Anyone else hate MRIs?

[jsoxfan618]

Hey There Doublebutton,
i hate MRI's. I've had three of them this year alone. The first wasn't so bad, it was just the head. I found myself getting very claustrophobic after the second one because they decided to do the head, neck and spine (took two hours) all at once. I didn't realize it would go so long. I should have taken some ativan before going. On the second and third MRI they offered me special headphones (except when they had to do the head) so I could listen to some music.

[rdmc]

I don't have a problem with MRIs...the noise is sort of hypnotic to me, and I can doze off.

However, I empathize w/the feeling of dread. I hate dr.s offices. The minute I walk into one I go into "anxiety" mode. I can't even claim claustrophobia, I just react in a "fight or flight" mode when I go to the dr. Consequently, my BP is sky high when I'm there, but low to normal when I'm home.

I went to a walk in (UTI) on Saturday and got a lecture from the physician about my BP...but at home it's 90/60, so I don't dare do BP meds. (to add insult to injury, this dr wanted to check for a stroke, so she was asking intelligent question like, "Do you have weakness in a limb?" "Do you have slurred speech?" Do you have blurred vision?" Uh, dr., I have MS. )

Anyhoo, end of rant, but in the MRI, my best advice is to close your eyes and keep them closed. You mentioned how tight the tube was, but if you don't open your eyes, you don't realize it.

I know metered breathing, or counting helps some folks deal with it. I know one person who counts the seconds, i.e. if the tech says this series will last 3 minutes, she counts to 180. She says it distracts her.

MRIs have come a long way, back when I had my first (in the early 90s) they took an hour and a half for a brain MRI, and the sequences were much longer So maybe they'll continue to improve and they get shorter and shorter.

Hang in there.

[Shashi]

I was never claustrophobic until after my first MRI (which didn't even bother me at the time.) Now, I have to be almost totally knocked out with 1 1/2 Xanax before I'll get anywhere near that machine. (And with that many Xanax, I run the risk of sitting in the waiting area babbling about bunnies smoking cigarettes and the need for putting kittens into bigger skins so they'll grow.)

Nope, you're not alone. I hate MRIs too.

[Sheltiebrat]

I tend to sleep through them, not sure why

They have to block my head in, because I doze off : ) I am very lucky that way!

[doublebuttons]

The first MRI I had was a brain one and it had the little mirror so I could see out. It wasn't as bad as some people made MRIs out to be.

The second time I went was for a C-Spine and it was at a different facility. No mirror for a sight line or anything, but I didn't think about it until she put me in and I realized how closed in I was. I completely freaked out and left without getting it done.

Now, I only get my MRIs done at the original facility (has a 3-ft chamber, new one had a 6-ft chamber) AND I need to take Xanax before I go. (Figured out the Xanax worked better after doubling a Valium dosage several times and still freaking out.) So Xanax coupled with the fact that I realized my head is right at the top of the 3-ft chamber when I get a T-Spine done, has finally gotten me to a point where I don't completely freak out and cry each time I need to go get one. Still get nervous for several days beforehand though.

I keep reading other people's posts about episodes landing them at the ER and getting MRIs at the hospital. Seriously, getting a MRI in a strange location is more frightening to me than having an episode that might land me at the hospital.

Any one else feel this way? I realize this is really just about me being claustrophobic, but seriously, could there be a worse condition for someone who is?