:18:47Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Did you have to take off all your own clothing, no jewelry etc. at all whatsoever? was it cold? If so, it was an MRI. > > Contrast might have been used with either CT or MRI I believe. The only time I’ve had contrast was CT - to rule out appendicitis. I remember the very very bizarro feeling of being absolutely CERTAIN that I’d just peed my pants (a fairly common sensation). FTR, I wore my jeans in the MRI. Rivets, snaps and all. I think they may have had me take my belt off (and told me to empty my pockets). ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/45 "2015-09-29T16:30:38Z")
Only ever had an MRI on my knee and fell asleep during it, so no problem not moving. On my head might be a different story, especially if you can’t do somewhat reflexive things like swallow. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/46 "2015-09-29T16:34:22Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Hey, I’ve got the same problem. The meds they gave me helped out with in weeks. I felt SO much better after a month or two I was a different person. I gained a ton of energy, lost weight, all sorts of other benefits. After almost four years they are getting ready to take me off the meds. Hopefully the same will happen with you. > > I’ve had 5-6 MRIs in the past few years. I’ve noticed some things each time I have one. I remember once it felt like my body was at a 90 degree angle to my head. I’m guessing it’s just because you’re laying there for so long without moving the the sounds and such are so different from anything else. > > I’m slightly claustrophobic, I can do most things, but the first time I got in to a regular MRI I couldn’t do it because my shoulders were stuck in there. Freaked me out. The newer ones that are large enough for my shoulders don’t cause me any problems. Thanks **Edward The Head**. I’ve seen the endocrinologist, blood tests have been repeated and confirmed, so after the MRI they should start me on cabergoline. I’m looking forward to not being so tired!!! Weight loss would be a much appreciated side effect. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/47 "2015-09-29T16:48:20Z")
> [@MoonMoon](#): > > Did they use contrast dye? The two on my brain did, and it’s an…unpleasant and disconcerting sensation. I could feel the dye move through my veins. I had contrast dye during a CAT scan. Not only could I feel the dye moving through my body, I could feel all the hives breaking out at the same time. Turns out I was allergic to the dye. That was a very unpleasant time. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/48 "2015-09-29T19:04:27Z")
I didn’t need contrast dye. > [@Rysto](#): > > I’ve had two on my left knee (the first to diagnose a partial ACL tear and the second, two years later, to confirm that I’d torn it further). I’ve never felt more like a fidgety child than I did during the MRIs. I can’t imaging been told to not swallow for 15 minutes… They ran 6 images. Each runs for a few minutes. You then get about 60 seconds between where it is silent. They suggest you do any movements like swallowing then. I still swallowed a couple times during the images, but the tech said I did really good and didn’t move at all. I felt twitchy the whole time. Not only that, but it felt like my head was tilting up and down in time with the pulses. Maybe it was a response to the audio cues. Really disconcerting. I certainly was feeling my pulse, but it was more than that. > [@Scumpup](#): > > I’ve had three in the last couple years due to a stroke. I completely lost all my self-control and dignity during the first one. I was given a sedative before each of the later ones. I never had issues with claustrophobia before that first mri. When they clamped my head in place, I started to lose it. When they moved me into the machine and my shoulders touched the sides and the upper surface was so close to my face I could smell my own breath, I snapped. Fortunately, they didn’t clamp anything on me. Having your head clamped can trigger issues. My sister has restraint issues she was unaware of until she had to go in for a C-section. She had to make sure at least one wrist was free. Having your head clamped and then your shoulders pressed - yeah, that might cause me some issues. It wasn’t so tight my arms touched the sides, but they couldn’t lie flat on the bench because the bench sides dropped off, so I was a bit awkward in arm placement. Had to wedge tight to keep them on the bench. > [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > I’ve had four or five. I am claustrophobic, and have a very hard time with it. I haven’t had a sedative to go with it…do you need someone else to drive you in that case? Yes, if you get a sedative of any kind, they are going to require you to get a ride. The times I’ve done colonoscopies it worked that way. Like you, I’m a single male and had to call in favors. Having to go in at 6 am and having to get someone else to give me a ride was a big ask. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/49 "2015-09-30T03:26:16Z")
