MRI - info, advice?

[luvthemstrawberries]

I''ve been having basically daily headaches for months now, and finally went to the ENT doctor yesterday, after having a really sudden bad dizzy spell the night before and yesterday morning. My balance was restored by the appointment, so the balance and hearing tests were normal. The doctor wants an MRI, which is now scheduled for next Tuesday. I''m happy, because no doctor until now has been able/willing to help me get to the bottom of these. If the MRI comes back all negative, he''s going to send me to a neurologist in case what I have are actually migraines. I''m praying nothing is serious, but I''m still just glad we''re moving in the direction to confirm or start ruling out things.

Anyway, I''m not really freaked out about the actual MRI procedure - I think I''ll just get in there and close my eyes. But I''m wondering what they''re like. Does it take a long time? Do I need to do anything specific or make sure I bring anything certain, like comfy socks or something? Is there anything I should do to prepare myself ahead of time?

Thanks guys.

 

[icekid]

luv- I would not worry too much just yet; the vast majority of headaches (though annoying!) are not caused by anything dangerous.

Re: the MRI, it''s really not THAT bad. It takes much longer than a CT though (which I am assuming you already had?) A brain MRI with contrast ptakes 30-45 minutes. It is LOUD and you''ll need to be very still in a small, confined space. That''s really about all there is to it! You don''t really need to bring anything, though sometimes they''ll play a CD for you if you bring one

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

icekid - thanks for the info! This is the first kind of scan period, so no CT. He just went ahead and requested an MRI. I''m just glad they''re doing something more than just looking up my nose and in my ear and saying everything "looks fine."

I''m not really worried about the outcome - he even assured me that it will most likely come back negative. But the headaches I''ve been having are sometimes feeling like sinus related, and sometimes not. So he ordered MRIs of the brain, sinuses, and inner ear, just to rule out anything more serious. I''m just glad, because even if they all come back normal, it''ll at least rule out that I have issues with my sinuses, and I can focus on a different treatment. My mom has constant sinus problems, so that''s what has always made me wonder if mine are related to that. Heck, even if something comes back as the culprit, at least I''ll KNOW!

 

[icekid]

Sinus headaches are definitely a possibility!

Surprised he jumped for MRI without a CT first. CT is MUCH less expensive, faster, and really a great first scan. MRI is usually more helpful when you need greater detail.

Hope it helps you to figure out what is going on, though!

 

[Burk]

I have migrains and had to have an MRI when I first started getting them to rule other serious things out. IT is long and loud, but you just lay there (I may have dozed off). Nothing to worry about. Good luck!

 

[Jen_91909]

luv,
the info and advice you got is spot-on. Not really much to prepare, though if you tend to get cold easily (like me) you may just want to make sure you''re dressed warmly or bring a blanket or something- you will be in there for a while and will want to be comfortable. I''ve found keeping my eyes closed the whole time to be helpful.

I hope you can have relief of your headaches soon- they are just awful.

 

[gemgirl]

I''ve had 16 or 17 brain MRIs over the years (one every year for twelve years when they thought I had MS plus other ones for headaches, dizziness and neuropathies) and what I can tell you is you have to be perfectly still for 45 mins to an hour and that''s not always as easy as it sounds. Dress comfortably. Make sure the room is a temperature you''re comfortable with, ask for music to be piped in and try your best to ignore the clanging of what sounds like garbage pail lids!

Then go out and buy yourself an "I did it" present afterwards!

If they''re not adamant about a closed MRI, opt for the open type. They''re easier to handle.

 

[MsP]

I too have had many MRIs and they''re really no big deal.

Don''t wear any metal--zippers, buttons. Take off your jewelry, watches, etc. Don''t wear shoes with metal. Also, no eye makeup... supposedly some contain metals. If you wear jeans, or whatever, that has metal, you''ll just have to change into a gown. I hate gowns so I agoid that. I just walk in, hop on the table, put on my eye covers, put in some ear plugs, and they start. I never take off my shoes, clothes, etc.

