Claustrophobia and MRI scan

I've had many MRI.

I ask my husband to drive, no real reason apart from calming.

I take a tiny treat with, to visualize eating after.

I wear loose - leggings, loose jumper, soft slipper type shoes (not attractive jeans, fitted top, leather shoes). Comfortable. No ring, earrings, glasses (I don't like to worry to keep up with my things, worry isn't calm to me).

I memorize, in advance, repeat silently, eyes shut, without pausing.

Can you choose your own music to listen to? That might help.

When I was admitted for five days and had loads of tests, the MRI was the most memorable! It seemed to rattle and shake and was very noisy! Seemed like a Heath Robinson invention.

Funnily, despite being claustrophobic - and very medical/dental phobic too - I'm fine with MRIs. I choose my favourite music and just close my eyes.

Our 10 year old granddaughter had to have a brain MRI last year. Her verdict “It was very relaxing”. Not sure what to say about that!

Have you considered a sleep mask? This sort of thing. You can bluetooth them to your phone, and play either music or hypnosis tracks, or you could even get your husband or someone else whose voice might soothe you to record something that would calm you down. If you had a way of letting yourself know how long you'd been in there it might help, too - either by working out at what point in the music/track you are half way or by getting the person recording encouragement to add in that you only have ten minutes to go.

Good luck with it. I haven't had an MRI, but I can't imagine enjoying it. I love my sleep headphones though, and would take them if I needed to have one.

I always take a tranquilliser beforehand.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

They're not widely available in the NHS but there are open MRI scanners, suitable for those who are obese or claustrophobic.

I'm very claustrophobic and would be seeking one of these!

Discovered that I was claustophobic when I had my first MRI scan many years ago. I was pressing the panic button even before they had fully sent me into the tunnel. Can not describe that feeling of total panic.

I have tried it all, -eyes tightly closed, (wearing a mask makes it even worse), thinking pleasant thoughts, breathing exercises, myown music disc. - none of that works for me.

I was advised to ask me GP for a pill which I take an hour before any such scan. Usually need to be at the clinic when I take it. With this relaxatant, I am able to keep my eyes closed and get through any such scan. Where possible go into machine feet first. Problem is that it takes the whole day for that tablet to work itself out of my system.

Even with this pill, I can remember one MRI scan which was just finishing and they told m they would shortly be bringing me back out, and I put my hand up to brush away a hair I could feel on my forehead. My hand touched the top of the machine and the claustophobic panic immediately kicked in.

I have been told that some privae clinics use a different type of MRI scanner, one in which one sits up and is open at the top. I suppose, one day these will become the norm. but in the meantime, Diazapan for me if I need one of these scans.

About two years ago I had a scan of my heart. I really feel for anyone who is claustrophobic. The nurse who cared for me throughout explained everything so clearly and kindly that I felt very reassured.

Half way through, I was brought out of the scanner for dye to be injected and a 20 minute wait ensued before they manoeuvred me back in. During that time, I fell asleep!!

Okay, I chose rock music because I am contrary and didn’t want to have anything trying to calm me. I was given ear plugs to put in before the headphones for the music. I was positioned and I closed my eyes before I was rolled in to the machine.
I opened them once and because agitated for a little while had a word with myself and relaxed again. It was very, very loud despite the music. It was a cross between a building site and a war zone!
So. Eyes closed and consider music choices.
I glad I chose what I did it gave me something to think about and fight with.

My head has never been in; only up to my chest and the panic was awful. I had my eyes closed and played a tennis match in my head! I’d never be able to go all the way in.

dogsmother Glad it all went well. I didn't get a choice of music, but I would have chosen rock as well.

My first MRI in 2011 the emergency squeeze alarm came apart in my hand and the radiologist didnt hear me whimpering and crying for help for another hald hour. The second MRI in 2019 was of my brain but I was more prepared as knew they put a cage on your head so I asked for valium from my gp and my daughter came into the room with me . So much better the second time as i knew she was there!

