Couldn't even last 10 seconds, I freaked out. *content warning regarding MRI scans* title edited by MNHQ

I hear it can be worse if you have the dye, ask if you can have a sedative or what can they recommend.

I had so many MRIs I lost count.
I am also extremely claustrophobic and have panic attacks. The longest MRI I had was about 70 minutes.
The way I approach it is to rationalise: it's needed, it will help my diagnoses, it will help to see if there's any changes to my condition.
Now you know how it is, you're ready so you can go for it again. Ask them if you can take something to calm you down, like a travel sickness tablet or similar.

My heart raced like the clappers when I went in.

Just have the headphones etc, shut your eyes, never open them until the person says it’s finished and you’re no longer in the tube.

I know a lot of people refuse to go in or never go back, so well done.

Eventually I actually started to fall asleep, and yes I am claustrophobic!

I’ve had to have a few MRI’s over the years and couldn’t cope the first time due to claustrophobia. However I decided to try an eye mask, putting it on before I went into the scanner and I was fine with that. Worth a try.

I have never been able to do this. On each occasion, I have had to obtain a prescription via my GP. It is worth the cost of a prescription.

Tripleglazed when I had one of my heart MRIs with diazepam it was much better.

Oh God I wish I'd not read this. My own fault though as I did see the warning and know I have an mri in two weeks for my heart.

I freaked out last time, but got through it because they let my husband come in the room and stand at my head. Reading this I'm in tears and panicking/shaking.

I'm going to ask my Dr for diazepam and insist my husband is with me. And an eye mask.

Actually maybe it's a good thing I've seen this, as I think I'd blocked out last time and thought I'd be fine. Clearly I wouldn't/ won't be if this thread has me in a state.

I didn't know there were open scanners. If my plan above doesn't work I'll ask for one of those.

They should put you in feet first I had one 13 years ago before my knee replacement, and only went in up to my waist. I can sympathise with the op though, as I'm mildly claustrophobic. I had a head-first one two weeks ago as a follow-up to a dislocated shoulder; and I made sure to keep my eyes closed all the time.

I've had several MRI scans over the years and had not found them particularly problematic.

However, I had one this week as part of breast cancer diagnosis.
So I was face down in the machine for about 40 minutes.

I freaked out just before the end and was overwhelmed by a feeling of panic.

Worse still was they couldn't even find what they were looking for!!

It took hours for me to calm down.
I felt as if I'd survived a battlefield.

The ricocheting of bullets and explosions going on around me was just too much.

But I was lucky, the doctors were wonderfully understanding throughout

So sorry OP, I am claustrophobic and have had several scans. I have always been able to keep my eyes tightly shut for the duration, the only advice I can offer is to not open your eyes next time.

Massive sympathy/empathy to you @MammaKel and everyone else who has had a traumatic MRI. The staff certainly should have been kinder.

I had my first MRI in a portacabin/car park lorry thing with similar sounding staff and couldn't manage it, I still remember properly sobbing to my DH in the car park afterwards. I was re-referred to a hospital and the staff were so fabulous that it made all the difference - they explained clearly what would happen, reassured me, kept "checking in" and counting down with me throughout the scan as PP mentioned.

Since then, I've had them at a number of hospitals, my specialist one (so for head MRIs so with the head cage) said they have a rate of one in three people that have to come out during their first attempt, but the majority of them are able to go back in with support. The staff say being able to help patients manage to complete them, makes them feel relieved for the patient obviously, but also gives them a sense of personal/professional achievement - they consider it as important an aspect of the job as the scanning itself.

I'm the opposite from a lot of people here, I much prefer to open my eyes. Having them shut makes me feel more "untethered" as I can't tell if I'm lying flat, I get the sensation I could be moving, especially when the rotating noise starts it makes me feel like I'm rotating myself, and it's really unnerving. Having my eyes open makes me feel much less discombobulated.

The trouble with having a traumatic first one is that it's so fucking off-putting that it (obviously!) makes it so hard to try again. I think a different hospital/location for your second one, could make all the difference. If you are allowed to have someone with you, even just to hold your toe could also be really helpful.

Best of luck to you. Honestly, after my first one I swore I would never ever in my life have another one - but now they just feel very slightly uncomfortable, a bit like when the optician leans right into your face to change the lenses in an eye test - an invasion of personal space but slightly irritating, not traumatic. Spending ages taking out all my piercings out and putting them back in afterwards never gets any less annoying though!

Sending you positive thoughts, I hope you can have a second attempt and it's easier for you. (Please update if so!)

There is also the instruction to "keep as still as possible", so that, combined with the confinement of the tube makes me want to fidget. Disaster..... a magic Xanax (decent size dose) helped the second (repeat one), together with blackout eye mask and music. Awful bloody things, and honestly I admire those whose head must go in a cage. I would not be able to do that for a million quid unless I had a horse tranquiliser first.

OMG you poor thing @MammaKel !!! I have never been in one of these MRI machines, and would not go in one if my life depended on it. Fuck. That. SHIT! I am terribly claustrophobic and would simply freak out, and possibly pass out. They would have to knock me out to be honest.

I can't go in a lift either, and have walked up a dozen flights of stairs before now rather than go in a lift. I am terrified that the lift might get stuck! 😱

My DH went in one of these MRI machines some 5 years ago and said it was one of the worst experiences of his life. 'Never again' he said. He is not even claustrophobic, and he said the experience was horrific.

