Have you ever had an MRI?

Hi joli…I’ve had several and if you’re claustrophobic I recommend either getting the “Open MRI” if available in your area or request a minor sedative. Please inform your health care provider requesting the test, of your claustrophobia and MAKE SURE THEY GET IT! Sometimes it seems so hard to explain the criticality of claustrophobia to people that have never experienced it. I’m sorry to say that the closed in type is very closed in and extremely loud. I do not want to frighten you. I just want to make sure they help you. Hope this helps. God Bless and be well.
Rick

I’ve had three and never had any problems – of course, mine was on my knee, so my head was not enclosed. It’s kind of boring, somewhat time consuming, and includes loud rhythmic thumping noises. It can definitely be a useful diagnostic tool.

I’ve had an MRI. It’s like the others said…loud thumping noises like a hammer pounding the machine. Mine went fine. I did not have any problems. I was very nervous before, but everything was fine. It is such a useful diagnostic tool, that it is well worth doing to find out exactly what is wrong with you…if anything. I hope everything goes smoothly for you, and that your experience is as good as mine was. Good Luck!

I’ve had several (to head after a bad fall- they were looking for subdural hematomae). ricky7 , syz, and mzgator are describing the experience very accurately. I felt as tho I were in a small coffin and had to shut my eyes since they were so close to the ceiling. The open MRI are easier, but may not be as accurate, depending on what yr problem is. My baby sister got so upset, she had to be removed before procedure was completed. For her second try, her husband was allowed to sit at leg end and hold her feet.

Noise is, indeed, very unpleasant. I took a sedative the first time but toughed it out from then on. Did a lot of deep breathing while not moving anything else. The staff will provide earplugs for you and they do check on yr state of mind. But it is long; and if you have any claustrophobic tendencies, you want to be prepared. Best of luck. Let us know what happens. Hope it turns out fine, as mine did. It is an amazingly accurate tool…and think of how unpleasant a mammo is…this is not painful physically.

I’ve had 6 MRI’s and they are NO way as difficult as you feel before your first. The sounds can be a bit startling when they change from one noise to another; they are definitely loud. But I found myself keeping time to their rhythm; or counting with them to see how many minutes I could count. I always close my eyes because it is simply more relaxing. I’ve had both open and closed MRI’s. The open is a bit more pleasant, but I didn’t have any trouble with either. But I’m not claustrophic. If you are, follow the above remarks! I also used the time (my most recent MRI took 2–1/2 hours) to meditate, pray, and plan all of my window treatments for our new house! In the past, I have used the MRI time to plan costume construction and decoration (when I was a costumer). Think of any projects that you may have that need planning or need to be thought out. It’s a great time to do that! And, as gailcalled said, nothing is painful! Happy thoughts to you!

I had a rather different experience with my MRI…. I had one on my back and it was an open MRI and rather relaxing. They set you in the position they want you to be in (I was lying on my back and they gave me a pillow for my head) and it is quite comfortable. The noiseswere generally the low thumping noises described above, but were not loud. I saw it is 45 minutes of time to kick back and relax, maybe even fell asleep for a few minutes.

@omfgetc; how could you sleep? I felt as tho Con Ed were digging up Park Ave. w. jackhammers two inches from my ears and brain..(remember the “Dig we must” campaign decades ago?)

@joli; keep us posted on 1) experience and 2) good (I hope) results.

@gailcalled: my dad is a radiologist and i had it done in his office…i’m not sure exactly why but it was very quiet and peaceful with a methodical thumping that kind of helped me to relax, not the other way around. it was an open MRI if that changes anything but i dont really know what other reasons there could be.

Maybe having your dad there was the key ingredient. And possibly the open MRI machine lets the sound waves scatter a little, thereby diffusing the noise, which I found really pretty awful in a closed tube.

Haha I don’t even think my dad was working in that office at the time, but doesn’t really matter. I do think that because it was an open MRI and in a fairly large room the sounds were muffled a bit so it wasn’t as loud and claustrophobic.

I also almost fell asleep. The rhythm of the pounding actually almost put me to sleep. Of course, when the rhythm and noise changed I came out of it with a real start!