I just had an MRI last week, for severe hip and leg pain. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life. The problem was that I can only lie on my back if my knee is bent; otherwise the hip pain is severe. And in the MRI I had to lie flat with my legs straight. The pain was unbearable, and I just wanted to scream. 40 minutes of hell. It turns out, there’s nothing wrong with my hip; the problem’s with my spine. Spinal stenosis and spondylosis. One of my lumbar vertibrae is out of alignment, causing a disc to be crushed. This is causing the pain in my hip and down my leg. I’m going to need surgery to correct this. I hope the surgery doesn’t hurt as much as the MRI did. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/50 "2015-09-30T18:25:22Z")
I had a CT scan a couple of weeks ago. Piece of cake. But I have a pacemaker so no MRI. I see no reason a pacemaker couldn’t be made of non-ferrous materials, but I assume the strong magnetic field would screw up the electronics. Anybody here know the real reason? ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/51 "2015-09-30T19:10:53Z")
UK, NHS. I volunteered. I was invited to do a trial as a “healthy type II diabetic” they wanted to inject something (forgotten the details) then see what happened. it had to do with improving the prognosis for diabetics who had had strokes. I was actually surprised at how roomy it was (compared to my imagining). I can be a bit claustrophobic but as I could see out it didn’t bother me. The worst thing was that my back ached the whole time (and of course I couldn’t shift position). They gave me pillows so I could get comfortable once we started but they weren’t enough. If I ever have one again I’ll take some prophylactic painkillers. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/52 "2015-09-30T19:47:02Z")
MRI on the knee. I was able to lie perfectly still because they let me take a paperback book in to read. The noise was irritating but no biggie overall. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/53 "2015-09-30T20:03:36Z")
> [@Ruby\_Slippers](#): > > Seems like someone ought to design systems that can tilt the MRI tube and allow for more comfortable seating during the process. I assume there must be reasons why this can’t be done but I have no idea what they might be. My understanding is that the main reason is that the machine is quite heavy, and has to be positioned quite precisely. Machinery sturdy enough to move the MRI around generally isn’t accurate enough to afterwards position it back precisely, to the fraction of an inch. So the techs would have to go through a re-calibration cycle after each movement. That takes some time, and this is time that the machine is not available for patients. I suppose someone could design a movable one, but it would probably be more expensive – and MRI machines are already multi-million dollar machines. (I remember a time when our state regulators restricted how many hospitals could buy them. They said it would drive the costs of the health care system too high if every hospital invested in one of their own. For a while, we had an MRI machine installed in a semi-truck trailer; it spent one day a week at each hospital.) ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/54 "2015-09-30T22:03:18Z")
I had one done on my head last year, and will probably have another done at the end of this year, along with a body scan early next year. I was asked if I wanted to listen to some music during the scan, and what genre I’d like if so. I chose classic rock. I was treated to Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage.” I think next time around I’ll pick classical … ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/55 "2015-10-01T01:12:26Z")
I was just realizing: this last time around, I had a “panic button” - a bulb that I could squeeze if I needed to get out in a hurry. I don’t recall having one before - it’s certainly possible I did. The head MRI I had a year or so back, I think they had something over my face - and I imagine I’d have freaked, if I hadn’t taken something beforehand. Honestly I think it’s silly NOT to take a sedative, unless you are absolutely sure you are not even remotely claustrophobic (and have tested the theory beforehand). The downside being you can’t get there and back without help. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/56 "2015-10-01T02:34:33Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I recently had an MRI on my neck. What stood out about the experience was I had a weird pulsing through my head in synch with the throbbing sounds of the machine. In particular, I was fighting to keep my jaw from moving. The tech mentioned that swallowing might cause movement that would blur the images, and cause it to take a lot longer to resolve. So I was struggling not to swallow and my jaw was vibrating and I was fighting to keep it as still as possible. > > Did I mention I have apnea, so I had to hold my jaw slightly open to keep my airway from closing? Extra hard to hold still when you can’t just clench it, but are trying to keep airway open. > > Yeah, it was less than pleasant. I did have earplugs, and didn’t