I've had several MRI scans, with no problems as I kept my eyes closed. Once, I had my own music playing and it was fine. However, the last one I had I made the mistake of opening my eyes and seeing the roof of the thing 6 inches away. I pressed the panic button and was brought out. They tried talking to me but there was no way I could go back inside until they went and found my husband. He held my hand the whole time, squeezing down the last 10 seconds of each pass. He'd never appreciated the trauma of MRI until that moment, or the noise!

I’ve had two in recent years, all fine as I kept my eyes tightly shut.

Hello Everyone, I have had a few MRI's, and when I had the last one on my neck I asked if I could wear an eye mask and was told I could.
This really does make the whole experience so much easier. You put the eye mask on before you lie down, and so didn't even see the cage being put over my head.
Its did make such a difference, and I just concentrated on the music being played, felt a lot calmer.

Casdon

Here’s some useful guidance from the NHS.
www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/claustrophobia/
It’s suggested you contact them before your scan, and that a mild sedative is helpful.

My poor friend had a panic attack and couldnt go through with her appointment.
According to the people who were going to carry it out, about 1 in 4 people dont go through with the appointment.

My friend will be on a sedative from the GP next time.
I have offered to take her to the appointment.

I had one when I had breast cancer. I had to have dye injected half way through, which I was told could make me feel like I'd wet myself.

The farcical bit was that I had to tape a fish oil capsule to each nipple.

I was face down for the scan with my boobs dangling through holes in a frame.

Being face down made it more bearable I think.

GagaJo That couldn't have been very pleasant. What were the fish oil capsules for? (A friend of mine had breast cancer but didn't have to do that)

Not sure why. But I've looked it up online and it's a regular thing.

Luckily, the dye injection didn't make me feel I'd wet myself.

I don't think my experience was as bad as some others on here. It wasn't nice, but I was more fixated on getting a canula into my hand than I was worried about the machine.

Being face down, it was easier to relax I think. And they'd put Nora Roberts on the headphones to block the sound out a bit.

I didn't have fish oil capsules on my nipples when I had my breast MRI scans!

However, I did have something which looked like a fish oil capsule inserted into my breast to show where one of my cancers was. This was later used with ultrasound to help the doctor insert wires into my breast to guide the surgeon during my lumpectomy.

I had my MRIs lying on my front too, with boobs hanging down into holes. A grid was placed next to me, so that the cancers could be located precisely. I was then wheeled in and out of the scanner three or four times and marks made on my boobs with what looked like a Sharpie pen.

I had dye injected twice. Apparently, it's to locate cancers in the lymph nodes.

Fortunately, I'm not claustrophobic, so (sorry) I can't offer the OP any advice, except that I do Mindfulness exercises every day and have done for a couple of years. It helped to just switch off.

gagajo
Here is probably why (obviouslyyhis is answering about thoracic MRIs:

Why do radiologists tape fish oil capsules on your back during a thoracic MRI?

Clinical answer:

So that we can quickly identify the location of a specific complaint that you have. It’s easy to point somewhere on your body and say, “It hurts here,” but it’s a lot more difficult to point to something on an MRI and say, “It hurts right there.” Sometimes it’s pain, and sometimes it’s a small lump that may or may not be visible on MRI.

Physics answer:

Fish oil is, well, oil. Oil has a short T1, so it will be very obvious on T1-weighted sequences. It also has a fairly long T2, so it will be fairly obvious on T2-weighted sequences. It will be suppressed on fat-saturated and STIR sequences, but cross-referencing with a T1-weighted image allows us to guess where it is.

Practical answer:

Fish oil capsules are relatively cheap, don’t burst easily and doesn’t cause any blurring (artefacts) on MRI. Off hand, I can’t really think of any other better item to use. (My department used to buy expired fish oil capsules and stock them up.)

I will post the image which went with this...