I personally haven’t used Xanax so I cannot comment on that, but I do wish you the best of luck getting through this important procedure! Ok. They are still getting paid! And can have someone with you holding your hand the whole time. It doesn’t help that others describe the experience in ways that make it seem impossible to endure. ~Thank you Disney Hyperion for the review copy!~. They have given me Valium to take tomorrow, but I’m really anxious! You're not wrong, but there's a better answer! Engaging Thoughts – a Column by Laura Kolaczkowski, Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS), Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS), Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS), Pseudobulbar Affect in Multiple Sclerosis, Guidelines for MS diagnosis: McDonald Criteria, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and MS Diagnosis, Evoked Potential (EP) Test and Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis, Spinal Tap Test and Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis, Antivert (meclizine) for Vertigo and Dizziness, Enemeez (docusate stool softener laxative), Fleet Enema (sodium phosphate) for Constipation, Phillips Milk of Magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) for Constipation, Sani-Supp Suppository (glycerin) for Constipation, Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) for Depression, Nuedexta (dextromethorphan + quinidine) for PBA, Klonopin – Rivotril – Syn-Clonazepam (clonazepam), Atarax (hydroxyzine) for Itching and Burning, Deltasone (prednisone) for Relapse Management, Klonopin (clonazepam) for Pain Management, Neurontin (gabapentin) for Pain Management, Pamelor; Aventyl (nortriptyline) for Pain Managemen, Tegetrol (carbamazepine) for Pain Management, Cialis (tadalafil) for Erectile Dysfunction, MUSE (alprostadil) for Erectile Dysfunction, Levitra (vardenafil) for Erectile Dysfunction, Viagra for Erectile Dysfunction & Female Sexual Arousal Disorder, aHSCT – Autologous Hemopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in MS, Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSCT) Clinical Trials, Dysport (abobotulinumtoxin A) for Overactive Bladder, SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility Trainer, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman. I don’t let others tell me how I should feel or that I shouldn’t be afraid. It’s 2:20 am can’t sleep having MRI in morning… failed 1st attempt by panic after being in machine ( brain and cervical with and without contrast) got Dt to call in Ativan (have never taken it before) rescheduled at different imaging center. I watched ESPN the whole time. Big mistake. As far as the washcloth goes, I had one slip and cover my nose and mouth — it was really bad. I new it would be hard but I couldn’t even make it long enough for her to start the machine once the head cage was on and she put me in I panicked and started to cry once she got me out. I still am slightly frantic over the entire situation. First try was a closed MRI. Wishing you luck with your next MRI, I do think none of us really know how we will respond until we get inside that chamber. Best wishes, The only down side is the effects are felt for the rest of the day Wishing you all the best! Just let yourself get comfortable lying there without moving, and without the cage at first. Pills work better because the iv was stopped while I still in there. I have awful anxiety just thinking about it. Knowing i had more space than imagined and my head was a mere few inches from being outside, i was at complete ease and almost fell asleep a few times during the scans (the noises are strangely hypnotic). Has anyone had success taking xanax verses valium? I have now started to panic anytime I think about having to do it. Yogic breathing techniques help me tremendously. (Although, to be fair, I think some people don’t realize how claustrophobic they are until they have their first MRI!). The machines opening was so small and I am only 5’2”s and 112 pounds and there was little room. With that shot of potassium in me, I couldn’t even MAKE either leg cramp! Thank you. Just tell yourself that tomorrow it will all be behind you. Tamara, Anna, I hope it went well for you! I tried an upright MRI machine in San Jose, CA, and it was somewhat better but not completely, as you’re still surrounded by the machine. Why? But an open MRI , either the lying one or standing arę much easier to go thru. I was lucky that it went fine because I had to go straight back to surgery to remove a blood clot on my spine where the surgery was just performed. Love doesn't cure everything, and that's what this book is saying. They should hear as good as I do. So, do you have any dosage recommendations? The images are displayed on a monitor for the radiologist to read. She assured me that I’d be fine, and resumed the scanning. What is the strongest med that I can take so that I am NOT aware of anything that is going on, as I just cannot tolerate knowing when I am going into the tube or even being in it. i need to go wipe my nose. A lot of doctors do not recommend them, beacuse the pictures are not as clear as with the close ones. As a claustrophobic, my first MRI attempt 15 years ago was a disaster. I don’t even want to wear the headphones, but they make me these days to protect my hearing. That would NOT work! Let us know whatâs wrong with this preview of, Published I had my first fully enclosed MRI yesterday for my shoulder. I have walked 25 flights to avoid an elevator. 