Has anyone had an MRI scan before?

I had two MRIs done. My experience has been that the tunnel is not dark but it is quiet. You lie on a platform with a neck support that keeps you from rolling your head from side to side. There's a microphone and speaker built into the system so that you may hear the technician and that person may hear you. 

Hi Rach, I'm an old hand at MRI, I've just had what I think was my fourteenth (spread over many years), so I know a bit about them. It gets rather warm in there, it is tedious, boring and can be a bit noisy but there is nothing that is going to hurt you.  Some machines have a sort of periscope which enables you to see outside and into the room. You will have a button in your hand to push if you want to speak to the staff, and they will respond; if you really want them to stop, then they will. But of course it's better to get the scan done, it gives the consultant a great deal of valuable information.

NB: This has no connection to my autism

I hope it goes well for you.

Ben

From my experience most of them are female, there are always two radiographers there as it's a requirement, CT are different where you will generally have a radiographer and a helper or tech.

Unfortunately you get whoever is on duty that day.

There's very little handling as long as you are mobile and can get on the scan table unaided. If you are having a head scan they may use a extra thing that clips in over your head (head coil), it doesn't touch you or make a noise, it just helps them get a better image.

Good luck and try and not to stress.

Hi Rach. I've had an MRI a couple of times. I suffer badly from panic attacks and anxiety and was absolutely dreading it. I was extremely nervous and yes it was quite loud, but not as loud as I thought it would be. The staff are really good and will talk you through everything and there is of course a button you can press so they can stop the process should you need to. Even though I didnt need to use it, the fact it was there just in case really helped. Good luck. You'll be fine.

Hi Rach, I have had many MRIs, some long, some short, and agree with what everyone has said. I want to add, if you find sounds musical, you might, like me, find that although it is loud, you can kind of make music with the different tones of the drilling and buzzing sounds. I am hyper sensitive to noises but for some reason when I tune into the tones of the MRI noises, it helps me to relax more. Remember you can always press the buzzer and talk to the radiographer and say you need to get out at any point. Good luck with the MRI and I hope the results help you get support with your symptoms.

Thanks for the advice I have a purple tracksuit I can wear with no metal and do you know if you can request a woman to do the scan I don’t like men have a few trust issues and prefer women to handle me rather than men. 

I've had a few. They aren't nearly as claustrophobic as you imagine. They are noisy but you are generally offered headphones that either play music or just deaden the sound. The radiographer will tell you how long it will take and do their best to keep you informed. Just keep your eyes closed and breath, it'll be fine.

The length of the scan is dependent on the areas your having scanned and if you are having contrast or not.

You'll have a call button for if you have a problem. Try not to move too much as it will affect the image quality and may need the scan to be redone, obviously this extends the time.

Make sure you arrive in plenty of time (do not be just on time) as theres a MRI safety questionnaire that they go through with you. Remove any jewellery or piercings you may have before you go. Dress comfortably (joggers and a tee) that have no metal ie zips,studs that includes under wire bra. This means you may not have to change into a gown which can save time and make you feel more comfortable. If you have and implants like pins/plates or any implanted medical devices like a pacemaker etc make sure you have the details with you.

They may not let you take cookie in with you as they can guarantee it is metal free, this could include metalic stitching or something else that could be in the filling.

An MRI machine is really just a really big magnet and may make you feel a bit warm but there's nothing to be afraid of. Radiographers do this all the time, they will be patient with you especially if you explain before hand.

The symptoms you describe are very familiar to me. Initially mine was caused by the SSRI I was taking in conjunction with stress. It's really disconcerting.

My wife is an MRI radiographer so I know the drill quite well.

I'd like to back up what AuTriker has said.

While I have not had an MRI, I did have an ultrasound, and for me gel is one of the worst textures in the world. 

We contacted the hospital, and my hospital has a learning disability and autism team who went to go talk to the clinician who was going to do my appointment. They made sure no one was after me so that we could do it slowly a bit at a time and I could take breaks where necessary and had a lot of sensory supports. 

I'm sure if you tell them they will better be able to support you to the best of their ability. 

I reckon you'll be OK in that tube mate.  I absolutely understand your apprehension and I can feel it too.  This is something that needs to happen to help you be "better-well" again, and you demonstrate a determined power to get stuff organised and to get stuff done.

You've already achieved 90% of this task already, now you'll just need to lie down, be still and hear loud noises in a tube for a bit.

Good luck Rach.

Have you told them about your autism and fears? I'm sure they have lots of experience dealing with fears as many people are scared of MRI machines. It does help to let them know you are worried and certainly better than acting like you're fine then having a panic meltdown half way through. Well done for getting this far! Do try and go through with it, you know it is for the best.

I have found getting through scary medical stuff slightly better since knowing about my autism and letting them know about it.

I have had one. I was offered foam earplugs (you can't use ones with metal, like noise cancelling ones). I would take your own foam ones just in case.

Please don't cancel. It is for the greater good. Try and practice some breathing exercises so that you can use them in there.

I know how you feel, and really wish you all the best for Wednesday.

I've had two before, you might get a little claustrophobic but your not inside for long, i have no suggestions on how to cope with that. Its not very noisy but maybe use some earplugs if your extremely sensitive to noise.  Its not anything to worry about,  its over in a couple of minutes