Need an MRI and EXTREMELY claustrophobic - Need advice

buttonsmachine

Yay! I'm glad you made it through. Hoping for good MRI results too.

Alicethecat2

Peridot

I hope you're giving yourself a big pat on the back.

Well done!

Alice

peridot180

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd update this since I haven't posted in a while. I got my MRI results back and they couldn't find anything. So, my surgeon will be taking this to the cancer board and they will decide what is next. I really do not want a mastectomy, but there is nothing to biopsy since they can't find anything. : ( I will know next week.

Thank you again everyone for your advice on the MRI. Now I wait to see what the cancer board says.

MeggieG

I have had four MRIs in my like, the last one 2 weeks ago was the Breast MRI.  I was concerned as with each of the other procedures I was a little more claustrophic than the last.  For this one I could add on being absolutely terrified about my Breast Cancer dx.  When I arrived, I told the tech that I thought I would need or might need meds.  She said they would keep that in mind.  The nurse came in to get my vitals.  My BP was 177/90 and her first comment was "We are getting you Ativan right now".  So I took 2 Ativan pills and was calm throughout the procedure.  The tech commented that I did well with the Ativan - I was alert and awake but calm.  She said often people are sleeping, drooling, moving about while on Ativan.

I visited my PCP last week who gave me a Rx for Xanax lowest dose.  I can take 1, 2 or 3 pills as needed for procedures.  The "life" span of Ativan is 12 hours; Xanax is 4 hours.  So with Xanax the odds are that by the time a procedure is done it will be at or near the 4 hour mark so I won't always need to have a designated driver, or my wait time will be a lot shorter.

Jlimo

I wanted to thank everyone for their suggestions in this thread. I’m having a breast MRI on 8/12 and am feeling anxious (it was supposed to be on the 6th but I copped out and rescheduled—needed more time to process)

I’m requesting Ativan—but I’ve never taken anything like it so I’m worried how it may affect me. Also have never had IV contrast, so concerned about that. And the claustrophobia.

I’ve had 2 shoulder MRIs which I managed, but hated (said “I’m never doing this again” after each one)

Show tunes got me through one (back in the day when they had you bring your own cassette). There’s satellite radio where I’m going in the 12tb, so I’m hoping there’s a broadway channel.

I liked the suggestions to ask that the techs update frequently, and to try to visualize walking through my childhood home. Those may work for me.

My biggest problem is I breathe deeply (think yoga or labor) when I’m stressed—during the last MRI the tech gave me a hard time and told me to stop breathing so deeply, which then made me feels like I couldn’t get any breath at all. I’m trying to practice more shallow,rhythmic breathing.

Again, thanks for all the tips!

Jlimo

Thought I would update that it was not so bad.

Took 0.5mg ativan one hour before the procedure--it only relaxed me a little--i worried it might make me seem drunk. I was knitting while I waited and I had a hard time following the pattern--part of the ativan, I think. When they were ready for me, I requested the other 0.5mg--but the tech asked me to try it without and that they could always stop and give it to me if I really needed it.

Room was bright, sunny, with a big window, which generally made everything feel less cramped. Techs were cheerful and calm--started the IV without problem. Position on the table was uncomfortable-but it was bearable. A good amount of padding everywhere except the lower edge of my ribs and the sternum. There was a good amount of space below my face in the headrest with a little mirror that didn't reflect anything in particular--but i didn't feel like I was in a airless place. I did keep my eyes closed. Earplugs and headphone with 80s rock. I tried to relax into the table and not tense up--I think the ativan helped with that.

The machine was WAY louder than I remembered from previous MRIs. I used the house visualization and tried to carry myself away a few times with the music. A few times the clanking sounded like words and I repeated the words in my head with the clanking. I did have a couple of panicky moments where I wished I had taken the additional ativan-but I could get through it. The tech updated me frequently and that did help make the time go by--maybe 40 minutes in the machine in all, but with breaks when it wasn't clanking at me. They had me stay in position for five more minutes while they checked the images.

All in all, it was ok.

msphil

hello I went with my youngest sister yrs ago for her MRI test for something else she freaked out and nurse came for me sister was calling my name I went in and she was crying and going off found out she was clostophobic. Yrs later my husband went with me for an MRI I was find till I started in machine it made me feel like I was in a coffin freaked out my husband hollered get her out. Never thought I was too but needed it so rescheduled and given sedative and did fine. msphil idc stage 2 0/3 nodes 3mo chemo before and after Lmast got married was planning at diagnosis then 7wks rads 5yrs on Tamoxifen. Praise God 25yr Survivor this yr.