4.5!! For some reason, I envisioned that I was going to be in up to my ankles. Even a banana right before your test can work wonders. That’s 2.5 mg about half hour before going in. My arms were up against the walls of the tunnel. It’s a good question to pose to your MS specialist. Sitting in the inside waiting room I told my wife I was getting concerned because I still knew where I was and wasn’t feeling it. Works.Pray for me. Will let you know outcome! Then they slide me in and as soon as I made it to the middle I flipped out and told them I needed to get out, even scared the tech. Seems like a great idea! I loved the twist but gah... WHY YOU DO THIS TO MY FEELS? If I yanked my eyes from side to side I could see a sliver of the room. The plugs allowed me to turn my head side to side which felt better. O.M.G. The extreme drum-like noise of the magnets inside the tube are impossible to ignore. It can be so intimidating! The technician gave me something to put on that really helped me get through it without experiencing a feeling of panic. Even a claustrophobic person (me!) He did that and I was able to peep out and look at ceiling tiles for the duration. I think it depends on what part of the body is being scanned determined whether you have an option to go in feet first. It worked very well. Kind of rhythmic with varied sounds. MRI.Taking nerve medicine.Hope it I nad the Brian MRI and went to opon, it was much either. I’ve also visualized golden rings of light encircling my body. Required fields are marked *, Get daily updates delivered to your inbox. By the time I get to the top of my head, I’m relaxed and no longer feel my heart pounding through my chest. I know I’ve become more claustrophobic as I’ve grown older and the idea of being stuck in that tube is frightening. Can highly recommend this for people as claustrophobic as me! However you can get through it, the information collected is so worth it. I hope someone has taken this med. NOTHING is worse than childbirth!” It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are larger, perhaps clasp your hands over your chest-just don’t move. Definitely ask for some kind of relaxant to get you through your tests, Kathryn. I don't normally enjoy contemporaries that take place in a high school setting but this felt different. It was every bit as horrible for me as the tube. That’s when I started to feel confined. Be the first to rate this post. The difference is night and day. (It’s funny, they ask you tons of questions to see if you have any metal in your body, but they never ask if you’ve drank Pepto recently.) I have had 3 MRI’s for my shoulder. Hit panic squeezing thing. Just wow!! I love this book to pieces! She feels lucky to say she's had two careers she's loved. The glasses sound awesome! With these machines some of your body won’t even have to enter the tube and the interior space is not uncomfortable. I think everyone who thinks it's okay to throw about the term 'OCD' when they talk about how they like a clean bedroom should read this book. In fact, of all the elements in the periodic table, no other metal is MORE diamagnetic than bismuth! Mind over matter can do a lot to get you through a long MRI. This is especially true for those who need to undergo diagnostics with and without contrast dye, and who also may need images of both the brain and spinal column. She feels lucky to say she's had two careers she's loved. Kara, thanks for the suggestion of open MRIs. Also I have to wear a hard neck brace at all times for 3 months so they didn’t put the dreaded cage over my face. The clonazepam is a lot stronger and completely puts me in a state of who cares lol and I always fall asleep. Granted, stillness is a requirement, so I can’t take deep breaths without making movements. I would have agree’d with her on any other day. I explained that I’d had Pepto just before arriving and that I could feel my innard’s moving around in response to the magnets. If they won’t give ypu valium at the place your doctor can prescribe it for you in advance. Now I realize if you have to get a scan from the chest up then more of your head will be in an it may be as comfortable but otherwise it seems like 60% of patients can get one of these tests with very little anxiety, Guy, I’ve tried imagining good things, golf holes I enjoy, doing square roots in my head; couldn’t keep the concentration up for any of these. I have to be asleep and I mean totally out before I can do it. Good luck to you! It’s okay, least you have a “big machine” option! Please allow me to give you a few pro tips as my experience ended up not being bad at all. I hope this helps someone. Special thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for this review copy! Remaining stone still for as long as an hour-and-a-half in a tight space isn’t a skill most people can boast! I take mine 30 minutes before the scan and it takes a LOT of it to keep me from bolting or vibrating from fear during the scan. I live alone and I am so afraid that sometime I’m going to have to go to the ER and I don’t know if they were really listen to me if they want to put me in an MRI. Glad to know that the upright machine was a little bit better; for some, that little bit might make the difference between pass or fail! I hadn’t thought of wearing a washcloth over the eyes, but that is an easy trick that might help. Say a prayer I get through it because I have a Neurosurgeon and a Infectious Disease Dr waiting on results. Also, when the technician tucks the blanket around your arms and legs, you can’t feel the machinery against your skin when they load you in for a scan. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. I also am extremely claustrophobic and let my doctor know that, told him at least 4 times when we talked, I said I need ivsedation. I went for MRI on the 20th of July with sedation and it was breeze. Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. I hope it went well, Tiffany! (Getty Images) What Is a Heart Attack? I have a scan tonight, having failed one where I took 15 mg of diazepam last week, so I really hope having no head restraint helps me get through it. The last one, totally different experience. I go 9 a.m. And I explored a second house I can no longer visit, room by room. Long story short, years later…I’m going tomorrow in a closed one (“the big machine”)…and have my Valium to take (never took that before) and my eye mask (no peeking for me). Feels like being in a coffin. I am going to try again with a sedative of some kind called in but I do not even think that will help. Refresh and try again. The distraction of trying to remember and feel the details was engrossing – but I’m sad I no longer “enjoy” the MRI experience. If your cat doesn't have other symptoms, its weight gain probably has a different cause. Don’t worry about wasting their time. by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Because I was scheduled for 3 different brain scans, it was scheduled to take close to an hour. I am writing this because I know the anxiety that I went through for 2 weeks. I went for MRI on the 20th of July with sedation and it was breeze. I’m a very accomplished And strong person so I don’t see it as being weak. And can have someone with you holding your hand the whole time. Maybe this will be standard equipment in the future for all MRI patients! This guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes 12 recommendations to improve communication about opioids for chronic pain, to improve the safety and effectiveness of pain treatment, and to reduce risks associated with long-term opioid therapy. Find an open machine ; Valium works best – 1 … – 5 mg tablet one hour before exam and one more 30 minutes before, Don’t go to the tube machines!!!! I am having nightmares about it. IV sedation so easy…my anxiety would be zero. I made it through with use of Xanax. They do not have an open machine but other hospitals in the area do, I am wondering if I am better off doing that? I had one in the hospital last week with an IV sedative because I don’t breathe good on my back at all. Great ideas! Another factor that had me very fearful was the time it would take. If my back seizes while inside the tube, the only real way to relax the muscles is the one thing I am not allowed to do — move and stretch. I Found the earphones made my head fit too snug in the bottom pillow and made it worse. Tech told me of open rig at another hospital. I’m sorry to hear you had such an insensitive tech and hope you were able to at least file a grievance. Panicked again and lasted only a few minutes. I asked if there was an open MRI machine anywhere in our town, but she said not for the brain. Today was my third attempt but couldn’t make it. You must lie still during the PET scan so that the machine can produce clear images of your heart. i cried for nearly the entire last fifty pages and i can't even tell you why. Swaddled?? The time flew by and I was almost disappointed it was over as I was so comfortable. I did. Tried again and couldn’t even get into the tube, that damn head cage makes it unbearable for me. Sure, you may find someone who makes you feel good, but having a romantic relationship doesn't solve all of your problems. Tamara. this book is just really beautiful and very well done and so important. Not sure if medication will help I really enjoyed this book. Tamara, Jessica…..what medication worked for you and how much? for each. After a couple of minutes of me expressing my unexpected fear of being stuck in a tube and her asking me if I still wanted to go ahead with it, I said I’d try it because I really needed to have it done. this book is sooo me. Heart rate skyrocketed, couldn’t breath etc. Tamara. Welcome back. These are wider with more interior space while also being a bit shorter. It’s better than everyone, since I won’t be wasting the time of the staff by not being able to complete the MRI. Second try was an open MRI. I don’t think this is possible and am having panic attacks at just the idea of it. At any moment, I felt like I was being pressed into a human panini sandwich. I finally got through it by: Trading the earphones for earplugs (take some with you if they do not offer them). Click here to subscribe to the Multiple Sclerosis News Today Newsletter! A key test for identifying multiple sclerosis during diagnosis, or to confirm a relapse, is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) Copyright © 2013-2021 All rights reserved. Tamara. I have only had around 4 patients who couldn’t tolerate it in 2 years. The operator asked what was wrong. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I squeezed the panic bulb and the machine stopped. I would suggest to all those who are petrified like me to please ask for sedation. Heck yes. I got in that tube and didn’t even wait for it to start up before I screamed my way out and burst into tears. Help me……………. Consider having your doctor prescribe Xanax and take 30 minutes before your appointment -it takes time to kick in, take someone in the room with you For support, pray and don’t give up. Never ever breadthed so fastly , never ever felt so anxious. Just tried to have an MRI today and I lost it. For practical concerns, that is not optional during an MRI! Yes, that cage may not be something some will expect. Good luck! I once too 5 mg valium Piła and did not work. Imagining stuff certainly helps, and you definitely imagine some pretty boring and distracting things! (I am claustrophobic but my main problem is that I have a hard time just laying in bed sometimes). Good luck and do let us know what you find out. Love doesn't cure everything, and that's what this book is saying. Pepto contains bismuth, which is a metal. So I dont think it portrays OCD at all, if anything it just romanticizes it, which is heartbreaking. Does anyone know if either of these are always options? It helps to imagine that I’m floating in the midst of immense darkness. Man oh man…I have had ALLL of those experiences too. