Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To cancel my referral for an MRI?

34 replies

womenspeakout · 17/09/2019 09:23

So, I've had back pain for years and years now. I had an MRI about 12 years ago. I always have a base level of pain that I just have to get on with and manage.

The other month my back really started to play up, increased pain, spasms every day. I just thought it would right itself, so got on with it. Then I had increased pain and pain in my thigh, it was really bad and making me feel sick, I couldn't sit or walk without so much pain in the back and thigh. I had to cave after a week or so of it not going and went to my GP.
I saw a locum who upped my painkillers and put me through for an MRI.

Looking at it, it seems like sciatica.

Anyway, a few weeks have passed and it's back to it's normal level now. No pain in the thigh.

I have an MRI on Monday, but I'm thinking it'll be a waste of time and money for them as it's back to normal now.

So, to cancel or not. That is the question....

OP posts:
Sunshinelollipops1 · 17/09/2019 09:25

Don’t cancel. There could be an underlying problem (highly likely as you’ve had back pain for years), which while it has calmed down could flare up again. Go, get the MRI done. Worse that happens it’s completely normal and they can rule out certain things if it flares up again.

MamaGee09 · 17/09/2019 09:26

No, definitely go, just because you have no pain right now doesn’t mean that there isn’t a problem. If you cancel, the next the pain comes back........ and it will..... youll be kicking yourself that yo nacelle day the appointment.

Keep the appointment,

WhoCaresWins01 · 17/09/2019 09:28

Don't cancel! You need the scan to see what is going on with your back, you might be in agony again next week. The scan will show any changes over the last 12 years.

Pomegranateseeds · 17/09/2019 09:31

I would not cancel. What if it flares up again next week?

I had varying degrees of back/pain from age about 13. Had an MRI when I was about 14 which didn’t show anything much. But by the time I was 30 the pain had gradually got worse and worse and I was struggling to work/walk/do normal things. Referred for an MRI but the wait was 3 months. Ended up paying for a private MRI and had emergency surgery a month later. I had a herniated disk which had more than likely begun years ago and been getting worse over the years.

You haven’t lost anything by having the MRI.

RhodaDendron · 17/09/2019 09:32

Do not cancel, it doesn’t matter if it’s a waste of time - imagine how you’ll feel if the pain comes shooting back next week!
I’ve had sciatica on and off for years, given a choice I’d have an MRI just to check it’s nothing more sinister.

IsobelRae23 · 17/09/2019 09:32

Don’t cancel, you’ll be able to find out exactly what’s going on. I’ve had about 8 now on my spine in the last 8 years, and every other one shows some movement. It will help to give you more suitable pain relief for when you do have a flare up.

Orangecake123 · 17/09/2019 09:36

OP please don't cancel.

If it shows nothing, so be it better to be safe than sorry.

Original poster
womenspeakout · 17/09/2019 09:44

I just didn't want to waste the expense of it because it's really back to my normal now.

I have a load of issues (connective tissue disorders) and for years I was kind of ignored and told it was nothing, so always felt like I was wasting doctors time or felt they felt I was seeking attention or something. Until I was diagnosed with a whole load of things which explained it!
Now I'm very conscious of it.

OP posts:
Boots20 · 17/09/2019 09:45

Dont cancel - you may feel okay now but will regret it when pain flares up again

DoctorAllcome · 17/09/2019 09:48

Don’t cancel, a lot can change in 12yrs. There may be something degenerative going on with your back and they can’t spot that without having a new MRI to compare to your 12yr old one.

Weezol · 17/09/2019 09:50

Don't cancel - it will be useful to your CTD specialist to have a recent set of images regardless of your current level of pain.

Limensoda · 17/09/2019 09:53

Definitely go. I had an MRI just over a week ago. My pain had eased a lot before I went for it but it often goes for a while but flares up again.
Better to have the mri now so you know what causes the pain.
It never disappears for ever.

