please tell me about MRI scans, are they so bad?

[aristocat]

hi, i have had vertigo for about 6 weeks now and have been told today that i need an MRI scan. i also have slight deafness (this has been 6years or more)

is the scan very bad/uncomfortable/scary?

No it's fine.

A bit odd because it's really noisy (they give you earplugs) but really it's just like listening to bad trance music in the dark for a couple of minutes. It's not even totally dark, you can still see your feet if I remember correctly!

They give you a button to press if you feel uncomfortable and need to come out. Don't worry about it.

I had one recently and it wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life but it wasn't the worst either. I just remember it as being very long (but I had several areas scanned and very noisy. I wasn't given the option of listening to music while I was in there but I wish I had been. I wasn't allowed to wear anything metal while in there so had to strip my top half and don a gown. I also wish I'd taken a friend/husband with me so we could've gone for a coffee afterwards.

Good luck with your scan.

There was a long thread about this recently. I'll see if I can find it.

It can be uncomfortable - it depends on how you are with enclosed spaces, really.

You lay on a table like contraption, which then goes into a long tube and the top of it can be very close to your face - maybe an inch or so from the tip of your nose. If you close your eyes, it's fine though, and you don't notice it.

It can be quite noisy - a very loud clanging noise, which can be offputting, but they may give you headphones to listen to music so it'll be muffled.

I'll be honest - its not the most pleasant of things to do, but it's over fairly quickly.

You'll be fine

No, they're ok. Feels a bit weird lying there and listening to odd noises. But not scary and not uncomfortable, I almost drifted off to sleep after a while.

Found the only bit that worried me was waiting for results

Was a bit out of sorts when I left the room, a bit like when you walk out of the cinema and find yourself back in real life

Oh an dif you're having your head done (as I did) be prepared for it to be wedged still with some kind of blocks.

It's like listening to bad, loud, European techno music with no escape. And it's quite tricky focusing on not moving. But yes as has been said it's mostly boring, and not nice if you don't like confined spaces.

phew ..... thanks ladies, it doesnt sound so bad. TBH today i felt shocked at the thought of the scan more than what they might find out from it IYKWIM.

here

Good luck.

hell they have to 'wedge' your head still?
Yikes! yes, that will be me too

Yes I had my head done too, and there was a mirror in a sort of curved grid so that I could see the control room. They can talk to you and tell you info about each scan - bow long, how loud, and if they need to move the table.

Also, they ask you to remove your bra as you can't have metal in the scanner so if you have a sports bra or something similar you might feel more comfy wearing that.

They're kind of padded blocks that they put either side of my head to make sure it stayed in the right position. They weren't uncomfortably tight. Be prepared to have a dye injected in to your hand/arm too.

When I had mine earlier this year, I went in and did not look at the machine. I led on the trolley thingy shut my eyes, and kept them shut. I explained to the nurses that I didn't want to open my eyes and they just wired me up and I didn't open my eyes until it was time to go. I was having a neck lump scanned.

Top tip - don't choose the music with the sea sounds in it - made me want to wee. Hope it's all good news for you.

thanks again ladies, i feel better now

Mine was fine, I went to sleep eventually despite the noise. But I did have to ask for a blanket to go over my feet as they got cold!