Coping with MRI Claustrophobia

[Gisele]

I agree.............

I agree.............

Take the drugs! I had a few MRI's for my head but I was medicated and thank goodness because I am very claustraphobic. While in Mass Gen. Hosp last August I had a ton of CT scans of my head and depending on which machine I got (newer ones have a more open format), I would sometimes have a tough time. The one they did with the dye was very difficult for me to not just start screaming...........get me out of here! But, I wanted to be a good patient, and they did have me medicated (on painkillers for my subdural) so I told myself I could stay calm. I hate to think what an MRI without chemicals would be like...........I wonder how many patients flip out during an MRI?

 

[danseamour]

The first 2 MRI's I had were 20 minutes apart. I naively agreed to be part of a study in which I was injected with a dye the 2nd time. No medication was allowed! OK, so here's what I did....... I used a LOT of visualization. There are 2 distinctive sounds/noises that come from these machines. The first, sounded to me like a lot of drums (at least that's what I told myself), so I visualized myself dancing to drums. Since I LOVE dance and drums, it worked well for me. The second sound was more like a loud rumble or roar, so I imagined myself riding on a Harley among 50 other Harleys with the wind on my face and blowing my hair (this was prior to helmut laws - lol). Ah..... the sound of Harleys!

If you're not strong on visualization then...... GO FOR THE MEDS!......OR..... DEMAND an Open MRI. More and more Open MRIs are being used in hospitals these days.

Janet

 

[tobagotwo]

Janet, those are great ways to help get yourself through it. And you learned not to volunteer!

One thing I should mention is that the subclavian MRI requires a closed tube. For whatever reason, it can't be done in an open machine (they had one, just sitting there...).

Thank you,

 

[Mary]

MRI survival

MRI survival

Lo and Behold,
I never thought a week ago when Bob started this thread that I would have my own personal experience with an MRI so soon. Here's my story:
The night I was admitted, the neurologist said I would have to have an MRI. I had thrown a clot and they wanted to check around in my head. CAT scan didn't reveal much (and they told me it probably wouldn't), but it did show I have something else going on. I'll save that for a future post.
I told the doctor that I didn't think I could handle the test, and I didn't want medicine to put me in lala land. The doctor knows my husband, who has worked there for 25 years, and asked if I could do it if he was with me. I reluctantly agreed.
I talked to my daughter and told her of my great fear of being trapped. Bless her heart, she said, " Let's think about this mom. The worst thing that could happen would be a power outage, and in that case, dad could pull you out by the feet. " I had to agree, and by the time I was ready to go to the MRI room, I was feeling pretty good.
My husband went in with me. I had made him promise that if I indicated I had to get out, he would make them get me out. I was confident of that. That is probably what saved me.
I didn't know they would put a cage type device over my head (you guys never mentioned that!!!!!) I really almost freaked. It was snapped on as they started the conveyer belt to take me in. I had my eyes open, and I couldn't believe how close the top of the tube was. I almost yelled stop right then, but thought I would give it one more second to see if I could stand it.
I realized immediately that I had to shut my eyes and try to pretend that I wasn't there. I remembered the conversation with my daughter. Rationally, I knew I could get out if I had to. I kept thinking about what former POWs had said about their time in captivity, "I was always free in my mind." That sounds melodramatic, but I used it!
Another thing, I never, ever opened my eyes again during the procedure. I knew halfway through they would pull me out to inject the dye so I made sure that I didn't open my eyes even then. When they yanked me out, I asked if my husband was there (because I wasn't opening my eyes to see). The gal said yes, and he squeezed my foot. I was confident that he was living up to his part of the bargain. They put me back in, and I made it through the remaining twenty minutes.
So, in a nutshell, what helped was:
1. Telling everyone I was afraid. I had a promise from the doctor that if I couldn't stand it, they would stop the test. I maintained some measure of control, and that is always a huge issue with me.
2. Keeping my eyes shut. That's also how I deal with scary movies. I'm too visual a person. I have no idea of what was inside that tube. I don't want to know what was inside that tomb!
I hope I never have to have one done again, but I know I was right to not take any pills. I don't handle medication well, and I needed rational thinking to endure the process.
Funny thing was, many of the nurses on the floor told me they wouldn't have a MRI done. It's a pretty traumatic test for people who are claustraphobic or who are afraid of being trapped (like me). Being able to share the fear helps in some small measure.
Thank goodness I had read Bob's thread so I knew what to ask for before I went through it.
Anyone else have the mask/cage put on their face?
Mary

 

[bvdr]

Mary, yes to the head restraint....I had forgotten about that. I'm glad you made it through alright. I had to keep my eyes shut and in my head kept singing praise songs. What a test, eh?

