Please can someone help? I have an MRI tomorrow and completely terrified!

[Newhouse76]

Thanks to everyone who has offered advice on my labyrinthitis post.

Having failed a number of hearing tests, I was given an emergency appointment to see a ENT consultant today. Have been advised that I am suffering from profound hearing loss in the affected ear and there is 30 percent chance of my hearing returning 😨

Anyway I need to go for a CT scan tomorrow afternoon to rule out something more serious.

Am totally terrified as I am extremely claustrophobic and have been suffering from anxiety for other reasons.

I CANNOT imagine getting into that tube for 5 minutes let alone for up to an hour. I don’t listen to music and i don’t want to talk to the person who is completing the procedure and im totally worried that I might try to sit up or fight my way out!

Any hints and tips anyone? Ive never been so scared

I was scared before mine too. You will be fine .
In the end it was so relaxing I almost fell asleep. Apparently they hear that quite often.
The machinery is loud and clunky but it's almost white noise and rhythmic. It was warm and no one wanted me for ten minutes. (I'm working lone parent though so my desperate idea of relaxation is probably different to most people ).
You might have a "helmet" with a little periscope mirror so you can see the staff at the desk. Not sure if everywhere does this.

OP I had a few & make sure I’ve been up busy most of the night so am really tired and needing a lie down to the point I almost don’t want to come out! They give you a panic button. I shut my eyes before I start to move and go in and have a to do list to think about too during the music which almost drones out the weird banging noises of the machine. The staff do talk to you throughout- if you’ve not had one before maybe google the sounds which are odd and I was not expecting them the first Time - good luck

I had an MRI today and I was feeling the same as you.

I was actually ok in the end, I had something light to eat, made sure I was hydrated and wearing comfortable clothes (baggy t shirt, no bra and leggings). Wee 5 minutes before.

I told them I was nervous and laid down. I had to have a cage over my head to help the magnets so I closed my eyes and didn’t open them again until it was over.

The best thing for me was completely focussing on my breathing. The entire time I just noted the in, pause, out, pause of the breathe and tried to keep it slow and regular.

The noises change during each set of images. Some of the noises are quite calming and disappear into the background. Some are really annoying and high pitched and make the bed vibrate a little.

I also imagine a gold light being bathed over me and keeping me safe. That really helped.

The room itself was cold so wear socks. The mri itself was warm - I could feel it colder over my hips and legs so I didn’t feel so enclosed.

I had a brain mri and it only took about 15 minutes - hopefully yours won’t be any longer than that. The time went quicker than I was expecting it to feel.

Best of luck - you’ll be absolutely fine. If I can do it so can you!

I hope the results are good xx

By the way nobody spoke to me at all until right at the end to say the scan was complete.

Close your eyes before you start moving/going into the machine. Try and make tunes/music to the rhythm of the magnets. Tell the people doing your scan to keep talking to you/updating you on how long you've got through and how long is left.

This is good advice, especially closing your eyes as soon as you are lying down on the scanner bed. I had a series of MRI scans last year and I was dreading the spinal one where I had to go in head first. I kept my eyes shut from the get-go & that worked well. I did relaxation breathing whenever I felt anxious. I actually found it pretty relaxing after the first 10 min, albeit boring. The magnets are noisy in a rhythmic way, making changes as they move, and it was like an immersive, experimental techo album.

I had one done of my ears this time last year. I'll be honest and admit I really dislike the ones of my head but they had a mirror which was focussed on pictures of space, the sky, the bottom of the sea and forests so it didn't feel like I was enclosed at all. Focusing my attention on that and my breathing seemed to make it go faster too.

Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll be fine.

I'm sure you will just have your head in, so it won't feel so scary and claustrophobic.

My MRI was warm and comfortable. They put cosy socks on me, headphones, and a lovely heavy blanket. The lights were dim, I relaxed and breathed deeply, meditated a little, and enjoyed a bit of time to myself! I'm pretty sure I fell asleep for a few minutes. The machine does make some pretty odd noises, though - clicking and buzzing, but I found the whole thing fascinating. My main worry was what they might find, not the process itself.

Staff were lovely too - seems to be a thing with radiography staff....They will look after you, OP, don't be afraid to tell them your worries, you'll be fine.

I was the same as you before mine. I got a prescription for diazepam but ended up not using it. It didn’t feel like being stuck in a lift or anything -it felt like a job we were all doing.
In a way, the unfamiliarity helped.
I closed my eyes as soon as I lay down and kept them closed. At one point I opened them briefly. because of the mirror it seemed quite open -I quickly shut my eyes again after that.

Yes meglet, as OP’s acan is of her ears very likely she will have a frame round her head with the mirror to see out of the scanner (although a lot of nervous people just prefer to close their eyes).

