Getting an MRI for the first time.......

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

Based on my experience, the table you are on will be fed into the machine to various depths as they scan different parts of your back. They will probably feed you feet first so that your head will be in only for a short time period. My problem was prostate and for most of the procedure my head was completely outside the enclosure. They did scan up my spine so my eyes we just inside the opening at one point.

You’ll need the headphones for no other reason than the MRI is freaking loud. The music won’t block it completely, but it will help.

22

Sounds like you have a Vitamin V deficiency and a 5 mg dose should help considerably.

23

If they don’t have headphones, at least they will offer you earplugs, which will muffle the noise, but not eliminate it completely.

24

If my head didn’t have to be in it, or if I went in feet first, I think that would be much better. I like the towel over the eyes idea, that sounds good. Some good stuff here! Thanks!

25

I’ve had several MRIs, but mostly of my feet and legs. My experience has been mostly that it’s boring and a little uncomfortable, but basically benign.

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I removed all my clothes, glasses, jewelry, etc., and put on a cotton hospital gown and socks with some rubber tread.

I lay down in a bed, with my feet aimed towards the machine. They spent some time positioning my body the way they wanted it, double checked about any metal that might be on me or in me (any metal stitches or devices?) and gave me earphones and a panic button. They promise to stop immediately if I press the panic button.

The bed slides foot-first into the machine. When it was just my ankle, my head actually stayed outside the machine, but I assume you will go all the way in. My head was just barely inside for my knee.

The hole at the head-end stays open. There’s light. I can see. (not that there’s anything to look at) There’s a little air current.

The tech speaks to me over the headphones, and tells me they are starting the first series. There are really loud clanking noises, I try really hard to be still.

The noises subside, the tech asks if I’m okay, and then warns me they are starting the next series. Rinse and repeat.

Once, I really wanted to move some part, and asked if I could between images, and the tech said that was okay. That was a long scan, though, with lots of images.

I’ve never actually fallen asleep during one (they are too noisy for me to sleep) but a lot of people do. You are just lying there, and it’s reasonably comfortable other than the sound.

Eventually, they are finished, the the bed slides out of the hole. The tech comes in and offers help getting out of the bed. They won’t even bring my glasses into the room, due to fears that the frame might be pulled by the enormous magnet and break or something, but I notice the tech wears his glasses. I leave and change back into my things.

Easy peasy. But I don’t get horrible claustrophobia.

I am terrified of valium. My mom took it once and slept for a week afterwards, rousing enough to use the restroom, but not enough to actually do anything. I haven’t taken valium, but I’ve had sedatives in the same family, and I felt like shit for a long time after it was supposed to have worn off. YMMV, I seem to be at the extreme end of “react unpleasantly to this class of drugs”. But if you think you can lie still for 45 minutes (or whatever they tell you it will be) I’d skip the drugs.

26

I’m not generally claustrophobic, but I didn’t know what to expect and was pretty surprised at first. I had to calm myself down, but was ok after that.

27

I’m on the other end of the valium sensitivity spectrum (and I’m 200#)–for me it’s barely noticeable and if they would let you drive yourself home I would. Not as strong (to me) as one beer… But it does take the edge off (as does a beer, but no peeing in the MRI).

28

I’d take the Valium (that is not a high dose and if you’re average weight you won’t feel loopy) and avoid caffeine until afterward. To keep my anxiety down before and during a really painful biopsy 2 years ago I focused on how good it would be to have answers and what my life would be like when this was all behind me.

29

I’m mildly claustrophobic, and have had many (>15) MRIs (tho full disclosure; I’m in the UK so the procedures may differ, even if the machines don’t) - my best advice is to close your eyes before the tray/bed/whatever moves in and Keep Them Closed until it moves out again. I find the noise to be a nuisance, no more. Good luck!

