[jaye944]

after many years of lower back pain, chiro treatments, osteo, xrays consultants, I'm sick of my back suddenly going, and being in 5 days of pain and spasms.

I know how to manage it, but now it's getting un predictable.

I have had chiro's, give me a "diagnosis" but looking for something more.
X-rays show nothing, so suggested an MRI

What should I expect for the visit.

I'm not claustrophobic but heard they may need to iv inject me with a dye ?
The request doesn't say anything about that.

Any insite ?

Definition of irony: Diabetic on insulin who is also a Needlephobe -

[CANGRKE70]

Originally Posted by jaye944

after many years of lower back pain, chiro treatments, osteo, xrays consultants, I'm sick of my back suddenly going, and being in 5 days of pain and spasms.

I know how to manage it, but now it's getting un predictable.

I have had chiro's, give me a "diagnosis" but looking for something more.
X-rays show nothing, so suggested an MRI

What should I expect for the visit.

I'm not claustrophobic but heard they may need to iv inject me with a dye ?
The request doesn't say anything about that.

Any insite ?

Definition of irony: Diabetic on insulin who is also a Needlephobe -

I've had 4 MRI's done in my day due to my college football injuries. 2 obliterated ACL, 1 MCL tear and a herniated disc.

Nothing to be afraid of. Yes for some injuries they may need to inject dye.

[TomHudson]

I had an MRI done last month. No big deal, I just close my eyes and let the machine make all its crazy noises.
If you have any history of metal fragments that could be in your eye, they will have to do x-rays. MRIs and metal, do not get along very well.
There are no dyes, at least not in my case.

FYI, my MRI was for lower back problems as well.

Overall it was a well organized, non-scary experience.

[someguywithanm3]

Wear ear plugs because those machines are loud. Just enjoy and try to catch some zzzzzs.

[mko9]

I had an MRI of my lower back a few years back. No dye injection for my scan (or a later MRI of my heel). As said, it is pretty loud. I put in ear plugs and took a bit of a nap for 30-45min while it clunked and whirred away. It is pretty damn claustrophobic in the tube, so I just kept my eyes closed the entire time.

[Wolf 335]

Had one done years ago. I'm not claustrophobic but all I could think about was this is what it must feel being buried alive. Keep your eyes close as mentioned. The noise will eventually start to sound like a musical beat.

[UncleWede]

MAKE SURE you get comfortable when they are setting you up. Moving during the 30-45 minutes of any substantial amount, you get to schedule it again.

Don't lay there and ponder that very weird fact that you are suddenly exposing all your tissue, organs, bones to more magnetic force than the entire Earth uses to protect you from the solar radiation that bombards the planet each and every second. And don't think about aliens probing you via that magnetic force. Unless your nurse is hot and you want her to 'see'

[zx10guy]

Just had one done. My situation is very different than yours as it was to focus on my small bowel. As others said the machine is loud. The tech had a box of ear plugs to give to patients going through the scan. For my situation, I had to drink both the contrast, get some contrast injected into me via an IV, and an injection to slow the movement of my small bowel.

During the scan the hardest part was having to hold my breath and stay still. I had to do this through out what was about 30 or so minutes of the scan. And the intervals of when I had to hold my breath and how long varied a lot. It would have been helpful if I was told how long I needed to hold my breath. There were times I had to start breathing because it felt like I had to hold my breath for about a minute and a half to 2 minutes. As a reference, I don't have any issues holding my breath during CT scans.

And finally, I got really jacked up after the MRI scan. Never felt that way before. Felt nauseous and off balance. I'm attributing it to that injection to relax/slow my small bowel.

As with any scans, I always recommend getting a copy of the scan images on CD which they can provide to you if you ask. I always ask for scan images on CD before I leave the facility. I have to wait a bit but to me it's no big deal. Also, request a copy of the radiology report for your records. With all the bloody scans I've had to go through over the past 5 years, I have a stack of CDs and radiology reports.

[Mr Tonka]

Just hope the injection isn't an arthrogram. That shit was no fun.

They give you a local anesthetic and then insert the needle used to administer the contrast. Then, while the needle is hanging out of you, they do another scan and adjust the needle closer to the joint they want to fill with contrast. Then scan again, then adjust the needle, then scan again, etc.... until they get the needle into the proper joint. Then they inject the contrast into the joint just before doing the MRI.

Takes awhile for the fluid to drain out of your joint and until then, it felt like my shoulder was going to pop out of the socket from the pressure. Most people say it's not so bad, but the idiot that did mine was a 1st year resident and had to adjust the contrast needle about 6 times before hitting my shoulder socket. And i'm pretty sure he didn't administer all of the local anesthetic as i felt the contrast needle move every time.

Good times.

I don't think that's a procedure for back scans though. Either way, the only thing you might feel is a general anesthetic needle which is about the size of an insulin needle, from what i've seen anyway.

You'll be fine. I hope they find something conclusive and are able to do something about it to help you. Good luck!

[UncleWede]

Dang Mr Tonka , that sounds like the experience I had when they put a catheter around an infection on my liver, so they could drain off a part. I still have mental issues touching that scar on my side.

Stuck the catheter in, took an x-ray. Adjusted it more, another x-ray. I was just holding the button on the morphine drip down the whole time. The only time I have ever vomited from pain.

