5 ms·

Any sane person would be afraid of them. Lay in this tunnel. You're immobilized and can't move. Oh and no one can hear you call for help because of the loud ja

by 16s 13y ago

Any sane person would be afraid of them. Lay in this tunnel. You're immobilized and can't move. Oh and no one can hear you call for help because of the loud jack-hammer like sounds. Wear these head-phones and we'll blast music into them so you'll feel better. Squeeze this little thing if you panic and we may come and help you.

linker3000 13y ago
The MRI in which I was scanned had a headset with a noise cancelling mic so I could talk to the team behind the glass - that was nice. On the other hand, the stance I had to adopt (even though lying down) meant I had to support the weight of my arms from shoulder to wrist, and after a while this became uncomfortable and caused them to shake a bit, at which point the MRI team thought I was freaking out - which I wasn't. Maybe this was just down to bad packing and could have been avoided. The aircon in the room had also failed so I had a combined MRI and sauna; which meant the sensor pads kept coming unstuck and so I kept 'flatlining' and had to be removed from the scanner a couple of times for more bits of surgical tape.
seiji 13y ago
You're immobilized and can't move. Oh and no one can hear you call for help. Do you also avoid sleeping?
- adestefan 13y ago
  It's different when you're told not to move for the next hour. Oh and the walls of the tube are about 4 inches away from your face. Oh and don't mind the sound what seems to be the damn thing ready to fall apart at any moment. I had an MRI done and it took about 5 minutes to just gather in all the details of the situation. After that it was okay.
- gohrt 13y ago
  You can move whenever you want you are asleep (you just usually don't want to), and people can hear you call for help.
  - seiji 13y ago
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
    - baddox 13y ago
      But sleep paralysis is terrifying.
      - Coincoin 13y ago
        I can't imagine anything more frightening than a sleep paralysis episode in one of those machines.
- witek 13y ago
  I fell asleep and was slightly irritated when it finished and I started sliding out. Great nap.
uniclaude 13y ago
I wasn't aware you could have headphones! I would have asked. To be honest, the only time I had to go through this, I was not scared about anything else than the possible result of the scan, but the noise was disturbing at best.
- lostlogin 13y ago
  I give everyone earplugs too. Without hearing protection you would get damage. Its 95db outside the scan room. Dunno what it is in the bore, but it is loud.
masklinn 13y ago
> Any sane person would be afraid of them. It's a science machine to see inside your body without cutting you up. If a theme park offered MRI rides I'd be in there all day.
- zenlikethat 13y ago
  Jesus, have you had an MRI? It's bearable but not exactly an enjoyable experience.
  - mmastrac 13y ago
    I went through one in university as an electrical engineering studies "field trip". It's a lot of fun if you aren't worried about an actual medical condition at the time TBH.
  - fsckin 13y ago
    The trick is to ask them for a Xanex when you check in. I've had two MRIs. One with Xanex, one without. I actually enjoy the sound of the machine, it can be rhythmic and pleasing. The only time I had an MRI without Xanex, was a religious experience. Things were going well for 20 minutes (they had me in for just under an hour total) and then the thoughts of how people die in MRI machines came on strong. I'd seen a few videos of how strong they are [0] and the thought of being crushed or otherwise mutilated by a million dollar magnet, along with the confined space, was too much. I felt panic coming from a mile away, and it engulfed me. My brain was telling me to 'get the fuck outta here!'. I knew it was irrational fear. I took labored breaths. The fear moved from my feet to the top of my head and exploded. The pulse oximeter must have been going crazy because the tech asked how I was doing. "I'm fine." The lie worked, the fear immediately dissipated and a wave of euphoria rushed over me. I'm not going to die. I'm going to live! What should I do with my life? The best I can. I fell asleep a few minutes later. I woke up feeling fantastic. [0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI
    - lostlogin 13y ago
      We discourage self medication as it makes sedation complicated. If someone took oral sedation, then is still needing sedation, we don't know if their medication hasn't worked, or is still coming on. We use IV sedation, its controllable, easily reversible, easy to top up. Getting an OD under control when they are still absorbing from their gut is not easy. We like to think we learn from experience!
Jun8 13y ago
Exactly! My mom had to take one recently (she is about 70) and she was sick with worry, had a panic attack inside the machine. The crude, no-nonsense manner in which the technician handled her was the main cause. The cute pictures, etc. definitely help, at least with kids. But the real improvement would be a 5-min intro to the patient, perhaps a simple video clip, explaining the technology to put them at ease. Just reading his description of the response of the technician to the child's fear, you can see that it could have been handled much better.
- sentenza 13y ago
  The problem here is that you can't really explain the technology without freaking people out even more. Well, at least not without leaving out the "1 ton magnet spinning around you at crazy speeds" part. In any case, everybody goint into one of these things should at least be told that the machine works without ionizing radiation, i.e.: "Unlike a CT scanner, you are not at risk of getting cancer from this." Maybe that puts at least some people at ease.
  - jonlucc 13y ago
    That might get them in the MR machine, but wait until tomorrow when they're in the CT lab. :)
  - makomk 13y ago
    As far as I know, MRI machines have no moving parts aside from the bed that slides the patient in and out of the bore - the noise is entirely from coils expanding and contracting.