30

My own claustrophobia is about feeling trapped: safety harnesses are Hell, but I’ve had an attack in a room that was actually quite large (a languages lab seating a couple of hundred) and no problem with an MRI. For the MRI, I could have pushed out the gurney out myself if I’d needed to. I think a different design could have given me a lot of trouble, though. If you haven’t had valium before I’d try it a couple of days before if possible, in a safe situation: my family has a serious case of “atypical reactions” to mood-altering substances, I’ve learned to just avoid them.

31

Re “feeling trapped”. I agree with Nava. In the rig I was in, I could not have used my arms or legs to crawl, but I could have scootched around on my back (as I routinely do in bed to adjust my position) or levered against the walls and gotten out. Or so it felt at the time.

32

I closed my eyes before being slid in head-first into the “tunnel”, and kept them closed through the whole shebang. I only opened them up when they began sliding me back out, as I was curious just how confining it really was. I guess it was just 3 or 4 inches from my face, and I’m glad I kept my eyes closed during the process, as I could see where I might freak out.

33

I’ve been through some tight tunnels and an MRI did not feel like a tight tunnel to me. I guess it’s because it is circular so you don’t feel enclosed on the sides. Also you don’t have to keep crawling when you’re in there. If I had to crawl through a long MRI sized tunnel I’d have second thoughts.

34

I’m claustrophilic, so I had no trouble at all in the tube. I kind of enjoyed it, and would happily do it again, though Medicare might object at pay that much for my amusement.

They gave me headphones with Pandora. I chose classical music, which was good, since when they turned on the machine and the banging started I couldn’t really hear anything. So a podcast wouldn’t work very well.
The real trick is staying still. That takes the concentration.

35

I’m a larger person, and a bit claustrophobic.

The first time I had an MRI was on my shoulder and my knee (both done same day; IIRC I went in one way for the shoulder then they backed me out and sent me in the other way for the knee). I premedicated with some Halcion (a benzo), and just closed my eyes before they slid me in.

The next one was on my head. Halcion again. Since they put a cage over your head for a head MRI, this helped. Eyes closed before entering the tube again.

Then on my back. I premedicated for that. Valium this time; my instructions were to take one, then a bit later take another if I felt I needed more. The stuff wasn’t hitting me at all, so I took a second one while in the waiting room. About 2 minutes later the room started tilting a bit (I guess the first was just about to kick in).

They called me back to redo the back MRI - not sure what the issue was. That time, I decided to tough it out. Again, I closed my eyes before going in the tube - figuring that if I opened them, that might set off a panic attack, but if I didn’t open them, then I wasn’t really in that tiny tube.

Yes, your face is pretty close to the top of the tube - but I made a point of closing my eyes before they slid me in, and did not open them again. My arms were the biggest problem: I had to hold them really tightly against / above my torso to fit into the tube, and when I relaxed them, they were lying against the tube.

Honestly, if you’re nervous, ask for a scrip for a couple Valium. You won’t be the only one they’ve had to do that for, and IMO it’s better to prepare in advance, than to go and panic and need to be let out.

The music they pipe in (literally: I asked how headphones worked when they couldn’t have any metal, and it’s sent through a hollow plastic tube) won’t be understandable. It’s a minor distraction from the THUMPATHUMPATHUMPArattlerattlewhirrrTHUMPA of the machine. Before one or the other of the back MRIs, we had some work done in the basement that involved jackhammering. I quipped that it was good preparation for that evening’s plans.

36

How’d it go?

37

In case you haven’t had it yet, keep your eyes closed and wear earplugs. Tightly fitted earplugs.

Oh, and blow your nose before you’re loaded in.

38

I think they offered me earplugs and headphones. Or maybe they made me wear them. Anyway, yeah, it’s REALLY LOUD when the machine goes CLANK CLUNK CLANK around you.

39

I have had many MRIs. I had no problem with them until one day I did. I toughed it out and made it through but now I have some anxiety whenever I have to go. During my recent health issues the MRIs I had to take were 45 minutes long. Xanax to the rescue. I generally don’t like taking medication but I did then.

40

I had one yesterday. I just had the ear plugs and kept my eyes closed. One without the contrast and one with it.

Took about an hour.