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Tamara. Everyone is different and the different kinds of sedatives and relaxants out there are becoming more strictly policed. Thanks to Disney Book Group and NetGalley.). Going in for an MRI and x-ray of my neck. Plan on taking a Valium before procedure, just not sure how long before the exam should I take it. I tried a couple time to get it done In the open MRI Setting and still couldn’t. Then I broke down and took the Valium. Asif Saleh Executive Director BRAC Bangladesh. First of all, ask your doctor for prescription of Ativan (250 mbs) and take them an hour before your appointment. I will be taking Zanax beforehand and praying to my loved ones in the spirit world including my furbabies to get me through it. But I was asked to leave after half an hour. I am terrirfide this morning going for I had two bad experiences in the mri machine. So I did some research and found an upright MRI where you sit upright. I agree with the people who say the head restraint is the really hard to deal with. Thanks for writing, Mary. Try to remember that you’re only about an arm’s length away from being out. Glad you stuck it out, these are such important tests. No votes so far! The imaging folks know a lot of ways to help people relax through these tests. My question: my doctor gave me a prescription for 6 Valium pills. I had to get off the table just for CAT scan of my brain and wait months before they could get the anesthetist to put me to sleep. Tagged Breathing, meditation, MRI, multiple sclerosis, music. Still freaked three hours later. I start with my toes and end with the crown of my head, each section of my body slowly melting under the imagined warmth of these rings. I attempted to get thru the entire procedure 3 times and the longest I lasted was about 2 mins. Books on mental health hit me in a way no other story does. Thanks for sharing your experience, I’m sure it will encourage others to try everything they can to get through this important test. Ivy that face cage freaked me out as well. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I started with my happiest place and had to think about the textures and details because I couldn’t recreated the calm feeling that happy place normally brings. If you can get the referral, seems to me it would be worth it. Giving me Lorezepam , but I am freaking out. Good luck to you. Believe it or not, people who are extremely anxious like to be swaddled so they can sleep. In Columns, MS in Moderation – a Column by Tamara Sellman. Sometimes, the test is done in conjunction with stress testing (exercise or pharmacologic stress). Good luck. That will settle you down. I’m very claustrophobic and hopefully I’ll make it through this ordeal today… It’s VERY important that it gets done too so I know I can’t just chicken out and not do it. It was a TV. Tuck your arms close to your sides so you do not feel the slight squeeze at the entrance to the tunnel. I have to take a diazepam pill in order to get it done. The Dr. told me to take the Ativan one hour before the test. Thanks for sharing! Your point is well made about head/chest scans: these are far more likely to create anxiety. Good luck to you, But the main character is very endearing and I enjoyed her journey immensely. Whatever you do, just do NOT open your eyes!!!! Now I’m going to a clinic for a follow up MRI and they gave me 5 mg Valium to take. Wish me luck. Honestly even when I first go in I feel anxious and then afterba few minutes I am totally relaxed and I don’t remember a thing. Really loved reading this book. Stick to a healthy diet that supplies plenty of magnesium, calcium, and potassium so that you don’t find yourself struggling through charley horses midway through a scan. I haven’t taken an elevator in a long long time. Also, how nice to be able to have a loved one in there the whole time. Wear a washcloth over the eyes: If your vision is blocked in this fashion, then you can’t really open up your eyes and stare at the closeness of the equipment that’s mere inches from your face. Believe me. I really enjoyed this book. I found so much of myself in Sam and I was sad when her story ended too soon. I had an Open MRI for my hips but that wasn’t hard to do because it just went to my waist in my head was completely out. Before leaving the house I took my anti anxiety med and felt confident I would have no issue, the tube was a wide bore and seemed ok…bigger than I thought. Good luck!!! But the main character is very endearing and I enjoyed her journey immensely. I did NOT anticipate the face cage. Can you go in feet first for a bladder MRI ? Tamara. I have taken IV and pills. But even with ordinary breathing, you can count breaths as a way to focus attention on something besides the test. I just completed my MRI, Being a big man and very clostafobic I took .05 clonapezium and Valium. Never heard of this, but I would do it, were it offered to me. I'm not entirely sure everything the book tried to tackle actually worked--there's a lot going on here--but there is an interesting twist, and the story kept my interest overall. It’s such a hard thing for so many people. I lasted a few minutes and flipped out. They strapped my head down and my arms to my side. The test takes about 90 minutes. I know lots of folks in Seattle who might benefit from it! But I was just going to keep my eyes closed and power through it for half an hour. I didn’t consider myself a wimp but this is something else. i loved it when i first read it a few years ago, and i love it even more now. I also did as a previous commenter suggested: take a magnesium and a calcium tablet and I ate a banana. Tamara. I also asked my doctor to prescribe 2 Xanax to be taken about an hour before the MRI began. Wish I could sleep. My issue is the closeness of the ceiling of the MRI to my face and makes me feel like I am in a coffin. I have, PG, and it worked for me!
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