You're not weird, I nearly fell asleep in mine, it felt like a cocoon and it was a real luxury to have the period of just lying still, as my job is so stressful. I'm really surprised at all these posts saying it was terrifying.

I'm claustrophobic I can just about manage it without a mask but absolutely no way with the mask. Some technicians will let you in without the mask but I think it might depend on body part being scanned.

I didn't realise how claustrophobic I was until my first MRI, so I fully understand your reaction. I've had 3 now, each one was slightly easier - even the last one which was about an hour (I was expecting 10 minutes) 😬

The staff were lovely though which made a huge difference and got me through it. They asked me if I was claustrophobic, I said a bit. I was offered and used an eye mask, went in feet first, given headphones to listen to a local radio station, and they talked to me throughout - lots of encouragement, saying you're halfway through, nearly done, you're doing well, etc etc.

I would echo PP and call them, explain what happened and that you would like another booking. You now know what you have to do, and you can get through it.

Ask for a mask, it really does help - you can go anywhere in your head! Ask to go in feet first, if that's possible for a head scan. Ask for headphones and music. And emphasise to everyone you see that you are extremely claustrophobic, that you couldn't manage it last time and that you need their help.

Good luck 😀

Hi OP I do sympathise also like many others. I had an MRI on my back and hip due to chronic pain in the latter. I waited two hours for the scan and was the only person in the waiting room, but I hadn’t felt unduly anxious. Unfortunately I was then made to wear a mask inside the machine and when I realised how close the top of the tube was to my face, I started to feel panicky; this led to me feeling unable to swallow. I managed about 30 mins and that’s when they said ‘right we’ve done the spine, now we’ll get onto the hip.’ I asked to come out for a break, but then started to cry from relief that I had been ‘let out’. The staff were quite matter of fact about it and I could tell they’d seen this happen a few times. They did not try to persuade me to go back in told me to ask for Valium and to come back. I went home feeling like a failure and worried that my hip hadn’t actually been scanned. My gp refused to send me back for the missed scan saying it wouldn’t make any difference now anyway!

I don’t like enclosed spaces and had an MRI last week so I shut my eyes as I was slid in. Much to my surprise I fell asleep for most of it. I was grateful, I jerked a little when I woke , it didn’t affect pictures thankfully. I didn’t like it. I had the headphones but couldn’t have the earplugs as they couldn’t guarantee they were latex free and I am massively allergic to latex. Mine was only 20 mins though. Sympathies to all.

I've never had an MRI but do suffer with claustrophobia I when I was diagnosed with cancer I was panic stricken. Fortunately I never needed one, CT was fine. My friend was prescribed some diazepam and that got her through it. Is that an option?

I've had quite a few. One last year I sort of forgot and opened my eyes and it was horrible! My heart pounded the rest of the time.

Had another one last week at the private hospital mobile unit (was NHS but through health share or something) and it was totally different. Comfortable, and had a VR mask so looked like I was watching waves on tv in a room. I actually fell asleep.

Not sure if that referral was a one off but it certainly helped!

Having an MRI is a horrible experience. The cacophony of noise from the machine, the constant loud rock music and useless headphones was an assault on my senses. The claustrophobic feeling was terrifying. Unkind staff didn’t help and I was in such pain from my condition. I had read about having an MRI beforehand, the reassuring staff, some noise etc. I cried when I met my husband in the waiting room afterwards. I will never forget the experience. The lack of care from the staff left me feeling abandoned.

Oh I feel for you OP, I had to have my first recently and I'd never considered myself claustrophobic but my heart rate absolutely shot through the roof and I found myself a bit tearful. Really didn't like it. Good to see that there are options for if I need another one!

Bugger, I knew I shouldn't have read this thread. I'm going for an MRI on my shoulder in a fortnight. I am very claustrophobic. Also a bit anxious as I have a pacemaker and they have to fiddle about to protect it from blowing up. DH had one a few months ago, also on his shoulder, and they had to stop as he is also very claustrophobic. Please tell me some happy stories, if there are any!

Hi I had one on my achilles and they just put me in up to my knee. It took 20 mins and I slept through it.

I didn't wear the headphones as I don't like the feeling on my ears and it wasn't too loud at all.

The only problem was my leg was bare and I got really cold. I also started to get cramp staying still for so long!

@MammaKel Huge sympathies - I have to have MRI's including with a head cage frequently and suffer everytime. I would suggest the following, many of which others have already posted.

An open MRI - see if you can go where there is one

If not, valium or similar can help but the timing of it is important, too late and it doesn't help, other than you have a huge sleep after the MRI is done.

The hospital I have mine at, from the moment I enter the outer room, where they ask all the questions, I keep my eyes closed. I do not like seeing the head cages on the shelf, let alone coming near me. I keep my eyes closed until I exit the scanner. My scans are sometimes up to 90 mins long - I recite my times tables over and over again which seem to put me into a trance like state. I ask that every now and again I am spoken to, normally "you are doing really well, not long now". I actually find the noise and warmth I feel under my spine not too bad as I know it means for every noise I am closer to the scan finishing.

Be as truthful with the staff, MRI's are not the time for being an "I'm fine" person.