Nervous about MRI scan

I spoke to a nurse at the MRI department this morning to confirm the appointment. I told her how anxious I am and she has advised a low dose of diazepam 20 minutes before the scan. She has also made a note of my anxiety and said something about a mirror that can be attached to help me. We shall see!!

Ive had several MRIs due to cancer. One thing that helped me greatly was having my doctor prescribe a light sedative that i take about one hour before the MRI. Works great and sometimes i can even fall asleep. Also, there are now Open MRI machines that are much bigger and not so claustrophobic. Good Luck!

Grandyma heart failure just means your heart is not working perfectly. I know you have had a heart attack. But heart failure in its self is not a complete diagnosis. My cardiologist said they need to find better wording as everyone thinks it means they are dieing. I did when my blood work showed heart failure. My brother was diagnosed with this 15 years ago turned out he has permanent atrial fibrillation. I have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Had my first MRI in 1988. The machine took up a whole room the tunnel was pitch black and narrower than the modern ones and the noise was deafening. That's when I realised I hated small spaces.

The dye is not the same sort they use for CT scans as that dye always made me feel my blood was blooding for a few seconds and to put it politely it made my anus tingle 😱.

Sit up slowly once it has been done as you may feel light headed . I always do . And don't move until you feel steady like I said the staff will help you.

MRI's are the best way to see exactly what is going on in your body. Scary yes but I never turn one down .

Grandyma

Thank you for your replies. I just wish I was braver. It’s the thought of being inside that tube for so long that is worrying me.

I deal with that by closing my eyes before I go into the machine and keeping them shut until I come out again. Imagining you are in a favourite place helps too. I go on a mental walk. It really does help to block out all sight of the machine.

I have had a quite few recently it’s honestly and truthfully for me easier than going to the dentist. I have had with and without the dye you will be in good hands x

I'm just home after having one!
It's a little claustrophobic in there, but not too bad at all, honestly.
(And I'm a huge coward about everything)

Joseann
I was going to ask if contradt dye was the same for MRI and CT. I assumed it was falsely as I know realise it is not and I was basing my comment on iodine which is used for CT and is not a heavy metal.
That will teach me for not looking it up
Sorry for any confusion I might have caused

I’ve had one or two - tbh I didn’t know what to expect for the first one, but after that it was a breeze. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine . Good luck

I'm sorry you are feeling anxious, Grandyma, and I hope the responses here help to allay your fears.

I had a heart scan (MRI) and had heard about the experience of various other folk beforehand. I read as much as I could about what to expect which I think helped to prevent me feeling too apprehensive. On the day, the nurse who looked after me was most kind and reassuring. In fact half way through when they brought me out for 20 minutes to inject the dye, I felt so relaxed and comfortable that I dozed off briefly!! Yes, really!

Try letting your mind wander, as long as you respond to the requests to breathe in and hold your breath. Good luck!

Coincidentally, I'm due to have an MRI scan on my head next week as part of an investigation into a problem with my peripheral vision.

I hope you'll come back to let us know how it goes.

Thank you everyone, you’re all making me feel slightly less anxious than I was. I had a heart attack last September caused by a blood clot and am now on a lot of meds including warfarin. My diagnosis is heart failure. I’m guessing this MRI is requested as it’s approaching 6 months since I was ill.

I dreaded my MRI. Head and neck. But it was fine. Very very noisy with the sounds coming from different angles. And I concentrated on what sort of noise and where it was going to come from next.

A friend told me to close my eyes as soon as you lie on the couch and don't open them till it's finished. And I did that and it was absolutely fine. The technician patted my hand as she left the room and said you will be fine and I was. That was so kind of her.

Look forward to something nice afterwards. You can do it. And when its done you will feel so relieved and so pleased.
I have had several scans with contrast dye, a PET scan and ultrasounds. Three bone marrow biopsies and other stuff. And I am not brave. But they have to be done. Chin up.

I've had a cardiac MRI I thought it was lovely. Unless you're very claustrophobic you should be fine, if you are panicked they will understand & stop. It reminded me of being in a berth on a boat at anchor.

Have had a few MRIs .. noisy machine they put headphones on you but I could still hear the awful clanking thru headphones.. am bit claustrophobic and know after 30mins was getting anxious but didn’t want to motion this as needed a full scan report- it’s worth the evidence and you will survive 😊

I had to have one at the end of last year, and although I've never thought of myself as being claustrophobic, I found the only way I could get through it was to keep my eyes tightly shut the whole time. If they let you take your own music, that might help - I wasn't given that option - so I just repeated my favourite songs in my head and tried to focus on my breathing. It wasn't as bad as I had feared it might be though. Try to think of it as a means to an end as well.

