MRI scan

Sorry to hear about the brain tumour Bopeep.I hope it turns out to be benign.
I had an MRI scan for dizziness twenty years ago. I don't remember any music but I do remember feeling cool air coming through which helped me not to feel claustrophobic.We had just returned from visiting DD in Russia and I passed the time imagining I was on the beautiful St. Petersburg metro looking at all the beautiful murals on the way up and the way down. The escalators are very long there so it kept me busy. I also had a funny experience there when DH and DD managed to get on the train but only my bag got on with the handles trapped in the doors .It made me laugh to think about it

I’ve had MRI scans on various bits of my body. The first time was for my lower back and I was all the way into the tube and it was before they gave you head phones. The second time, I had the head phones, music and a nice soothing nurse talking to me through them. I was in there for an hour - and nodded off to sleep.

I can see that if you’re at all claustrophobic it would be a trial if you have to go right in but the brain scan is just really head and shoulders (perhaps boobs level?) so its not so bad as you can look down your nose and just see out.

When I had my brain scan it was in a mobile unit and I was able to see my scans on the way past. Seeing your own brain is a bit weird!!

A few years ago, my scan was delayed because the lady before me, refused to go in the scanner, she had a meltdown and had come alone, so had no-one to support her.
If you are anxious, probably best to speak to your GP beforehand.
Staff are very experienced at dealing with anxious parents.

I've had a couple of MRI scans. My advice is to try to keep your eyes closed.

I hope things go well.

Yes Marydoll same happened to a friend of mine. The woman before her was really screaming.

You are right suziewoozie. It's ok for us who haven't had a problem with scanners to say it isn't scary.

I didn't realise just how many people are claustrophobic and can't cope with it. It's definitely best to see GP first for sedation if you are at all worried.

It is indeed an expensive waste of resources if someone can't can't cope.

So sorry to hear about your brain tumour Bopeep. Hope it can be successfully treated. Perhaps keep us posted on another thread, if you want to that is?

I ran away from the scan. Full panic attack. I went to my GP and got 2 tranquillisers to take before my next appointment. Took miniature of scotch and DH with me and it was ok.
It was going in head first that upset me. The second time it was feet first and took about 15 minutes.
I hope you speak up if you are uncomfortable with it all, OP. Would have saved me a lot of bother.
Best wishes ?

The worst thing for me was listening to the woman having the meltdown ( we could hear her in the waiting room) and then consequently having to wait even longer for my scan.
I felt so sorry for her.
Staff kept coming out to apologise for the delay.
However, if she had told someone before hand of her fears, she may have avoided so much distress. No- one should be embarrassed or ashamed about dreading it.
I would rather have an MRI, than the worry of a serious condition being missed. My sister in law is unwell, but has refused an MRI and CT. So no diagnosis. Nothing can be done to persuade her.
I didn't like having the scans, but the alternative, not knowing, is worse.
It has got easier, the more I have had.

Try having a ninety minute coronary angiogram without sedation, that's a lot scarier!

Thanks for that Green. I felt some of the early posts in this thread were at best unthinking and overly optimistic and at worst quite nasty and smug. I’m someone who takes root canal treatment in her stride but if someone asked for advice on it, I’d never say oh it’s nothing

Prior to my second mri, my gp prescribed me a valium to take 30 minutes before my appointment. I had contacted the mri department but they weren't able to supply/prescribe them.
Whilst I was in the scanner, they did allow my daughter to stand at the end and, with my head slightly tilted, I could see and hear her. I found that very comforting

We all have had different experiences of an MRI. I can't have sedation, whether I need it or not, so I have no choice in the matter, when I undergo procedures.

Just because an MRI is not as scary for some of us and we state that, doesn't mean we are either smug or nasty.
The OP asked for our experiences, I gave an honest account of how I feel about them.
That doesn't mean, I'm not unsympathetic, quite the opposite, as I've had other procedures, I wouldn't want to repeat.

The best advice given here is that if you are in any way anxious, talk to some one about it , get support in advance to save yourself unnecessary distress. The anxiety and imagining beforehand is probably as distressing as the actual procedure itself and must surely impact on wellbeing.

granny rebel, I do hope you are able to get some kind of long term relief.

I meant not sympathetic !!!

I have had several, including one for research into migraines. The banging noises were disconcerting the first time but once I was assured that the machine was meant to do that it was fine. You feel nothing. I dozed. It was a rare opportunity to do nothing,

I have had several. The older style ones are not pleasant but the headphones help and I found keeping my eyes closed helps as well. I am claustrophobic so was dreading it the first time but I coped and now it is fine. They will give you a valium if you ask so do not worry.

The newer, more open ones are great but very few around. However you may be lucky.

Marydoll I came on this thread to share the fact I’d found the experience awful and mentioned that I’d take a sedative next time. There was a nasty response to that but since then, other posters have said the same.:Too many posters gave assurances like ‘you’ll be fine’. No one can say that, no one. All anyone can say is how they found it, not how someone else will be in the scanner. That’s just not fair or rational

You are correct suziewoozie, in saying that everyone will have a different experience and the OP needs to make up her own mind.
However, I do not believe that any poster came on the thread to be intentionally smug or nasty.

‘ There is no way on earth I would ask for a sedative when I need to have the next one. ’

I found this smug and nasty as it was posted just after I’d said I would have a sedative next time. What could have been posted was’ I’m sorry you found it awful sw. I’m lucky that I can manage and hope a sedative works for you if there’s a next
time’

Has anyone had a PET scan? Now that is claustrophobic !

Thanks for the warning Ellen

It's a lengthy session too if it happens to be a " full body " scan.
Thinking back I honestly don't know how I endured it except that I hadn't known what to expect beforehand and a rushed appointment left little choice to refuse the phoned request.

Are you having one suziewoozie ?

No fortunately - just useful to know if it ever happens.

1 hour to wait for an injected solution to go around the body, then another hour x-raying every organ/ bloodflow/kidney flow etc----with arms above your head all the while.

Allied Medical had rang me one evening at the request of a consultant----to rule out cancer due to the tiniest " mark " between the wall of the chest. MOST fortunate, there was no cancer in my body. Best Christmas present that year !

suziewoozie, sometimes posters are so keen to give their take on things, that they post without thinking things through, (me included).

I don't think that post which upset you was directed at you personally. It is a pity that you had such an awful experience, when there are people (like myself) saying it wasn't as bad as they feared. It doesn't in any way denigrate your experience.
It's a bit like childbirth, some people sail through it, smugly say it was so easy and get the backs up of the people like me, who have had traumatic childbirth experiences.

I have had so many different types of scans and unpleasant procedures (more to come) that I think I may have become quite stoic and accepting of it all. There is nothing I can do to change things, so I just have to get on with it, whether I want to or not, with no hope of sedation at all!
It doesn't mean I can empathise with those who are afraid.

I’ve had several over the years and I can easily understand why people can be apprehensive of going into them, especially if claustrophobic, but I found if you wear a eye mask it’s much better, when I go in I put eye mask on and although there’s lots of banging n clanging, I try and imagine it’s a song lol

Well we’ll agree to disagree- I know what I read and know what it meant. I was the only one at that stage who had mentioned a sedative. Well at least anyone who reads this thread now for advice will know that there’s plenty of us how feel it’s fine to want a sedative. That’s it really. Although frankly if I want advice like this in the future, I’d go to MN and not risk snide comments on here.