I am due to go in december for a MRI and i'm already shaking in my shoes. I am very very very claustrophobic. I have already run ( hobbled to be precise) out the hospital due to the MRI. They got me on the bed and as it started to go in the tunnel the whole machine was shake rattle and roll.I really thought it was supposed to do this but apparently it was me shaking so much . I screamed like a baby for them to get me out ,then i was gone. Is there another type of machine they can use that isnt so confining.They have Open MRI machines. You should let your doc know you're claustraphobic and they can find you someone who has an open one. I've had it done, and it's really easy. It's just like a giant x-ray table, and the MRI machine is on an arm that passes over you, and another one that passes under you. The best part about mine was that they had a CD player set up, and they played whatever music I wanted while I layed there. Talk to your doctor, you shouldn't have to go through that! I'm the same way. I've had one cat scan, because only one hospital out here has an open cat scan machine. Those are neat too, they're just a circle that you slide into, and then out of. It's just a giant ring only about 6 inches wide. Reminds me of the cicrus. LOL
They can give you something ahead of time that will make it so you don't care. It is usually Xanax or Ativan. A lot of people have this problem so they are used to dealing with it. Just let them know up front. You should probably have someone go with you though because you need to take the medicine about an hour ahead of time and you don't want to be worried about driving.
Had lots of MRIs done. The machines are noisy and sometimes the positions can be uncomfortable. But just keep telling yourself that this is one test that's easy. They don't hurt unless they are moving something like a sore leg or arm.
Hey thanks, i will look into this and speak to the hospital. maybe a few cocktails before i go would do the trick. lol.NP. The open MRI that I went to was in a private clinic, that was like a branch of the hospital. Maybe they have something like that?I HATE MRI's as well. Im not clastophobic as you are, but... I am a little bit and they drive me nuts. Definitely op for the OPEN MRI