I would advise you to make sure you''re comfortable before you go in. If you want a pillow under your knees or something like that, be sure to ask.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 5/7/2009 3:15:15 PM
Author: MissPrudential
I too have had many MRIs and they''re really no big deal.

Don''t wear any metal--zippers, buttons. Take off your jewelry, watches, etc. Don''t wear shoes with metal. Also, no eye makeup... supposedly some contain metals. If you wear jeans, or whatever, that has metal, you''ll just have to change into a gown. I hate gowns so I agoid that. I just walk in, hop on the table, put on my eye covers, put in some ear plugs, and they start. I never take off my shoes, clothes, etc.

I would advise you to make sure you''re comfortable before you go in. If you want a pillow under your knees or something like that, be sure to ask.

Ditto, avoid wearing jewellery or clothes with a lot of metal as you''ll have to take it all off.

Basically it''s pretty boring, you lie on a table, they slide you into the tube and then you just lie there while the machine makes morse code like noises. If you need contrast, they''ll slide it out, inject you - you need to stay really still so you haven''t changed position - then they slide you back in. The staff won''t tell you anything - normally they are the tech people not the person who interprets the results.

I''ve had loads of the things -brain, spine etc. I only had contrast with the last lot of spinal MRI''s as they wanted to check post-operative scar tissue, so you may not have this at all - depends on what the specialist asks for.

I always ask for a pillow under my lower back if it''s not a spinal MRI as it can get uncomfortable lying there completely still for 20-45 minutes. Seriously though, its one of the more pleasant of hospital procedures in my book!

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 5/7/2009 3:15:15 PM
Author: MissPrudential
I too have had many MRIs and they''re really no big deal.

Don''t wear any metal--zippers, buttons. Take off your jewelry, watches, etc. Don''t wear shoes with metal. Also, no eye makeup... supposedly some contain metals. If you wear jeans, or whatever, that has metal, you''ll just have to change into a gown. I hate gowns so I agoid that. I just walk in, hop on the table, put on my eye covers, put in some ear plugs, and they start. I never take off my shoes, clothes, etc.

I would advise you to make sure you''re comfortable before you go in. If you want a pillow under your knees or something like that, be sure to ask.

I wasn''t so crazy about taking all my clothes off and lying there in a little gyno gown either, so I started to go for mine in yoga pants and a tee. Cotton/lycra, no metal. Definitely no earrings or necklace since you''re having a head MRI. Leave your watch home. The MRI magnet may kill the battery. Leave your credit cards home. The magnet make de-activate the strip on the backs of the cards. I had to get a couple of new credit cards after I had an MRI done in a hospital once. PITA.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hey ladies, thanks SO much for the advice so far!!

Gemgirl - do you mean don''t even bring my credit cards into the room? Do they give you a place to put your purse, or is it ok in that room, just without the cards?

I definitely want to be comfortable (aka no gown). Does underwire in a bra mess up the scan? I guess I could wear a sports bra if I needed to. What about small metal things, like zippers at the bottom of windpants, or metal rings around the shoelace holes in your shoe?

So if you have an itch, you can''t even scratch it? Can you move period, or does it mess everything up?

If I have to lay there for 45 minutes, I think I''d like a pillow too... I''ll have to give some thought to where I''d like to have one...

Can you really sometimes bring a CD and they''ll play it?

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 5/7/2009 8:04:07 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
Hey ladies, thanks SO much for the advice so far!!

Gemgirl - do you mean don't even bring my credit cards into the room? Do they give you a place to put your purse, or is it ok in that room, just without the cards?

I definitely want to be comfortable (aka no gown). Does underwire in a bra mess up the scan? I guess I could wear a sports bra if I needed to. What about small metal things, like zippers at the bottom of windpants, or metal rings around the shoelace holes in your shoe?

So if you have an itch, you can't even scratch it? Can you move period, or does it mess everything up?