I've had a lot of scans in the last year. Had an MRI a couple of weeks ago. The thing i always ask for is an eye mask. It sounds daft but my fear was seeing myself enclosed in the tube, with a mask on there was no way I could see anything. They put headphones on and asked what radio I wanted to listen to. I pucked radio 4 and it was a good choice as it really distracted me. I asked for it to be very loud, it still didn't drown out the machine but it meant I could hear it. Sorry if your problem means you wouldn't be able to hear but I thought it worth mentioning.

This might not help, and I'm not at all claustrophobic so apologies, but I found it really helpful to listen to the noises it makes. I listened to the noises and thought about what magnets were turning and where, how fast they were going etc. Listening to it and thinking about that passed the time quickly.

Also spent the entire time asking questions about it and the radiographer kindly asking me to wheesht!

I closed my eyes. I didn't enjoy it one little bit, but I closed my eyes and thought very deliberately about something else. Good luck, OP. It won't last long.

My 11 did had one this afternoon. Granted she went in feet first up to her waist so the claustrophobic thing wasn't an issue but she was fine. Had to lie still
For 30 mins which was the worst thing.
You'll be fine. 👍

If I had to do it again I would reflect that there is literally no chance of being stuck in there as the cost to the NHS would be prohibitive!

And OP I’m sure you’ve had the information already but just to speed things along and so you don’t get flustered, don’t wear hairgrips, hairslides, earrings or other jewellery as they will have to be removed, but again the staff will go through all this with you before the scan.

They won't be able to give you any sedation (wouldn't be able to prescribe it as the radiographers aren't drs) but it would be OK to take something, eg, a valium, that you bring along yourself. A gp could prescribe it for you if you could get in to see them in time.

Thank you everyone for talking the time to reply, its so lovely of you all. Im so glad that you have managed it and it was not as bad as you had imagined.

I really just need to pluck up my courage and go for it I think

You could take an antihistamine (for allergies or hay fever. Like Piriton) which sometimes has a sedative effect?
You’ll be fine and it won’t take an hour- all the advice you’ve had is good... an eye mask is a fab idea and it’s not going to be as bad as you fear.

I've had CT, MRI and PET scans. I've put them in that order because that's how I view their "difficuly".

The MRI scan was noisy but ok. For me, it was the issue of being asked if I was comfartable, which I was at the time. After five minutes of lying in one position, I wasnt.

But the MRI scan was not so bad. I just thought of a place i loved and tried to put myself there. It was noisy, but doable.

Good luck

My one there was a little mirror so I could see the radiographer in their room while I was laid there. It made me feel a bit more reassured as I didnt feel like I was by myself

I've had two MRIs, both on my head. I Get very claustrophobic and thought I'd panic. The first time round I felt myself wavering as I started to go in but had googled some breathing exercises in advance and once I started to do this I calmed myself. As it was October time I concentrated on Christmas, first thinking of my Christmas card list and then moving on to the present list, thinking of the individual, ideas from them going through the process of which shop I was going to visit, etc. Before I knew it the scan was done and I'd been concentrating so much on this I hadn't realised. Second scan I decided to play an alphabet game and tried to do the A-Z of animals, countries etc.

The staff were very reassuring and understanding at both scans and I felt very safe.
Good luck OP. Just remember that you're not alone in how you're feeling and the hospital are used to people feeling nervous.

I will be so glad when its over. Im honestly so proud of you all for getting through it

I've had six brain MRIs and another due in a couple of months. I close my eyes, regulate my breathing and imagine myself on my favourite beach at my favourite holiday destination. I relaxed so much, I nodded off and got told off my the radiographer! Tell the staff immediately that you're nervous - they will offer sedation so I suggest u take public transport or get a lift/taxi. Best of luck for tomorrow

I had one today. I'm unfortunately an old hand at them and they really aren't that bad - if you prepare. My big problem is the noise - I am extremely noise sensitive despite having hearing aids and it is LOUD.

Don't wear anything metal or you'll have to change into a gown i.e. no bra (clasps are metal) or vests with adjustable straps. Going in your own clothes is more relaxing so be as prepared as possible.

The contrast dye is "just" a sharp scratch ie needle in vein. I use earplugs and their headphone (on silent). You lie down. They prop your knees up a bit if wanted and can give you a blanket. Then they put a "frame" over your head. You can still move under it, it's there so hold a mirror above you so if you look straight up, you're actually looking through the mirror and can see where the technicians are. The donut you slide into looks tiny when you are standing outside it but you are actually taken in very low down so there is actually quite a bit of space. It will last 2-3 minutes max and you will feel NOTHING.

When I am being scanned / treated (mri, ct, radiotherapy) I often pick a topic and try to do an a-z of that topic eg a-z of animals (aardvark, buffalo etc) It helps take your mind off what you are doing. Just remember, breathe. Good luck.

@Newhouse76 my hearing did recover.

I already had tinnitus and I'm prone to eustachian tube dysfunction so my hearing isn't marvellous anyway, but the infection didn't do any lasting harm itself IYSWIM and my hearing improved again over a couple of weeks, IIRC.