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MRI anxiety

HiggyBaby
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HiggyBaby

HiggyBaby 2529

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Anyone with MRI anxiety knows the dread of 20+ minutes in the tube. I need to go in and get my shoulder done.
Short of popping a xanax or valium before going in and endangering my career (random drug tests), what are some good options to relax? I'm thinking a couple Benadryl. Any herbal stuff that works and won't pop on a drug panel?

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UTGrad98

UTGrad98 2271

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Navy Seals use box breathing to reduce stress and anxiety. I use it and it helps with most any situation where im nervous or stressed. Breathe in 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4. repeat. See below.

To begin the practice, expel all of the air from your chest. Keep your lungs empty for a four-count hold. Then, perform your inhalation through the nose for four counts. Hold the air in your lungs for a four-count hold. When you hold your breath, do not clamp down and create back pressure. Rather, maintain an expansive, open feeling even though you are not inhaling. When ready, release the hold and exhale smoothly through your nose for four counts. This is one circuit of the box-breathing practice.

 

https://www.medicinenet.com/why_do_navy_seals_use_box_breathing/article.htm

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Aqua Buddha

Aqua Buddha 14582

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21 minutes ago, HiggyBaby said:

Anyone with MRI anxiety knows the dread of 20+ minutes in the tube. I need to go in and get my shoulder done.
Short of popping a xanax or valium before going in and endangering my career (random drug tests), what are some good options to relax? I'm thinking a couple Benadryl. Any herbal stuff that works and won't pop on a drug panel?

Deathly afraid.  Your doctor might write you a script for this.....

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Baboontyme

Baboontyme 2809

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I had one done on my shoulder a few months ago. I am generally not claustrophobic and have had plenty of MRIs on my knees, back elbow, etc. The shoulder one was not fun. It helps to keep your eyes closed the entire time and remember that the other end is open. Try to keep your mind occupied, count sheep or go through baseball lineups or whatever you can do to keep your mind off of it. I would not take a gummy as that might lead to paranoia. I would look into a xanax or something if I had to do it again. Sorry this isn't a terribly uplifting post for your situation. I've had them before where they give you headphones and let you listen to music, that is also helpful. For this shoulder one, they did not. 

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HiggyBaby

HiggyBaby 2529

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1 hour ago, Baboontyme said:

I had one done on my shoulder a few months ago. I am generally not claustrophobic and have had plenty of MRIs on my knees, back elbow, etc. The shoulder one was not fun. It helps to keep your eyes closed the entire time and remember that the other end is open. Try to keep your mind occupied, count sheep or go through baseball lineups or whatever you can do to keep your mind off of it. I would not take a gummy as that might lead to paranoia. I would look into a xanax or something if I had to do it again. Sorry this isn't a terribly uplifting post for your situation. I've had them before where they give you headphones and let you listen to music, that is also helpful. For this shoulder one, they did not. 

Yeah, I’ve had an MRI done on my other shoulder at the same location a while back and they had music available. Made it tolerable.  This time they do not. Thanks for the tips.

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TrashMaster G

TrashMaster G 17549

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I had my first MRI last week.  I'm generally not claustrophobic, but was not looking forward to it.  Fortunately, they were scanning my knee and I only was in the tube up to my neck.

Still hated it.

Edited by TrashMaster G
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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25921

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6 hours ago, HiggyBaby said:

Anyone with MRI anxiety knows the dread of 20+ minutes in the tube. I need to go in and get my shoulder done.
Short of popping a xanax or valium before going in and endangering my career (random drug tests), what are some good options to relax? I'm thinking a couple Benadryl. Any herbal stuff that works and won't pop on a drug panel?

Tell you doctor that you're nervous and get a RX for the valium/Xanax.  Your work can't do shit about a prescription drug. 

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19449

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I had one recently and have to go back soon.  I got there early and did some meditation/breathing exercises.  And then put together a quick playlist of soothing songs I had on my phone to have playing nearby.  Of course, nurse says the cell signal could interfere with the machine's whatever.  So I said, "I'll put it on airplane mode."  And she was just baffled, like "Oh, I've never thought of that before.  Okay, go ahead sir."  I thought, "You can see from the imaging, I'm fucking brain-damaged and I came up with an idea for keeping patients calm, instead of you the expert?"   And serious tip-bring a sleep mask or something similar.  The light isn't blinding, but it literally masks whatever "closed-in" feeling you may perceive even with your eyes shut.  

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HeHateMe

HeHateMe 883

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7 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

Tell you doctor that you're nervous and get a RX for the valium/Xanax.  Your work can't do shit about a prescription drug. 

This.  They routinely write scripts for 1 pill for your exact situation.   

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locodos

locodos 5387

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3 minutes ago, Basil said:

You don't like that warm, alien feeling when the contrast is injected?  I think it's cool.  But I'm also allergic to it so I'm half asleep on benadryl.