If I have to lay there for 45 minutes, I think I'd like a pillow too... I'll have to give some thought to where I'd like to have one...

Can you really sometimes bring a CD and they'll play it?

I had an mri one time and it was for my knee. I left my stuff in the next room in a locker. They might have lockers?

I don't remember exactly what I wore but I think I wore paper pants they gave me?

I would call them before you go to ask them that question since I am sure each MRI place is different. Where I went they gave me sound proof head phones and they could talk to me through them and they put it on the radio station I liked. It is extremely loud so the head phones helped. Good luck.

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 5/7/2009 8:04:07 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
Hey ladies, thanks SO much for the advice so far!!

Gemgirl - do you mean don't even bring my credit cards into the room? Do they give you a place to put your purse, or is it ok in that room, just without the cards? USUALLY YOU GET A LOCKER BUT I LEAVE EVERYTHING AT HOME IF I CAN

I definitely want to be comfortable (aka no gown). YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT CHOICE: MOST MRIS' I'VE HAD MAKE YOU STRIP DOWN TO A GOWN. THEIR CHOICE, NOT YOURS. Does underwire in a bra mess up the scan? YES I guess I could wear a sports bra if I needed to. What about small metal things, like zippers at the bottom of windpants, or metal rings around the shoelace holes in your shoe? THEY WILL SEARCH EVERY INCH OF FABRIC. ANY MRIS' I'VE HAD THEY MAKE ME CHANGE INTO A GOWN. ONCE I HAD YOGA PANTS ON AND AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE THE TECH WENT NUTS BECAUSE THEY FOUND A LITTLE METAL SPRING IN A CLASP AT THE WAIST.

So if you have an itch, you can't even scratch it? Can you move period, or does it mess everything up? IF THEY'RE DOING YOUR HEAD, YOU WILL LIKELY BE STRAPPED DOWN. MINE, THEY STRAP ME DOWN AT THE FOREHEAD AND CHIN,THEN PLACE A 'HOCKEY HELMET' TYPE THING OVER TOP. I CAN MOVE MY HANDS TO SCRATCH. BELIEVE ME, WHEN YOU CANT' SCRATCH, YOU SURE GET ITCHY! SO BE PREPARED TO MEDITATE OR THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS OR SING TO YOURSELF. MY FAVE IS TO DREAM OF MY HUSBAND AND DOGS IN THE RASPBERRY PATCH - I HAVE THE SAME ONE EVERY TIME.

If I have to lay there for 45 minutes, I think I'd like a pillow too... I'll have to give some thought to where I'd like to have one...UNDER KNEES IS ALWAYS A SURE BET.

Can you really sometimes bring a CD and they'll play it? DEPENDS ON THE HOSPITAL - SOME WILL OK IT, SOME NOT.

Sorry about the allcaps. I messed up there....

I guess it might help to remember how an MRI works: giant magnets that are rotated using centrifugal force to create a magnetic field. Any little bit of metal within that field can get ripped out. They will ask you lots of questions ie: have you ever used a welding torch?... Do you have tattoos? (there is metal in some of the inks)....do you have any kinds of prosthetic implants in your body? Any stents or screws or plates (remember, metal!). So as my neurosurgeon likes to say: "CAT get yourself as naked as the day you were born and you'll be fine in there!" What a goof.

The MRI is very loud. The description of the garbage can lids is spot on.
My favourite part is EVERY time I go, they give me these 2 ear plugs to put in. And EVERY time I tell them my first brain surgery left me deaf on one side, so no thanks, don't need one for the right ear.....they make me SIGN A FORM to say I've refused the stupid little plug....And we all kind of smirk about that. Every time.

With luck the MRI will give you the answer to your headaches. I wish you luck with that, my migraines are pretty horrible but at least not too frequent.

Have fun. *hint* look at the mirror (you'll know what I mean) and check it for fingerprints. Then tell the tech to crawl into the pipe and clean it off!

