MRI with contrast injection

[countrygirl]

Anyone on here had this, they use gandolinium which I have read is very unlikely to cause any reaction but!!!!!!

It is bad enough that I have to have this scan in a closed scanner as I am terribly claustrophobic but to have an injection as well

I am getting a dose of diazepam to take before the scan as my heart rate is unbelievable while I am in that scanner. My last scan was in an open scanner ( my definition of open and theirs is not the same believe me!) but this one has to be done in a closed one.

[cattttt]

I have never had this done myself, but I am a radiographer, so I work where it gets done! MRI contrast is very safe, it causes fewer reactions than many other things. In the two years we've had MRI at my hospital, there has only been one reaction, and that was a minor one, the lady vomited and was fine after a couple of hours.
I have been in the scanner myself ( it's a closed one ), to see what it's like, we all did and yes it's not very pleasant, I thought my heart might burst out of my chest the way it was thumping. If you really can't handle it, they will put you to sleep, but you might have to go back another time.
The diazapam will help you to relax, you might even doze off. If they have the equipment, you may be able to take along a CD so you can listen to some music to take your mind off it, ring up and ask.

[Pickle]

Hi Countrygirl,

I've had two MRI's - the first about 18yrs ago and the second last year. The second one was much better because altho the actual machine hasnt changed much there was the addition of a 'wndow' inside the scanner which you could look thro and see the radiographer and the room itself.

I think it was probably some kind of mirror/periscope rather than an actual 'window' but my brain was tricked into thinking I wasnt in a confined space. I was also given a hand held 'buzzer' so that if I felt really bad I could let the radiographer know.

All in all it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be

Take care