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
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Anyone had an mri for tinnitus?

35 replies

Twoweekcruise · 08/09/2017 08:12

I'm having one on Sunday. I suffer from anxiety and claustrophobia and am really worried about it. The ENT consultant said I'd need a scan, never mentioned it would be a mri, I stupidly assumed it was going to be an ultrasound one!
Does anyone have any experience of this?

OP posts:
Tiddlywinks63 · 08/09/2017 17:22

Yes, I had one for Tinnitus (and I'm claustrophobic ☹️)
It is ok, rather noisy with lots of clicking and clunks, and I kept my eyes firmly closed throughout- I was fine.
You have a call button to use if you want to stop, but I'm sure you'll be ok.

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 08/09/2017 20:09

Thanks Tiddlywinks I hope I can handle the noise but do you feel very 'trapped' in the machine? Were you in there long?

OP posts:
HeyJudy · 08/09/2017 21:45

Not my direct experience, but my mother suffers from claustrophobia and was sedated when she had an MRI. Do you know if this could be a possibility for you?

LoniceraJaponica · 08/09/2017 21:47

I have. As it is just a scan of your head you won't be completely in the scanner. It is very noisy so take a CD or you can listen to the radio.

KurriKurri · 08/09/2017 21:47

I had one a couple of weeks ago (head MRI for problem with my eyes) I started a thread on it because I didn;t cope well (I couldlink if you want me to, but don't want to put you off - but people gave helpful advice)
Anyway I didn;t have the scan because i got too claustrophobic, so they told me to ask my GP for a sedative and come back. I;m having another go next week and have 5mg of diazepam to take beforehand.
If you know you are going to be claustrophobic then I would ring the unit and they may well tell you to get a sedative from your GP - they will prescirbe it for you over the phone.
Hope it goes Ok for you.
I'll find my thread and link - and you can read it if you think it might help and ignore if you don;t Smile

InDubiousBattle · 08/09/2017 21:52

Hi op, I had an MRI for tinnitus about a month ago. I didn't feel claustrophobic at all in the machine. As they just do your inner ear you don't go the whole way into the machine, only maybe half way and the machine itself was in a big room. It's very, very noisy with cranks, whirr and clunking but I had headphones with radio on. They said I'd be I there for 10 minutes but it wasn't as long as that, nearer 5 I would say.

KurriKurri · 08/09/2017 21:52

my thread

msrisotto · 08/09/2017 21:54

Why have an MRI for Tinnitus? (honest question, I reckon I have developing Tinnitus but thought there was nothing could be done)

MissSmila · 08/09/2017 21:58

Close your eyes before they start moving you into the machine, and do not open them. Not even for a split second. There is lots of fresh air blowing through, so as long as you don't see where you are, it won't feel stuffy and enclosed.

Or diazepam, that's good too. Smile

BuzzKillington · 08/09/2017 21:58

Sometimes (rarely), unilateral tinnitus is caused by a growth.

This was the case with my dh.

user1483451142 · 08/09/2017 22:26

My DH had an MRI a couple of years ago to check for an acoustic neuroma which can often cause tinnitus.

HSMMaCM · 08/09/2017 22:41

I agree keep your eyes firmly closed. Also keep telling yourself that the more relaxed you are, the quicker it'll be over.

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 09/09/2017 09:33

Thanks all.
I'm really nervous, I rang the department they said I could go to gp to get a sedative but obviously that's too late now😟
kurrikurri thanks for the link.
mrs risotto I assume they are checking for aucoustic neuroma. I've had ringing in my ears for years but just happened to mention it to gp as I have anaemia and asked if it was related. He sent me to an ENT consultant. He was one of these old school consultant who barely explained anything, said he'd send me off for a scan, I assumed it would be an ultrasound so when appointment came through for MRI I panicked!!
God it's going to be so hard to keep my eyes shut the whole time, just hope it's over quickly 😬

OP posts:
MissSmila · 09/09/2017 20:24

Just one thing about a head MRI - they usually fasten a contraption over your head to keep it in place. I wasn't expecting this, and freaked out, and had to get up and calm down before I could do it again. Close your eyes BEFORE they put in on and then don't open them again, until it is all over.

Maybe look up some breathing exercises for relaxation. I use a simple one - breathe in through my nose for two counts then out through my mouth for two counts, and I do that two to three times. Having something like that to concentrate on helps.

ringle · 09/09/2017 21:34

Sympathies.

I totally agree about closing your eyes.

I did open mine but they had a very clever system of mirrors that made it look open.

For me it wasn't too bad.

ChippyMinton · 09/09/2017 21:40

DH had one for a hearing problem. He couldn't cope with the head 'cage', so was referred to a private facility which had a different type of scanner. He also got a prescription for valium.

The valium was so effective he can't actually remember anything about the appointment.

Ragusa · 09/09/2017 21:44

I had one recently for same reason and it was fine, but I don't suffer from claustrophobia. Only your head/ shoulders goes in and I found the noises quite soothing. I didn't have my head clamped.

DamnFineCherryPie · 09/09/2017 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mineofuselessinformation · 09/09/2017 22:52

Yes, I have.
I had a grid-like contraption that went over my head (a reasonable distance from my face).
It is noisy, but over fairly quickly - about fifteen minutes.
The most difficult thing for me was that I can't lay flat on a hard surface (bad back), so they gave me a giant block of foam covered in plastic to put my legs on, like something you see in a soft play place.
The result of that was me doing river-dance stylee jerks with my legs every know and again. It didn't affect the scan! Grin

MummytoCSJH · 09/09/2017 22:52

I would ask for a sedative, although they will give you a buzzer to press in case you feel you can't carry on/need a break. I have MRIs regularly as I have a brain tumor, they're not particularly nice but they are very detailed and can be extremely helpful. You can breathe fine and you can see the doctors performing the scan through a little mirror above your head (if you're not sedated) xx

WORKWORKWORKWORKWORKWORK · 09/09/2017 22:55

I had an MRI scan on my head for my hearing & ENT problems last year. I get super claustrophobic but they had music playing through the machine & i just listened to the clunks. I did feel like they'd forgotten about me for a bit but they can talk to you throughout. They know people are nervous!

ArbitraryName · 09/09/2017 22:58

I've had a couple of MRIs. The first one, the consultant prescribed diazepam for. It was not great but I managed it (I kept my eyes shut and did a lot of yoga breathing).

The second one I thought I'd be ok without diazepam. It was a whole spine MRI and they put my head in a thing to keep it still. As soon as she started moving me in, I totally panicked and had to get out.

The radiographer was great though. She let me calm down, took the head restraint away (telling me to try to keep still instead) and gave me an eye mask to wear. I decided to try again and the eye mask did really help (because I couldn't open my eyes and see how close my nose was. And it was better without the head restraint. There was a fan in there so I could feel a breeze, which helped with me trying to convince myself that I was in fact in a lovely open space.

The radiograohers also kept telling me what was going to be scanned and how long it was going to take. I think that helped too. As did knowing that she would take me out straight away if I asked.

I didn't enjoy it, but I managed to make it through the scan.

Original poster
Twoweekcruise · 10/09/2017 11:39

Thanks all, am off to the hospital soon. I am so so so not looking forward to it 😩

OP posts:
Apocalyptichorsewoman · 10/09/2017 11:51

Good Luck TWC - hope it all goes ok!

ArbitraryName · 10/09/2017 13:43

You'll manage it. It probably won't be fun but you will be glad you just got it over with afterwards.