[Mr Tonka]

No, yours sounds much worse than mine.

Mine really wasn't that bad but once i found out the guy that did mine was a 1st year resident doing pretty much this procedure for the first time, it seemed much worse. Especially once i heard from other people who had it done without incident or much pain.

My wife was auditing the financial side of that facility at the time and asked the manager about it. Manger pulled my file and told my wife about the 1st year, 1st procedure stuff. lol

[jaye944]

txs all, much appreciated

and yes there is a portal where I can get the reports as well

[UncleWede]

I might have been near my physical/musculature prime at the time, but the Dr. who did the procedure had arms like Ed Hochuli (NFL ref). He could have easily put the needle thru my ribs bones instead of the space.

I told him I was going to puke, he said just turn my head to the side and do it, but don't move. So I turned my head in the natural direction to HIS side. The forearm shiver to my jaw could have mercifully broken my neck and killed me. Instead, I puked in a little spittle bucket my nurse-friend held for me. Don't move? you're jamming needles and catheters into my side!

Don't move. . . .

[KingOfJericho]

I had one in middle school for back pain. They told me to bring my favorite cassette tape (dating myself lol) and they played music the whole time which made it go by with ease. I brought Motley Crue - Dr.Feelgood (dating myself again), which was the only album on which I liked every song.

Though the whole procedure is something like 45 minutes, they usually consist of multiple scans in shorter windows. I think they ended up having to redo one of them and it was like 8 min.

Good luck!

[jaye944]

you do realize, your reply isnt helping

Originally Posted by UncleWede

I might have been near my physical/musculature prime at the time, but the Dr. who did the procedure had arms like Ed Hochuli (NFL ref). He could have easily put the needle thru my ribs bones instead of the space.

I told him I was going to puke, he said just turn my head to the side and do it, but don't move. So I turned my head in the natural direction to HIS side. The forearm shiver to my jaw could have mercifully broken my neck and killed me. Instead, I puked in a little spittle bucket my nurse-friend held for me. Don't move? you're jamming needles and catheters into my side!

Don't move. . . .

[Habs11]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Just had one done. My situation is very different than yours as it was to focus on my small bowel. As others said the machine is loud. The tech had a box of ear plugs to give to patients going through the scan. For my situation, I had to drink both the contrast, get some contrast injected into me via an IV, and an injection to slow the movement of my small bowel.

During the scan the hardest part was having to hold my breath and stay still. I had to do this through out what was about 30 or so minutes of the scan. And the intervals of when I had to hold my breath and how long varied a lot. It would have been helpful if I was told how long I needed to hold my breath. There were times I had to start breathing because it felt like I had to hold my breath for about a minute and a half to 2 minutes. As a reference, I don't have any issues holding my breath during CT scans.

And finally, I got really jacked up after the MRI scan. Never felt that way before. Felt nauseous and off balance. I'm attributing it to that injection to relax/slow my small bowel.

As with any scans, I always recommend getting a copy of the scan images on CD which they can provide to you if you ask. I always ask for scan images on CD before I leave the facility. I have to wait a bit but to me it's no big deal. Also, request a copy of the radiology report for your records. With all the bloody scans I've had to go through over the past 5 years, I have a stack of CDs and radiology reports.

What's cool is even w/o medical training you can get a feel for how bad things are.

To the OP - just as many others have said:

Bring music if that's your thing
Ear plugs if no earbuds
Close your eyes - seriously it's freaky when you are in there
Comfortable - most important is to get comfortable between each rep

And i think unclewede forgot to mention the alien portal that opens with such magnetic strength. hot nurse of not that twitching you feel is tiny, banished form their own world, aliens entering your blood stream to remain until . . . .

[UncleWede]

^ until they grow into 1MOREMOD

Sometimes the strength of the magnetism negatively effects their leg growth

[KwlAznKid]

Nothing to be nervous about, just lay down and take a nap and hear some banging sounds.

[rad doc]

First, you do not need contrast (dye) unless you have had back surgery or history of cancer. A lot of docs screw up and order it wrong. Nothing to be worried about though. Just a bit loud and tight space.

Second, please go to good quality facility. Large hospital, etc. Not some shady bargain basement imaging center. Sure it will cost you less but the images will suck and it isn't worth the savings. There is a HUGE spectrum of MRI quality. I would look for at least a 1.5 tesla magnet, 3T even better. Forget open magnets unless you don't fit in the standard tube or are severely claustrophobic.

[rad doc]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

No, yours sounds much worse than mine.

Mine really wasn't that bad but once i found out the guy that did mine was a 1st year resident doing pretty much this procedure for the first time, it seemed much worse. Especially once i heard from other people who had it done without incident or much pain.

My wife was auditing the financial side of that facility at the time and asked the manager about it. Manger pulled my file and told my wife about the 1st year, 1st procedure stuff. lol

Third, MR Tonka your description of an arthrogram is for someone that has no f'in clue what they are doing. There should have been staff there to help him. Awful. Do not go back. Should take 3 minutes, needle in and out. Done. Relatively painless, no back and forth checking needle.

[Fundguy1]

Torn CAL. Lied back and rested. No biggie.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by KwlAznKid

Nothing to be nervous about, just lay down and take a nap and hear some banging sounds.

your version of pillow talk?