LS

 

[mimzy]

wearing a sports bra would be a good idea - as long as the only images they are taking are from the neck up you shouldn''t have to change into a gown. whenever i have to get an mri i just close my eyes, pretend i''m an astronaut being positioned in a spaceship as they slide me in, and usually doze off to the horribly unmelodious typewriter-like clanging. the contrast feels a little weird when it''s injected, but it''s no worse than getting any other shot.

i''ve had a few of them done also to determine the source of headaches (non migraine) and also to check for MS, but they have all been negative, totally unremarkable. i hope yours are negative, but i also hope you get some answers!!

 

[gemgirl]

Date: 5/7/2009 9:11:20 PM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 5/7/2009 8:04:07 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
Hey ladies, thanks SO much for the advice so far!!

Gemgirl - do you mean don''t even bring my credit cards into the room? Do they give you a place to put your purse, or is it ok in that room, just without the cards?

I definitely want to be comfortable (aka no gown). Does underwire in a bra mess up the scan? I guess I could wear a sports bra if I needed to. What about small metal things, like zippers at the bottom of windpants, or metal rings around the shoelace holes in your shoe?

So if you have an itch, you can''t even scratch it? Can you move period, or does it mess everything up?

If I have to lay there for 45 minutes, I think I''d like a pillow too... I''ll have to give some thought to where I''d like to have one...

Can you really sometimes bring a CD and they''ll play it?

I had an mri one time and it was for my knee. I left my stuff in the next room in a locker. They might have lockers?

I don''t remember exactly what I wore but I think I wore paper pants they gave me?

I would call them before you go to ask them that question since I am sure each MRI place is different. Where I went they gave me sound proof head phones and they could talk to me through them and they put it on the radio station I liked. It is extremely loud so the head phones helped. Good luck.

Yes, they gave me a locker but I didn''t feel so safe about putting my handbag in there, so I tried to bring the hubby next time to hold my purse. No, don''t bring your wallet or credit cards into the room. The magnetic strip on the back will go ppphhhhtttt.

Wearing an all stretch sports bra would be ideal. My jockey sports bra is a pull over the head kind of thing and that''s perfect. Once though,........... LOL! the male technician asked me if my bra had underwires and hooks and I said yes. He said "well you''ll have to remove it". So standing right there in front of him, I unhooked the back, put my hand inside each tee shirt sleeve and pulled my bra out of my sleeve.

Then he asked what other tricks I knew. Wear a sports bra. It''s much easier. The zippers at the ends of your pants are too far away to matter. They''re just worried about metal disturbing the field they''re scanning.

No, you can''t move at all while you''re in a cycle. They''ll give you thirty seconds to swallow, cough, take a deep breath or scratch your nose between the end of a cycle and the machine cycling up again. Even then, you can''t move much.

I had them put a support under my knees so my back wouldn''t get sore.

Yes, bring your favorite CD. They''ll pop it in for you. And do wear the plastic headphones. It help block out some of the clanging.

 

[LostSapphire]

WOW I can't believe the variety of experiences in response to this thead! I've had (I think) 16 or 17 MRIs, 13 of them on my brain and 3 or 4 on my hips. I have only once been allowed to stay in a yoga pant and was then told to remove those as well.


My last one was 4 months ago and it was the full meal deal: totally strapped down, immobilized, hospital gown etc. So it can't be a case of years ago they were more strict.

So interesting. I'll follow this as I find it fascinating to hear of the different protocols.

LS

 

[anyname]

MRI''s aren''t too bad, but if given the chose ask for the open MRI. I got the open one for my knee but a closed one for my head

. As someone else already said, take off all jewelry. It''s a little discombobulating at first when your head is in the little plastic "box" and then you''re a enclosed tube but unless you''re claustrophobic it isn''t too bad. It''s just a little noisy and the techs can usually communicate with you if you start to panic.

Good luck with everything, i suffer from really bad chronic migraines and understand all too well the pain and inconvenience that comes with it.

