Hi does anyone else get anxious about having an MRI?
I’ve got to have one on Thursday and feeling very anxious which isn’t helping me at all.
I have relapse and remitting been diagnosed for 14 years.
I have been having a few problems so was referred for an MRI. its been a few years since my last one.
I suffer from claustrophobic which doesn’t help and hate having the cage over my head. Any advice I would appreciate
Thank you
Tina
1 Like
They are definitely not fun. I know grown men without MS who have pressed the panic button. They didn’t have any facilities to play music last time (to be honest I’ve only actually had one). I just telling myself to put up with it or I’d have to do it all again. You got this 
1 Like
A friend came round yesterday who described his experience of an MRI. Not MS-related but he was scared stiff that he was going to get stuck - he’s 150kg with a sizeable girth. In the event it was close - he had to breathe in when he was loaded & unloaded…
Once I’m up on the bench and before anything else whatsoever happens, I shut my eyes and keep them firmly shut until it’s all over and it’s time to get down off the bench again. Whatever goes on in the intervening period, I don’t see and can therefore ignore. Same with blood tests, cannulas etc. It’s all good as long as I don’t have to look.
Good luck.
4 Likes
Not sure I can be of any help. I have to close my eyes before going in the MRI and hope I don’t open them.
I have found the following it may help
Ps, I am no good in tunnels either 
2 Likes
I’ve had so many I don’t really notice them any more but after the first I just took to closing my eyes and telling myself to sleep - I don’t often manage the actual sleeping but I zone out and get fascinated by the ridiculous noises the machine makes. I also tell myself that nothing bad can happen in there…which it can’t!!
3 Likes
Hate them!
Like Alison I close my eyes from the start to the end of the procedure.
I tell myself this is going to be unpleasant and uncomfortable but I’m going to put up with it.
4 Likes
My GP prescribed diazepam for me when I went for my MRI, it certainly helped me.
I hope you find something to help you.
Jacqueline
1 Like
Hi
Yes I’ve been prescribed diazepam so hopefully that will help me.
Keep my eyes shut and just get on with it basically
Hi Tina,
When I had my MRI the diazepam certainly dulled my anxiety although I was still nervous, I wasn’t desperate to get out of the scanner like I thought I would be. I hope it has the same effect for you.
Jacqueline
, I hope it’ll do that for you too.
Hi Jacqueline
Thank you hopefully it will have the same affect on me. Appreciate it
Dreaded MRI! I also hate them but since I started keeping my eyes closed I’m a lot better. Even closed before cage and I really feel that helps.
Good luck I’m sure you will be able to get through it.
When I had mine I just kept telling myself that I was actually laying on a grassy hill in the sunshine. This was after I’d made the mistake of opening my eyes once.
Fortunately mine was head only and think it only took about 15 minutes.
If I need another I’ll keep eyes shut start to finish too x
1 Like
Some machines have a mirror in them so you can see the room. At Newcastle they’d organised the room that the machine was in to make the view out via the mirror interesting!
1 Like
I don’t like even the thought of going for a MRI… I close my eyes before the dreaded cage goes on and tell myself to get a grip “the machine won’t kill you”. And when in with all the noise n stuff I imagine I’m on the starship enterprise. (It helps). x
2 Likes
I suffer from claustrophobia too and dreaded being enclosed in the cage, my G.P. prescribed Diazepam for me, it worked - I went through the whole MRI without any worries, I was aware of what was happening but it was almost like I wasn’t in the contraption. I was given a set of headphones to wear to shield me from the noise while the machine ran through it’s process which helped too.
1 Like