Again if they are using a dye drink lots for twenty four hours to flush it out. Only on one occasion was I reminded of this.
It definitely helps to drink lots, but the contrast agent contained in the injection cannot be peed out. It is usually a heavy metal - gadolinium - because that is how the magnets work.
I hope it all goes smoothly Grandyma.

I had an MRI on my heart in 2021. Had an ECG first. Good tip take your slippers and way your feet stay warm having the scan and you don't have to walk in bare feet. After being naked to the waist the gown was put on open at the front. A port was put into my arm for the dye .

I lay down and electrons attached to my chest and my gown closed and a large plate placed on my chest it was attached to the handles so I only took a bit of the weight. Pillow under my knees and 2 under my head .Ear plugs and glasses put on . And a button put into my hand .

They push me into the machine and had to come straight out. My nose almost touched the ceiling of the tunnel. Took away the biggest pillow and went back in..

I hate enclosed spaces especially MRI scan . Had ones over the year but even thought it was in a portable MRI scanner both ends where open and a grey line painted along the ceiling. Which I concentrated on. Plus I had to follow instructions. At times I had to take a deep breath in and hold my breath until they said breath normally. Having the instructions made the time go by quickly. I was taken out and dye injected. And told I needed would need to hold my breath longer but if I couldn't just shallow breaths but I was determined to hold my breath. Next thing I knew it was over. I had been in the machine just over 90 mins. Had to have help off the bed as my limbs had seized. Staff where brilliant.

It was raining very heavily and the radiographer was concerned about me walking down the metal steps with my stick he walked backwards in case I slipped. He got soaked through.

To be honest that experience made me not fear MRI's again . Turned out the hole in my heart I was born with which only found out in 2020 after echo and a bubble echo . The hole is in the side of my heart the connections between the chambers of my heart where intact and I have a strong heart function. The hole is small so safer to leave. I have paroxysmal atrial fibrillation so on Flecainide and Apixaban. I miss heart beats and get breathless at times but I feel fine. And as long as I don't have chest pains they won't touch the hole. I will be 66 in April.

I had to laugh when I was told about the hole in 2020 as I have had 2 minor ops and 3 major all with a dickie heart.

Try and relax I used my pregnancy breathing exercises. But if you are frightened the staff will talk to you. But like I said following instructions made the time go by quickly and took my mind off the tunnel. Plus the machine wasn't as noisy as they where.

I had an MRI a few weeks ago and felt like you do.I had to ask them to stop the first time they started to put me in the scanner but I knew I needed the scan to determine what treatment I needed.I closed my eyes before they put me in the scanner for the second time.I didn’t open my eyes until it was over.I also really concentrated on my breathingBoth these things made the scan doable for me.

I am a fan of diazepam, it really helps me to relax.
Have had an mri and remember it’s noisy but they asked what sort of music I wanted to listen to and the clanging wasn’t audible using headphones. Good luck, really don’t worry.

My brother was allowed to take a low dose of diazepan before a scan on his heart as he had panicked during an earlier attempt to scan him. He found this a great help. Maybe enquire if a low dose sedative would be allowed

I just looked on net and apparently MRI can be quite lengthy but mine was for my heart and aorta and I can’t remember it being that long Possibly they get a bit jumbled IN MY MIND as I have had various scans. PET. MRI and CT

I've had 5 MRIs in the past 2 years - 3 for my brain, 2 for shoulder/neck. (that one took 90 minutes with a short break in the middle so that I could use the toilet) I've got to have another brain one (with contast) next week.

Firstly, it is very noisy in an MRI machine (banging, clanking, whistling), but you will be given headphones - music may be playing (radio) to cut down on the noise. There will be a wedge-shaped cushion placed under your knees, to make you more comfortable. You will have a hand-held thing to press in an emergency. On one occasion, there was a drop-down mirror like the type in a car, so that I could see the operatives in their room. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Thank you for your replies. I just wish I was braver. It’s the thought of being inside that tube for so long that is worrying me.

Hi Grandyma, its not a picnic. I've had quite a few cardiac MRI's though I have after covid elected to have transthoracic echocardiograms which are much quicker. You do have a button in your hand which you can press at any time. You can also take in your own music ...as you will have headphones on mainly blocking the thudding of the magnets...though once I grabbed some Mozart thinking that would be soothing and it was the horn concertos so it was like being in the Horse of the Year show... I have never had contrast...you do have to breathe out and hold throughout for 10 seconds or so...it does take about 45 minutes. It's OK. better than the dentist. you can do it big hug.

Please don’t get uptight about an MRI scan the staff I have come across for various scans have been very reassuring
If your scan is with contrast dye. Expect them to insert a cannula Drink plenty of fluids and keep really warm they find the vein much more easily
Again if they are using a dye drink lots for twenty four hours to flush it out. Only on one occasion was I reminded of this
It can be a bit noisy and you are asked to hold your breath but that’s about it
Nothing to worry about No after effects
Hope all goes well