Original poster
womenspeakout · 17/09/2019 10:20

I didn't expect everyone would be saying go. I thought there would be some saying not to waste the NHS resources.

It's making me feel I may be wrong in thinking to cancel.

OP posts:
timetomakeachange1987 · 17/09/2019 10:27

I was the same as you. Had an MRI and I have dehydrated discs in my back which compressed on nerves and caused the pain. It helped me figure out a longer term plan of treatment. Generally speaking it's not too bad now and I see an osteopath when it's bad.

sugarbum · 17/09/2019 10:27

It's making me feel I may be wrong in thinking to cancel.

Good.

You need a new image and the fact that you are currently not in pain doesn't change that fact. Get it done.

OrangeJustice · 17/09/2019 10:30

Def do not cancel. It’s not a waste of resources. You have a back problem that recently caused you serious pain.

recklessruby · 17/09/2019 10:32

I avoid hospitals like the plague but I say don't cancel.
I had similar problems to you and left it for 7 months, took loads of painkillers and tried to work but in the end was paralysed from the waist down and had little bladder control.
It was a slipped disc in the middle of my spine resting on my spinal cord. Could have been so much worse.
As it was i had a 6 hour emergency op and had to learn to walk again.
I never regained full feeling in one leg.
I can walk ok and that was 14 years ago but I wish I had gone to the doc sooner.

MrsSB99 · 17/09/2019 10:34

Do not cancel it. Go and make sure you’re ok, if they didn’t think you needed it they wouldn’t send you

squee123 · 17/09/2019 10:39

For goodness sake do not cancel. Hopefully there's nothing sinister going on but if there is you need to know about it so it can be treated. Without wishing to be overly dramatic if you don't go there is a risk you will regret that decision for the rest of your life if it later turns out that you had something that could have been treated if caught earlier.

nononever · 17/09/2019 10:41

Please do not cancel. You may well be fine today or for the next week of so then find yourself in pain again. At the very least the MRI scan is a good reference for comparison against your last one.

Cegbee · 17/09/2019 11:08

Your scan won't be normal FYI! The majority of adults even without pain won't have a normal MRI of their spine once they're an adult. However radiological appearance does not necessarily correlate with symptoms. By all means have the scan but don't get too freaked out if there's a lot of bulging discs/loss of disc height/arthritis etc etc if your pain is better it often means a disc prolapse has happened/worsened but now the swelling has gone down. The scan will help with planning if you do end up needed a injection for future pain though. I'm an anaesthetist btw. Good luck!

Original poster
womenspeakout · 17/09/2019 11:25

Your scan won't be normal FYI! The majority of adults even without pain won't have a normal MRI of their spine once they're an adult.

When I had it when I was about 20, they said I had quite advanced arthrosis for my age.

I don't know, I always worry about being a bother!

OP posts:
Original poster
womenspeakout · 17/09/2019 11:48

I avoid hospitals like the plague but I say don't cancel.
I had similar problems to you and left it for 7 months, took loads of painkillers and tried to work but in the end was paralysed from the waist down and had little bladder control.
It was a slipped disc in the middle of my spine resting on my spinal cord. Could have been so much worse.
As it was i had a 6 hour emergency op and had to learn to walk again.
I never regained full feeling in one leg.
I can walk ok and that was 14 years ago but I wish I had gone to the doc sooner.

OK, you've convinced me to go!
I'm so sorry all of that happened to you.

OP posts:
MrsMozartMkII · 17/09/2019 11:51

Glad to see that you're going.

I've had various scans due to wonky health. Some of term were no use in that they didn't show anything, but that did in effect point us in another direction.

I hope there's some help to be had for you.

recklessruby · 17/09/2019 12:39

Glad I ve convinced you OP and fwiw I m fine now and the neurology surgeons were amazing as was physio afterwards.
I just didnt want to make a fuss as I had an 11 yo dd and 17 yo ds at the time.