 

[EricaR]

My one and only MRI was for my shoulder. I am claustrophobic and have a hard time sitting still for more than a minute or two, so my doctor prescribed a sedative. It wasn''t anything that knocked me out, just made me chill out. This really helped when I was strapped down and couldn''t move, which was extremely important for my shoulder.

 

[whitby_2773]

hi luv

i''ve had a number of upper neck MRI''s and my experience was that they don''t put you all the way in the machine; it''s not a ''full tube'' experience where i go for neck/head MRI''s. also, i''m allowed to take my husband into the room with me, and he has always held my hand, which helps a great deal. since they aren''t MRI''ing all your body, i cant see that they would make you get changed - tho Losty''s experience was obviously different, so who can tell? you can always call ahead of time and ask, which is what i''d definitely do if i was you.

also - altho they take some time, the scans are in bursts of 5-7 minutes, so you can wriggle and scratch and so on every so often; they don''t expect you to stay immobile for 45 minutes.

good luck - and i hope you find the answers you''re looking for.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Thank you ladies SOOO much - you are so great to give me all these responses!!! I mean it - very much appreciated.

I did call ahead about the cost, and the woman told me just to not wear anything with metal, and dress comfortably. That was the extent of it though. I didn''t think to ask about the headphones/music, so I''ll just see what they offer when I get there.

I just read on their website that they say not to wear any metal, and if you do, you''ll be asked to change into a gown or scrubs. Then in another area of the website, they say you''ll most likely be asked to change anyway, and they don''t even address what to wear or not wear.

This my be a silly question, but does swallowing mess up the picture? It says not to move at all, because that can blur the pictures they''re taking. But does swallowing mess that up too?

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

LS - Thank you so much for your information. That is interesting that they''ve made you change for the majority of yours, and how the other responses are so different. Haha, so they freaked out about a spring in your clasp - wow. Good to know though. I kind of hope they strap my head down - it''ll probably help me not fidget.

That''s my worst thing about itching - I get itchy when I know I can''t scratch it!! It''s all mental probably. Thanks for the pillow under the knee tip too. Haha and I''m not sure what you''re talking about with the mirror, but I''ll sure keep an eye out!

gemgirl - haha I know that bra trick! Perfected it in the locker room for PE in high school!

It''s a cinch now.

gemgirl and whitby - also good to know that I''ll have little "breaks" to scratch and get comfy again - thanks.

Thank you all for the well wishes too - in a way I hope something shows up, so I''ll have an answer. I certainly hope it''s nothing serious, but it would just be nice to know if I had sinus issues or something a doctor can''t just "see" in an appointment - then I''d know what to treat. But even if it''s negative, at least we can cross things off the list and narrow the focus.

 

[CNOS128]

I had an MRI once for a minor injury... I was worried about the noise and feeling claustrophobic because apparently a lot of people do - but I actually find it really comforting to be in a confined space, so it was somewhat relaxing. The noise was kind of a loud rhythmic banging, but you''re in there for so long that it stops feeling so loud after awhile. Eventually that can be kind of lulling, too. The worst part for me was keeping still -- whenever I know I can''t move I get really itchy and have to swallow a lot (like at the dentist)-- but swallowing doesn''t mess it up. You''ll be there for awhile and you''d be drooling all over if you couldn''t.

 

[dianne]

I didn''t read every posting so forgive me if this is duplicate information. I am claustrophobic and what helps me is a washcloth over my eyes. Sounds crazy, I know, but it allowed me to get thru the MRI without hyperventilating. They usually can provide one or you can take your own. Best of luck with the procedure and I hope your headaches go away.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

TheBigT - haha, thanks - good to know I can swallow!! Hehe I swallow a lot, and even more in situations like that where I''m thinking about it. Haha I''d definitely be drooling all over the place if I couldn''t!

Dianne - thanks for the tip! I do that at night sometimes when I have a headache, so maybe that''d be relaxing.

