How bad is an mri scan if you are claustrophobic?

[JadeVS72]

I have been offered an mri of my heart as part of some research due to me having an inflammatory auto immune condition. I would be interested in understanding my heart health but I am quite claustrophobic. As it is for research purposes, they would not offer any sedation. Does anyone have any experiences they could share about how bad it actually is? I wouldn't mind the noise it's just not being able to see an open room. How close to your face is the roof of the tube? Thanks!

I “practiced” before my MRI. I squished myself under the bed, lay in my back and surrounded myself in pillows so I was in a pillow tunnel. With my nose a couple of inches from the bed base, I played MRI sounds from YouTube. I had a bit of company - cat decided this was an excellent time for a cuddle and squeezed itself on top of my chest and beneath the bed base; DD sat on the bed and proceeded to want a heart-to-heart on matters that just couldn’t wait to her 12 yr old mind; DS asked me what the hell I was doing and to just take the drugs the GP prescribed in anticipation of impending event; the confused dog started whining and digging and scrambling at my feet. I lasted a total of 10 mins before giving up.

I found the whole MRI quite peaceful after my practice run. I was given a nice soft mink blanket and I think I even had a little snooze. To be honest, it probably helped that I went in feet first rather than head first.

• The PP who mentioned the eye mask- it’s a great idea! And you can have a go with it at home and visualise to practice.
• Whether you go in head or feet first is down to the exact MRI scanner, most will need the body part being scanned in the middle of the magnet, for cardiac you will most likely be very in the middle and go In Head first.
• cardiac MRI is also likely to give you breathing instructions (you could practice holding your breath for as long as you can with your eye mask on)
• They will place a light-ish contraption on your body called a coil that helps detect the signals from within you. It will either clip around you or rest on top of you.
• focus on your breathing
• many patients are claustrophobic, but many patients also fall asleep in the scanner and find the knocking and humming quite soothing!
• Take out all your piercings and remove all your jewellery before you go to hospital. Pro tip:wear a sports bra and not one with underwire, although as cardiac they may remove that too.
• I wouldn’t count on the mirror being used so you can see out for this type of scan. In many cases it is used for brain and neck scanning as it attaches to the coil placed around the head. This may vary depending on the centre though.
• you may be offered music through their MRI-compatible headphones.
• id say the inner tube of the scanner is probably about 30cm away from your face.
• They should give you a buzzer to squeeze if it all gets too much and you want out.

Good luck!

I'm just joining in to say, sincerely, how brave you all are! I'm one of those fortunate types who isn't worried by MRIs (have had just two) but I can quite see how awful it must be if it bothers you, so well done - you're amazing!

I wore an eye mask

If u find an eye mask with no metal / no clips..

I found that really helped

Yeah. Definitely make sure there is no metal on the eye mask.

I went in head first and it lasted 45 minutes.
I was expecting the claustrophobia but I was surprised by how very loud it was.
I kept my eyes tight shut and
I got through it by imagining the noise was caused by my son doing DIY jobs with his drill, whizzer and angle grinder. Even then I am sure it was much louder than he would have been.
I found it quite startling every time the clinician came over the headphones to say how much time had passed. I rather wished that they didn’t do that as it disturbed my concentration.
It was not a pleasant experience and I would not rush to go through it again but if it is necessary I could do it again.

My friend got through hers by repeating “Don’t panic Mr Mannering” to herself over and over again. This would have induced mild hysteria in me and so I didn’t try it.

Theyll check it 4 u too - they checked mine

I use an eye mask get it in place whilst outside the scanner, they will assist you getting in. Wear ear plugs and request uour favourite radio station. I have to have my brain done about once or twice a year and have now got used to it despite being claustrophobic. Get your iwn eye mask. Theirs ate always floppy and slip.dont worry about the noise. Just think of it as workmen outside drilling.

Hated it but managed 15 minutes (which luckily was enough). Apologised to the radiographer for freaking out slightly and he said some people never even get into the room once they see the machine.

I posted about my experience a couple of months ago.

I've had two MRIs in the past 15yrs, one with a diazepam and one without. Got through both. The first was easy with the pill. The second one was without a pill during the pandemic in a big machine (there are two different sizes). When it was over, I did try and crawl out of it and was shouted at! I was given headphones playing a local radio station and the radiologist chatted to me through them on both occasions.

Most recent one, early November, no idea what happened to me but they only got my shoulders in and I had the screaming abdabs. They got me out, calmed me down, tried again but only my head got in and that was the end of that. That time though, they put ear defenders on me rather than headphones, which exasperated my claustrophobia. I do think that was the major issue.

Hospital said I need sedation, referring clinic say they don't prescribe it, GP won't offer diazepam because, with the other medication I'm on, it 'won't touch the sides' and that I need 'proper' sedation. Round and round in circles between referrer, GP and hospital. Anyway, I've said okay, MRI isn't going to happen then, what next?