 

[Sherry]

Mary,
I too had my husband go in with me and stand by my feet. It really helps, doesn't it? Did everything turn out o.k. from the thrown clot? Had you lost your vision or something?

 

[Harpoon]

Ummmm.... Before anyone gets TOO alarmed...

The head restraint is ONLY used for scans of the head. Most of us here are talking about scans of the upper torso/heart and our heads are not restrained inside the machine.

I was able to turn move my head as much as I wanted (as much as my neck allows, limited mobility therefrom birth) and it really wasn't a problem.

 

[bvdr]

Harpoon, my MRI was actually for my spine but they did use the head restraint. Perhaps since any movement of the head may have affected the spine, I'm not sure. They did allow me to have a couple of pillows under my knees to relieve some of the pain I was in.

I usually find that if I ask nice that people have usually been more than willing to help me get comfortable. Hmmmm, I think I learned that in kindergarten.

 

[Susan BAV]

When I went in, I tried to be perfectly still and not do anything wrong because I REALLY didn't want to have to do it again.....

 

[tantenay]

Mri

Mri

Enjoyed reading your story! I, too, am claustrophobic, and I took Xanax to get through mine. It really handles high anxiety much better than Valium! I always take 2 instead of the recommended 1. Works like a charm!

 

[ccrawford]

I find it interesting that the more the discussion topic deals with something that a lot of people have difficulties with, then the number of posts increases dramatically. The MRI is included in one of my unfavorite procedures- I guess because I am mildly claustrophobic. I kept my eyes closed and tried to focus on something else, something pleasant, but one thought kept coming back to me. What if these technicians get tired of the same o, same o and decide to go out for a beer ?? Here I am in this little rabbit hole with world war II type noise going on, and I doubt if I can wiggle out by myself. Oh well, I didn't have to try and the test was over none too soon for yours truly. If I ever have to do it again, I would opt for a couple of changes. #1 do the drugs - if it helps you relax, go for it. #2 have somebody there from your family or a close friend and make sure he wiggles your toe or some other damn thing to make sure you know you have not been forgotten in the rabbit hole. Maybe a Hobbit or a Rabbit is comfy in his Hobbit/Rabbit hole, but some of us need the clear blue skies to gaze upon.

 

[ccrawford]

Abbanabba - Fear of needles is called aichmophobia. Its one of about 500 different fears. Pretty amazing that people can develop that many different fears.

 

[Susan BAV]

Chris -

Speaking of definitions... I was flipping through a medical book one time and I found a funny word -- don't remember what the word was now though -- that meant "fear of hair on the body." It wasn't clear from the definition whether that was fear of ATTACHED hairs or LOOSE hairs but it really cracked me up.

But... I have a friend who is ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of snakes, any snake at all (I think they're darned good eating... I am kidding, but we did eat a monster timber rattler than was cruising through my mom's yard a few years ago, way out in the northeast Missouri boonies, and we fried it up and it was delicious and, no, it didn't taste like chicken; it had a nice texture, a bit like calimari)... and another friend was making fun of the first friend but the second friend is ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of lizards (I think lizards are really fun to watch and I rescue them from my cats all the time, with my bare hands but then I run in and wash, wash, wash, because I am a bit of a germaphobic). My mother can kill a rattlesnake with a gun and never break a sweat but she ABSOLUTELY FREAKS OUT if she sees a spider, TOTAL HYSTERIA (and I grab the grandaddy longlegs out of the corners of my living room and carry them outside all the time, but only because I know they can't bite me...).

It reminded me that we just don't know the terror that runs through someone else's mind when they are confronted with whatever terror that frightens them. It may mean nothing to us but it is everything to them .

But it is fun to sympathize with others on a COMMON FRIGHT, isn't it!

 

[Abbanabba]

Abbanabba - Fear of needles is called aichmophobia. Its one of about 500 different fears. Pretty amazing that people can develop that many different fears.

Thanks for that!

It amazes me that I've been able to find out what the fear of peanut butter sticking to the top of your mouth is called (..although it eludes me for the moment..), or the phobia of the number 13 (triscadecaphobia (sp?)) yet I've never heard what a phobia of needles (or hospitals/medical environments) is called. I would imagine this is a phobia far more common than the other two.

A : )

 

[ccrawford]

If you want to have a little fun and impress your not-so-literate friends with your growing vocabulary, take a little visit to http://phobialist.com/ Enjoy

 

[Abbanabba]

Very impressive!! What a shame they don't provide a phonetic guide for some of them.

A : )

 

[ccrawford]

The one I like is sesquipedalophobia - fear of long words. Sounds like a self fulfilling prophesy to me.