My MRI experience (positive)

I needed a MRI on my small bowel as I have crohns disease. I was pretty nervous as I am very claustrophobic so I spoke to my doctor and she gave me 4mg of diazepam to take half an hour before procedure.

On the day I asked one of the radiographers when I was allowed to take the pills but she said I couldn't as I didn't have anyone with me/to pick me up. MY GP didn't mention this even though I told her no one was available to pick me up and that I was getting train back. I just assumed that 4mg is a low dose and it's not like being properly sedated. I explained to the radiographers my anxiety but they just wouldn't let me do it. They weren't horrible or anything in fact one of them was very nice and supportive but they just had to do what they've been told to do.

So they showed me the machine and said I'd be going in feet first which calmed me a bit and also that although the total scan time would be 20 minutes it would be divided in half. For the second half it would be with the dye injected.

After having the pre procedure drink which is very tolerable when mixed with orange squash I got on the bed and was slid into the tube. I'm not going to lie, it is claustrophobic but as I could see a bit of the room behind me it wasn't that bad. They let me wear ear plugs under headphones so it could be as quiet as possible but no music sadly! and then it was just a matter of holding your breath a load of times. The dye makes your mouth a bit dry and your eyes a little blurred, which I only really noticed when I stood up after the procedure. That literally only lasted a minute. Also the drink is known to make you want to go for number 2 a lot. However I didn't need it until I got home which surprised me.

So I didn't really need the diazepam after all. However I think head first would have been too much for me. I would need it to be an open MRI or to have a sufficent amount of valium. Those that have my anxiety and require a scan where they go in feet first you more than likely wont need any pills but if you feel you do, have someone to pick you up. If you're going in head first I would advise you google places with open MRIs. Because drs are very strict with how much valium they give and a lot of people dont even feel an effect from a few pills.

I'm having one soon too. I'm not scared of the mri scan itself as I have had them before but I'm also having a small intestine scan and I have crohn's. My fear is that because I have an ileostomy my transit time is fast so it will be already pouring out before I even feet in the scanner (have to wait an hour after drinking) and afraid my bag will explode because it will be overly full during the scan lol.

I totally understand how that can be a concern for you. I was worried I'd be desperate and I haven't even had ileostomy!

When I was pretty much all finished with the drink I needed the loo so I went off to the toilets and well...you probably know about this, it was like colonscopy prep haha I think getting a lot out then made me need it a hell of a lot less during and after the procedure. They told me they had an emergency toilet in the MRI room so that was reassuring too.

Hope everything goes well for you!

I had an MRI of my small bowel about 2 months ago didn't hear anything no letters or calls so decided to ring them today and was told that the MRI department looked at the scan on August 16th so I spoke to my Doctors secretary who told me that the doctor had not seen it and she had no idea why he hadn't as it's been ready for a month

Had a call back about an hour after my first conversation with his secretary who rang to tell me that they sending a letter to me and my GP with the results. Now I'm just wondering what kind of results they give by letter in guessing if it was a cancer or something it would be a face to face thing so what else could it be? If anyone could help that would be fantastic.

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Had one done on a lump on my right leg but before that had a ultra sound scan done wasn't worried as such but the person doing the scan could make out something but reassured me (which I was) and said we need to look at this more closely via a MRI scan had that done and the lump was benign and just fatty tissue Hmm Michael I still say your dr would have made a urgent appointment with you if it was anything serious :)
You say your dr hasn't seen it but the secretary said it had been a month like I say if it had been serious the MRI dept would have rushed those results back very quickly so I would say you are fine :) Let us know the results when you get them Cheers

So I had my MRI enterography which I found unpleasant with an ileostomy. My bag was full even before the test and the thing they put on your abdomen pushed down on my stoma. I wasn't scared as I have had pelvic MRI before but this one was a lot different (holding breath, drinking,etc). Glad I had it as they found inflammation and a narrowing that wasn't seen on the abdominal ct I had a week before (I had this for a different reason. I have an open wound from my surgery 5 months ago and my surgeon wanted to see if there was an abscess or anything-there wasn't thank goodness). Annoyed Crohn's disease is probably back already but I've been off meds since March (you gave to go off pre op and they make you wait til you are completely healed to go back on). Now off for another endoscopy (I had one in March that just showed mild gastritis).