 

[mamong]

luv, I had MRI a couple of times. I''m a little claustrophobe so each time I just went, closed my eyes and did long, deep and regular breath to counter anxiety. Head MRI take about 30-40 minutes, very noisy. No metal allowed, usually you have to change clothes with the hospital''s wrap and they''ll give you a locker where you can put all your belonging. Hope everything goes well for you.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hi PokeMom - thanks for your input. I appreciate it! The appointment is tomorrow, so we''ll see how it goes!

I''m not bringing anybody with me - do you guys know of any reason to have anyone there?

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hi ladies. I had my MRI today. It really wasn''t too bad. I wore windpants with the little zippers at the bottom (took some sweatpants as backup), and they were fine. I ended up only about halfway in the tube for the scans. They gave me a washcloth to cover my eyes, and they put a pillow under my knees and a blanket over me without me even asking. Both ladies were very nice, and I asked for them to tell me how long each test would be. They were anywhere from 1.5 to 4 minutes max. The IV in my arm was the worst part - they did it beforehand, then put in the contrast towards the end.

The noise was the weirdest part, haha. I definitely heard the "garbage can lids" haha, but had to listen for it. If you guys hadn''t explained it that way, I would have said this: the loudest noises were sort of like mechanical alarm sounds - very strange. But in the background, the beat I sung all my songs in my head to were the noises like the garbage cans. To me, it sounded like a kid with a wooden spoon, banging on metal garbage cans and pots and pans. One test even sounded like Nintendo game sounds, haha. And the best tests were the ones that vibrated my table - it was actually very relaxing, haha.

Anyway, it wasn''t bad... but certainly something I wouldn''t voluntarily do again, of course. But just wanted to let yall know it was done, and say thanks for all the information you gave. They already called me back, and everything looked normal. So my next step is to see a neurologist... here''s to hoping I can find out there what''s going on in my head!!

 

[LostSapphire]

GREAT to hear it went so well!

Now, about that mirror...any fingerprints??

LS

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Glad to hear you your results were normal! Ironically, my daughter had an MRI today on her knee (injury from car accident). She fortunately only had to put her legs in. She said it was very noisy and she thinks she wouldn''t have done it if they had made her whole body go in!

Does anyone know what the deal is with the noise? I can''t understand that part since most technology is pretty quiet!

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 5/12/2009 7:43:31 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Glad to hear you your results were normal! Ironically, my daughter had an MRI today on her knee (injury from car accident). She fortunately only had to put her legs in. She said it was very noisy and she thinks she wouldn't have done it if they had made her whole body go in!

Does anyone know what the deal is with the noise? I can't understand that part since most technology is pretty quiet!

My neurosurgeon explained to me that the MRI is actually 2 tubes, one inserted inside the other. In between the 2 are great big magnets, that spin around in the space between the tubes. The spinning magnets create the magnetic field (MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

That's what you hear clanging and banging: it's the d*mn magnets!

LS

ETA: that was a very simplistic explanation. Here's the 'scientific' version:

How does the MRI magnet produce detailed cross-sections of the brain? “Typically MRI causes the body to emit a signal,” explains Jim Rosato, head interventional MRI technologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “As the protons—the nuclei—of the hydrogen atoms in our body spin, they form north and south poles, but they can be facing in different directions. Once the patient goes into the magnet, it causes all the protons to align in one direction.” With a magnetic field strength 10 thousand times greater than the earth’s, the electromagnet in the Signa SP has plenty of power to perform this feat.
“The banging, jackhammer sound people hear during MRI is actually caused by the electromagnetic gradients, or radio waves, switching on and off extremely fast,” Rosato continues. “This causes the protons, which are now lined up with the main magnetic field, to flip 90 degrees. Each time the radio pulse switches off, the protons go back to their original position. When they do that, they emit an electromagnetic signal—a radio frequency signal, like FM radio—and that’s picked up by the ‘antenna,’ or the coil,” hence magnetic “resonance.”