Staying still during MRI

L

Larry Douchebag

New member
Asking your doctor for a tranquilizer such as valium or xanax is a good idea. I always take one before I go for my MRIs. Also, ask the technician if they can give you headphones and play music for you. The place where I go has a collection of CDs, or you can bring your own and they can play music for you with the special headphones that they have. For me, it always makes the time go faster and it helps keep me calm and distracted. I have to go for brain MRIs with contrast every 6 months and I am in the tube from the top of my head down to my elbows for 30-40 minutes. It can be bad even for someone who is NOT claustrophobic!
 
I've had just about every part of my body MRI'd at some point(think I'm up to 25+)and I've never been asked to hold my breath. CT scan, yes, but not an MRI. The pictures take several minutes to take.

Ask to have a pillow under your knees, some extra padding around your head and/or headphones to listen to music, a blanket to keep you warm and covered and they can give you something to calm you down if needed. They may ask you to breathe normally and I always end up yawning so I try desperately to wait until they are in between pictures.

I just close my eyes and think about things that are pleasant and make me feel like I'm going to sleep. I am claustrophobic but have mastered the art of having an MRI as the only other way to get the info they need might be surgery. Surgery can kill but an MRI is simply noisy. A much nicer place to be than the OR. So relax and enjoy and think how much nicer this is than undergoing exploratory surgery.

Sometimes we just have to tough it out.
 
I agree with jennybyc. Ask for the head phones before you go in, and a blanket so you aren't cold. Then SHUT YOUR EYES. I am not claustrophobic, but even I get the willies sometimes. They push so much air through it to keep the tube cool and it gets so loud in there.

I had them play my favorite music and I forgot that it echoed in the room. Well, I started singing along with the songs so I would be distracted from all the noise and hissing. When they were done and pulled me out, everyone clapped and told me they enjoyed the concert. I laughed. Good thing it was late! My appointment was 11:30 pm. You do whatever you need to to get through it...usually they only ask you to hold still not to hold your breath.
 
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