have claustrophobia issues, but the sensations were strange and the fight to keep from moving my jaw was strong. I suspect you experienced some minor tremor, with the subjective experience magnified by the strong desire to hold still in an unnatural situation. I have done a few scans as a subject. The most unpleasant one was when I was instructed to absolutely fix my gaze and not move my eyes. The extra concentration needed for that was unpleasant, and I noticed every little motion. I’ve never experienced it, but I have heard that for very high field magnets (3T and higher) occasionally patients and subjects will experience weird sensations (such as tapping on the head) due to stimulation of muscle contractions. If that was the case for you and your jaw, I would think the experience would have varied as they did various types of scan during your exam. Were you in a 3T magnet? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/57 "2015-10-01T02:41:43Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > My understanding is that the main reason is that the machine is quite heavy, and has to be positioned quite precisely. Machinery sturdy enough to move the MRI around generally isn’t accurate enough to afterwards position it back precisely, to the fraction of an inch. So the techs would have to go through a re-calibration cycle after each movement. That takes some time, and this is time that the machine is not available for patients. > > I suppose someone could design a movable one, but it would probably be more expensive – and MRI machines are already multi-million dollar machines. (I remember a time when our state regulators restricted how many hospitals could buy them. They said it would drive the costs of the health care system too high if every hospital invested in one of their own. For a while, we had an MRI machine installed in a semi-truck trailer; it spent one day a week at each hospital.) They do make one that permits upright scanning. In theory, the scans are more physiologic, but there are other sacrifices. Great for research and niche applications. [http://www.fonar.com/index.htm](http://www.fonar.com/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/58 "2015-10-01T02:44:10Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > UK, NHS. I volunteered. I was invited to do a trial as a “healthy type II diabetic” they wanted to inject something (forgotten the details) then see what happened. it had to do with improving the prognosis for diabetics who had had strokes. > > I was actually surprised at how roomy it was (compared to my imagining). I can be a bit claustrophobic but as I could see out it didn’t bother me. The worst thing was that my back ached the whole time (and of course I couldn’t shift position). They gave me pillows so I could get comfortable once we started but they weren’t enough. If I ever have one again I’ll take some prophylactic painkillers. The newer scanners (last 5-10 years) are much roomier than they used to be. Also shorter, which helps claustrophobes, who usually tolerate enclosure of the body better than enclosure of the head and face. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/59 "2015-10-01T02:50:11Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I had a CT scan a couple of weeks ago. Piece of cake. But I have a pacemaker so no MRI. I see no reason a pacemaker couldn’t be made of non-ferrous materials, but I assume the strong magnetic field would screw up the electronics. Anybody here know the real reason? There is a concern for messing up electronics, but the major concern is having the pacemaker leads pick up the pulsed radiofrequency energy and pacing the heart. Thought on this is evolving and some think that scans can be done, if a cardiologist stays on standby. Medtronic makes a pacemaker that can go into the MRI, but it still needs to be put into a standby mode, and then be reset and rechecked after the scan. > **[Cardiac Rhythm & Diagnostics](https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/healthcare-professionals/products/cardiac-rhythm.html)** > > Learn more about cardiac rhythm and diagnostics products from Medtronic. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871/60 "2015-10-01T02:57:58Z")
> [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > I’ve never experienced it, but I have heard that for very high field magnets (3T and higher) occasionally patients and subjects will experience weird sensations (such as tapping on the head) due to stimulation of muscle contractions. If that was the case for you and your jaw, I would think the experience would have varied as they did various types of scan during your exam. Were you in a 3T magnet? I don’t know if it was 3T, don’t know what that is. I do know the experiences varied over time, with the weird floating and bending sensations at the beginning, but not as much near the end. I did have a panic button, but wasn’t dealing with claustrophobia. I almost pushed the button during one of the breaks to get a little rest, but toughed it out and was done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-had-an-mri/732871.md?page=4)