I'm sorry this isn't what you wanted to hear but it's my experience. My tips would be to ask for sedation/diazepam and make sure you're given headphones playing music that your radiologist can chat to you through. That makes a huge difference and not having that is what caused my panic attack. Also, and I didn't know, you can have someone with you during the scan to hold your knee or your foot as reassurance. One of the nurses did that on my second attempt after my heebeejeebies.

I don't know if you've ever been on a sunbed? Obviously, it's not a fashionable thing now, but it's a bit like lying in one of those machines with the fans blowing and music playing but with a jack hammer banging around outside! But you just can't lift the lid and hop out, you have to have to press a button and say 'I'm a celebrity, get me outta here!' (They give you a button to hold whilst you're in there which you can press if you're anxious and they'll get you out.)

I'm absolutely sure, if you get a prescription for anxiolytic medication (benzos/diazepam), you'll find it absolutely easy as I did the first time 😊

I really struggled. I’ve had to have them with each pregnancy as I develop a complication called accreta so they had to see where the placenta had invaded . I was massive and my bump literally nearly touched the top I also suffered with severe leg cramps and was in tears petrified of getting cramp while in the scanner . It was just awful 😞

I’m claustrophobic and found it very challenging. I tried to go in head first, however I panicked and they took me out, turned me so I went in feet first and I tipped my head back so I could see the ceiling of the mri room to keep my perspective. This was really helpful and I was able to make it through by singing to myself and looking up at the room if I ever started to panic.

I've had one and it took quite a long time - I was in there for quite a while. They put radio 4 on for me and was listening to Woman's Hour but couldn't really hear it well as it was so loud. A voice will tell you to breathe in and out and hold your breath at times so I focused on that and got into a kind of meditative state to stay calm. I managed it ok but wouldn't really want another one unless it was vital, I don't get claustrophobic but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Same, I tipped my head back just a bit if I needed to
Had a few, all spinal ones and sort of made up little tunes in my head to the noise
It also helped telling myself I could just crawl out any time I wanted

What happens if you do freak out? So they pull you out immediately?

I’ve had 4 MRIs now.

The first three I firmly closed my eyes before being put in so I had no idea how close I was and it felt like the right decision.

The last one I opened my eyes and was pleasantly surprised. It was well lit, white inside and wasn’t as close as I thought to my face.

it was open both ends, so if I turned by chin up I could see out behind me too.

That's awful. I never used to be claustrophobic but as I've got older I've started to feel panicky about things when I'm reading g about them even though I've not actually been in a claustrophobic situation.

My DM needed to be heavily tranquillised to have hers. She was (very entertainingly) off her face by the time they put her in the tube.

This is exactly what I do. I've had head MRI and they put a cage on your head to stop you moving. I can't see anyway without my glasses so find closing my eyes the best option.

Each machine seems to differ in comfort and size and I actually found the one outside the hospital in a portable machine the most comfortable and wasn't as noisy either.

My biggest issues is coming out with a migraine due to the noise. They do give you ear plugs if you want.

They give you a button to press if you want them to stop.

I am claustrophobic and have gone in both head first and feet first.

Head first was breed for me, as I felt I could see more. You may also be able to have a mirror to help you see out depending on your position.

Feet first does feel very small, I won't lie it's not comfortable.

However you will be given a panic button which you can use to stop it and they can get you out quickly if they need to.

I had to have one when I was 9 months pregnant. The guy kept telling me to keep still - it wasn't me, it was my baby doing somersaults!

I had one on Thursday- absolutely bricking it as I had a panic attack the time before.
Asked about sedation and was told that they didn't do it, had to speak to GP but only got the appointment 2 days before so couldn't do that.
Asked about listening to music, they said it wasn't possible as I had to listen to breathing instructions.
It was a smaller sized machine so I had to go in with my arms over my head, after a while I felt as if my shoulders were dislocated so I had to ask them to get me out so I could move my arms.
The breathing instructions I just couldn't follow, breath in, breath out and hold your breath. No way could I not breath in again for up to 30 seconds (I counted) so they said just try to relax and not breath deeply.

I wasn't claustrophobic but I am now after having a MRI but I was in there for an hour,I think 20 mins might have been ok. I had no music and really brusque people dealing with me which didn't help. I will need hard drugs if I need another.

My dad was severely claustrophobic, and it limited what he could do in life to quite a degree.. But he had to have an MRI when he developed cancer. This was back on the early 1980s when all the scanners were narrow tubes. I have no idea how he managed it. He never spoke about it.

So when I had my first one and on my trial 'insertion' I panicked and was shaking all over, I had to start telling myself 'if dad could do it, I can too '.
I don't think the radiographer thought she'd get me back in, but she did, and I managed, even when it took longer than planned.

But yes, it's always worth phoning the department before your appointment to let them know. Where hospitals have more than one scanner, there's usually one that's easier to manage than others.

The phone call I made for my last scan (#3) was well worth making. I was down for the older 'tube' scanner and she swapped me to the 'donut' one.