by 16s 13y ago

linker3000 13y ago

The MRI in which I was scanned had a headset with a noise cancelling mic so I could talk to the team behind the glass - that was nice. On the other hand, the stance I had to adopt (even though lying down) meant I had to support the weight of my arms from shoulder to wrist, and after a while this became uncomfortable and caused them to shake a bit, at which point the MRI team thought I was freaking out - which I wasn't. Maybe this was just down to bad packing and could have been avoided. The aircon in the room had also failed so I had a combined MRI and sauna; which meant the sensor pads kept coming unstuck and so I kept 'flatlining' and had to be removed from the scanner a couple of times for more bits of surgical tape.

seiji 13y ago

You're immobilized and can't move. Oh and no one can hear you call for help. Do you also avoid sleeping?

adestefan 13y ago
It's different when you're told not to move for the next hour. Oh and the walls of the tube are about 4 inches away from your face. Oh and don't mind the sound what seems to be the damn thing ready to fall apart at any moment. I had an MRI done and it took about 5 minutes to just gather in all the details of the situation. After that it was okay.
gohrt 13y ago
You can move whenever you want you are asleep (you just usually don't want to), and people can hear you call for help.
- seiji 13y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
  - baddox 13y ago
    But sleep paralysis is terrifying.
    - Coincoin 13y ago
      I can't imagine anything more frightening than a sleep paralysis episode in one of those machines.
witek 13y ago
I fell asleep and was slightly irritated when it finished and I started sliding out. Great nap.

uniclaude 13y ago

I wasn't aware you could have headphones! I would have asked. To be honest, the only time I had to go through this, I was not scared about anything else than the possible result of the scan, but the noise was disturbing at best.

lostlogin 13y ago
I give everyone earplugs too. Without hearing protection you would get damage. Its 95db outside the scan room. Dunno what it is in the bore, but it is loud.

masklinn 13y ago

> Any sane person would be afraid of them. It's a science machine to see inside your body without cutting you up. If a theme park offered MRI rides I'd be in there all day.

zenlikethat 13y ago
Jesus, have you had an MRI? It's bearable but not exactly an enjoyable experience.
- mmastrac 13y ago
  I went through one in university as an electrical engineering studies "field trip". It's a lot of fun if you aren't worried about an actual medical condition at the time TBH.
- fsckin 13y ago
  The trick is to ask them for a Xanex when you check in. I've had two MRIs. One with Xanex, one without. I actually enjoy the sound of the machine, it can be rhythmic and pleasing. The only time I had an MRI without Xanex, was a religious experience. Things were going well for 20 minutes (they had me in for just under an hour total) and then the thoughts of how people die in MRI machines came on strong. I'd seen a few videos of how strong they are [0] and the thought of being crushed or otherwise mutilated by a million dollar magnet, along with the confined space, was too much. I felt panic coming from a mile away, and it engulfed me. My brain was telling me to 'get the fuck outta here!'. I knew it was irrational fear. I took labored breaths. The fear moved from my feet to the top of my head and exploded. The pulse oximeter must have been going crazy because the tech asked how I was doing. "I'm fine." The lie worked, the fear immediately dissipated and a wave of euphoria rushed over me. I'm not going to die. I'm going to live! What should I do with my life? The best I can. I fell asleep a few minutes later. I woke up feeling fantastic. [0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI
  - lostlogin 13y ago
    We discourage self medication as it makes sedation complicated. If someone took oral sedation, then is still needing sedation, we don't know if their medication hasn't worked, or is still coming on. We use IV sedation, its controllable, easily reversible, easy to top up. Getting an OD under control when they are still absorbing from their gut is not easy. We like to think we learn from experience!

Jun8 13y ago

Exactly! My mom had to take one recently (she is about 70) and she was sick with worry, had a panic attack inside the machine. The crude, no-nonsense manner in which the technician handled her was the main cause. The cute pictures, etc. definitely help, at least with kids. But the real improvement would be a 5-min intro to the patient, perhaps a simple video clip, explaining the technology to put them at ease. Just reading his description of the response of the technician to the child's fear, you can see that it could have been handled much better.

sentenza 13y ago
The problem here is that you can't really explain the technology without freaking people out even more. Well, at least not without leaving out the "1 ton magnet spinning around you at crazy speeds" part. In any case, everybody goint into one of these things should at least be told that the machine works without ionizing radiation, i.e.: "Unlike a CT scanner, you are not at risk of getting cancer from this." Maybe that puts at least some people at ease.
- jonlucc 13y ago
  That might get them in the MR machine, but wait until tomorrow when they're in the CT lab. :)
- makomk 13y ago
  As far as I know, MRI machines have no moving parts aside from the bed that slides the patient in and out of the bore - the noise is entirely from coils expanding and contracting.