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MRI & claustrophobia

A.B
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Hi everyone,

I wonder if you could share some advice or tips on the above. I am very claustrophobic to the point I don't use lifts unless it's unavoidable. I'm due to have MRI of my spine and neck and I already feel sick just thinking about it. I had a CT scan last week and it was very difficult but luckily only lasted 5 minutes.

Shall I ring my GP and ask for some medication? I was considering relaxing techniques but I'm worried I will panic and the test won't be completed. 

I've had a very stressful couple of months so my mental health isn't where it should be and I'm scared the phobia will take over.

I would be grateful for any advice x

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    Hi A.B

    I am claustrophobic too although not to your level, and I can appreciate how daunting a prospect this will be for you. I had one many years ago where my whole body was in the machine and I found it very difficult.

    With my cancer, I had mri scans of my pelvis and chest so my legs and head were out of the machine. I explained about feeling claustrophobic and I was offered an eye mask which I found helpful. I also had headphones provided with the radio on as a distraction, as the machine was very noisy. You need to stay very still so the images are clear, so it might be useful to ask your doctor if you can have anything to relax you beforehand. Relaxation techniques are useful too...I used a free app on my phone called Headspace at times of scans and found it really calmed me down.

    The CT scan is much easier to undergo, I have to say, but try to keep your breathing calm and I found it useful to visualise being on a beach in Bali, which is where I actually should have been when I was getting my first scan! The staff understand our fears and are as accommodating as they can be-and they can  speak you through the scanner while you are lying there. I found it useful having them let me know how long I had to go in there! 

    Good luck and I hope you manage to cope ok with it. x

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    Hi

    Yes I know exactly where you’re coming from. I too am claustrophobic in the sense that I don’t like small spaces but also it extends to being locked in or unable to get out of somewhere. I had an MRI twelve months ago and was very apprehensive. I actually found the thinking about it beforehand was worse than the experience. 

    The staff were very helpful and they are used to this. I told them and they asked me if I wanted to move in slowly which I did and they were prepared to pull me out at my signal. They talked to me all the way through. I too had headphones and chose an ABBA CD to be played through them. I found that really helped. Also going to a safe or treasured place in your head, a beach or park,,,somewhere tranquil. I must admit that the best distraction was to sing along to the ABBA CD. I knew all the words! I started off just mouthing the words and then thought what the heck and blasted it out as loudly as i could. I asked the technician afterwards if she’d heard me but she said the machine was too loud. Anyways I couldn’t have cared if the whole of the blooming hospital heard me.

    So yes tell them, get help from your GP ( I took diazepam) and do whatever to get yourself through. After all it can’t be worse than entertaining the whole hospital with Money, Money , Money and I Have a Dream,

    I hope everything goes well.

    Sundial

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    Thank you @Minska and @Sundial for your great advice. 

    I had the scan on Friday. There was no music connected to headphones so couldn't use the CD I brought.  It was my kids' nursery rhymes lol as it's the only CD I have. I brought an eye mask and took 2mg of diazepam my GP gave me. I needed two scans. I asked how long each will take and then was counting down in my head and visualising the numbers. Beginning was very scary but the mask really helped as I had no idea where in machine I was and I could pretent I wasnt in it at all

    Now need to wait a couple of weeks for the results.

  • Offline in reply to A.B

    Hi A.B

    So glad to hear you got through the scanning ordeal! Good luck with getting your results back-it’s always an anxious time waiting. xx

  • Offline in reply to A.B

    Hi

    Really glad you got through the scan and it’s all over and done with now. I hope the results are good. Let us know how things go.

    Sundial

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