I am having an MRI Head scan tomorrow but don’t know a lot about it.
If you can answer the following questions it would really help
Will i need an injection of the contrast stuff they use?
Will i need to put on a gown or stay in my own clothes?
How long does it take?
Are there any side effects?
Anymore information anyone has would be good.
Please only answer if you know about it/had it done, i am fed up of people answering things just to get worthless points.
Category: MRI
Oh no! says:
Depends on the type of scan you are having but probably not
Usually just in your own clothes but you’ll need to remove anything metallic so avoid taking that with you if you can.
About 10 mins for the scan maybe even less
No, it is non invasive and doesn’t use radiation like a CT scan
Beast101087 says:
1) You won’t need any contrast. The only injection you may need is if you’re claustrophobic, they may sedate you if you’re hysterical.
2) Not sure on the clothing issue, it’s down to individual hospital policy. General guidelines on infection control would have you wearing a gown
3) An MRI scan usually takes 30-45 minutes
4)There are absolutely no side effects. It is a magnetic scan that doesn’t use ionising radiation (which is used in xray and CT scans)
There’s not much more information to give, it’s a long scan and you will be in quite a tight tube, but unless you’re claustrophobic then you’ll be fine!
Hope this helps
Justme says:
Will i need an injection of the contrast stuff they use?
Only if your test was ordered as “MRI with contrast”. You can have it with or without the contrast. It all depends on what your doctor is looking for. Simply ask the technician when you arrive.
Will i need to put on a gown or stay in my own clothes?
I never had to undress and was allowed to stay in my own clothes. They will ask you to remove any necklaces, earrings, or if you have any piercings in or around your head/neck area.
How long does it take?
This depends on what they are looking for. They can set the machine to scan at different measurements and if they want a very precise look it can take longer. I would estimate no more than 30-45 minutes.
Are there any side effects?
If you do have an injection of contrast material, there is a chance that you could be allergic to the dye. Other than that, there should be no side effects.
Anymore information anyone has would be good.
It’s a little confining in the MRI machine. They will have to strap you down so you are as still as possible. This can make some people anxious. If you feel at all worried or have any claustrophobia, please talk to your doctor about prescribing a small dose of Valium to help.
Good luck!
nickipettis says:
EASY. i’ve had one.
contrast stuff – maybe. it depends on what they are looking for.
if you wear ALL cotton and no bra ( no metal anywhere, no earrings)
they will usually let you wear your own clothes. But some places have rules that you have to wear their stuff – they are worried about you being injured by metal.
How long? about 5 minutes. maybe 7.
if they have to do it again, double that.
Side effects – i had the injection stuff, it made my sinuses get clogged – instantly.
it feels like your blood gets a tad warmer. it is not uncomfortable at all.
sometimes the machine makes loud sounds. it is just the machine – not anything happening to you.
Really, you just lie there. nothing painful.
ahw says:
Depending on what the scan is going to be used for, you may need a shot or a drink of the dye/contrast stuff. Ask your doctor–sometimes you have to fast, so it’s a good idea to know ahead of time. The stuff you drink is not as tasty as Jamba Juice, but you can stomach it.
You will probably have to put on a gown if you have any metal at all. Take out all body jewelry and take off all other jewelry. The MRI is all magnets so if you leave metal on your body or even in the zipper of your jeans, you can mess up the image, the machine, or yourself.
It takes an hour or two, so set aside a good three hours from checkin to when you leave. You have to stay in the machine for a long time, but they will give you earphones so you can relax. You can’t bring your own iPod though. :-/ Ask ahead of time if you are allowed to bring a CD of music that they will put on for you while you are in there. I’ve brought books on CD to some of my appointments. It really helps you stay still.
And you have to hold completely still–it’s difficult to fall asleep because the machine makes a loud popping/banging noise. It doesn’t hurt at all, but you might feel a bit claustrophobic. There are two types of MRI mahines, closed and open, but both feel kind of closed to me, in my opinion. The room stays brightly lit and the machine is light colored, so you won’t feel alone or in the dark. Also, the radiologist is in the room next door and you are on a microphone with the headphones, so you won’t feel at all alone.
It’ll be over before you know it. Good luck!
Ms. F says:
I had an MRI about 6 years ago due to some seizures that i started having out of the blue. They did not give me an injection of any kind, I stayed in my own clothes, I did have to take anything that was metal off since the machine is a powerful magnet (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). I think I was in there for about 20min and no side effects. It’s not as bad as you may think. You do hear a noise that comes and goes and sounds like a hammer hitting metal. The one I was in had a mirror above you so when you looked in the mirror you could see everything in the room (so you do feel claustrophobic). Just make sure you stay very still so the images are clear. Just close your eyes and relax. No biggie! Good Luck!
Kristy D says:
You made need an injection of contrast solution approximately half way through the scan ( they’ll take you out the machine and inject you, then put you back in.)- so then they can compare with injection and without!!
You can wear you own clothes just nothing metal
( no zips buttons, belts etc…) if you do wear clothes with metals parts they’ll give you a gown to wear.
Depends on what there scanning for on how long it takes ( don’t move because it will take longer. mine was about 20/25 Min’s to check results of of brain heammarage .
I had no side effects and i wasn’t told of any.
Hope goes well
Rhianna says:
I had one a few years back. Sometimes the contrast injection is needed. You have to lie in a cylinder magnet (tunnel).You will need to change into a gown. As you are exposed to a strong magnetic field you must also remove all jewellery and your bra (as the bra contains metal clips). You need to lie completely still. If you move, they will have to re-image and this makes the whole process longer.
If they are just scanning your brain, it takes about 45 minutes, if they are scanning your neck as well, it will take a little over an hour. There are no known dangers or side effects associated with the MRI scan. Radiation is not used. There is a rare risk that you might have an allergic reaction if having the contrast dye injected.
You can bring your own CD’s with you if you wish. It is quite noisy in there- it sounds like someone banging on a metal door. You will be given ear muffs to block the sound out.