Hard to relax and enjoy sudden nausea followed by fire in the balls (in a bad way)

I puke every time...  but you know "hold still"

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25921

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22 hours ago, YGIFS said:

I had one recently and have to go back soon.  I got there early and did some meditation/breathing exercises.  And then put together a quick playlist of soothing songs I had on my phone to have playing nearby.  Of course, nurse says the cell signal could interfere with the machine's whatever.  So I said, "I'll put it on airplane mode."  And she was just baffled, like "Oh, I've never thought of that before.  Okay, go ahead sir."  I thought, "You can see from the imaging, I'm fucking brain-damaged and I came up with an idea for keeping patients calm, instead of you the expert?"   And serious tip-bring a sleep mask or something similar.  The light isn't blinding, but it literally masks whatever "closed-in" feeling you may perceive even with your eyes shut.  

who the fuck allowed a metallic device to be near a giant magnet?

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YGIFS

YGIFS 19449

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Well it was across the room with the speaker turned up.  I mean, there's all kinda metallic shit in that room.  OBviously I didn't hold it up to my ears while in the machine.  this wasn't that junkyard episode of 'Breaking Bad' 

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Your Mom

Your Mom 4805

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On 4/11/2024 at 5:44 PM, Gil Bang said:

Tell you doctor that you're nervous and get a RX for the valium/Xanax.  Your work can't do shit about a prescription drug. 

 

On 4/12/2024 at 12:53 AM, HeHateMe said:

This.  They routinely write scripts for 1 pill for your exact situation.   

Maybe for some jobs but not his.  Don’t do this.  It’s not the employer, it’s the FAA.  Xanax is an automatic disqualifier for your FAA medical certificate.  We can’t even take prescribed ADD meds.  You’d either have to lie to your next medical application, which opens up another can of worms with that script out there, or go through a lengthy process of proving to the FAA that it was just that one time because you get anxious in metal tubes, which isn’t going to go over well or be quickly resolved.

i’ve got nothing to help you through that MRI though, maybe some melatonin? I get a little claustrophobic sometimes and I cannot sleep in a sleeping bag zipped up no matter how cold it is, but for some reason the MRI machine hasn’t bothered me. 

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HiggyBaby

HiggyBaby 2529

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9 hours ago, Your Mom said:

 

Maybe for some jobs but not his.  Don’t do this.  It’s not the employer, it’s the FAA.  Xanax is an automatic disqualifier for your FAA medical certificate.  We can’t even take prescribed ADD meds.  You’d either have to lie to your next medical application, which opens up another can of worms with that script out there, or go through a lengthy process of proving to the FAA that it was just that one time because you get anxious in metal tubes, which isn’t going to go over well or be quickly resolved.

i’ve got nothing to help you through that MRI though, maybe some melatonin? I get a little claustrophobic sometimes and I cannot sleep in a sleeping bag zipped up no matter how cold it is, but for some reason the MRI machine hasn’t bothered me. 

Bingo! Benadryl with a tequila chaser it is. 

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Horn of Gabriel

Horn of Gabriel 1614

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I had to get a shoulder MRI in January. The place at Cedar Park medical center had an older MRI machine and I didn’t fit. Like sausage in the casing. I’m a broad shouldered guy 240 lbs and they wanted my shoulder dead center in the machine - they even had a jig to hold my shoulder in place. Problem is that only leaves half the normal space for try rest of your body. It just wouldn’t work. I told the guy to pull me out and he said it’s common, they sent me across town where they had a newer machine with a bigger opening that could fit my gigantic girth.

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Basil

Basil 754

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On 4/14/2024 at 8:08 AM, conVINCEd said:

Goodfellas GIF

I'd get loaded up with sedatives at MDAnderson and they'd make me get a ride home.  That process essentially entailed me pointing in the other direction and scampering to my car when their heads were turned.

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Judge Roybeanbag

Judge Roybeanbag 11819

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Apparently an MRI for your prostate is a 'special' procedure and I'm having a hard time finding a location to schedule one in a timely manner.  They must know I'm a giant asshole and need a bigger machine or something. 

Seriously though - I've checked 3 different places on recommendation of my Dr. and they all said 'oh we only do that procedure at x facility, and that would be mid-May at earliest.  Like Longhorn Imaging for example, I'd have to drive to San Antonio.  Touchstone only does it at their far North Austin facility.  

What's so different about it aside from the dye?

 

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Damor

Damor 1236

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@Judge Roybeanbag Not my area of expertise, but it depends on the protocol used.  Some call for a higher field strength magnet, some need special postprocessing software, and some may still use a... uh... ummm...  special imaging coil.

In case of which you'll be glad of having

15 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

 a giant asshole

PM @NowThis for further questions.

 

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