I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question but here I go.
I am 2 1/2 years out from having my coiling done. I have followed up with Cerebral Angiograms and this year I was supposed to have a MRA ( not MRI) which is 3 times stronger than an MRI . I couldn't do it. I don't know what happened I was doing ok and then I started getting extremely hot in my shoulders and felt like I was going to faint. I had to signal to be taken out of the machine. I am so disappointed in myself for not being able to complete the test. I went out to my car and had a good cry. Has any one else had this procedure done? is there any other test that can be done? I have to call the doctor and tell her I couldn't do it, I know she is going to be disappointed in me. I guess I just needed to talk to someone else who might have gone thru the same thing.
I was told that the MRA is often a routine part of a brain MRI, extending the length of the procedure by some time. That said, I had an MRA during my brain scan earlier this year, and (I think) four years prior as well. I found it very loud and stressful. I think the combination of keeping perfectly still and the fact that the space is so small can really amplify any anxieties we might have. I too have felt warmth while in the machine. I'm not sure if it is actually caused by the procedure itself, or just the nerves. Still, I think it is harmless. Perhaps you can get some medication to help you relax, or if the machine is equipped with them, you could ask for headphones/music.
Yeah, I also think it sounds like a panic attack. I’ve been offered sedatives both times I’ve had them done but was okay without the sedatives. But other people I know always say yes. So it’s not uncommon to feel anxiety in there! A friend brings her iPod which they plug in for her to listen to. Don’t beat yourself up about it!
I am so sorry this happened too...it sounds like you were having an "anxiety attack" which can happen to anyone esp in that MRI/MRA tube...I think you should share what happened to you with your Doctor and she/he should not judge you at all...but either find another test for you and/or give you something to make you sleepy and calm through the MRI/MRA...Bless your Heart...we all have been through a lot and then to have things like this happen...don't beat yourself up...you are human...~ Gotcha in my Thoughts ~ Colleen
hi Betty ! nooo not a fool-it's a normal phobia condition of the mind, i'm curious was there dye or contrast involved? I've heard of warm flush feeling associated with dye but i did not, anyways good luck- i'm sure you'll do better next time with the others advice and don't be shy about voicing your condition and asking for a helper med~~~
I don't recall anything of that nature with the MRA w/contrast or with the Angiogram with contrast....There are loads of people who have trouble with the regular MRI, you're certainly not alone there! don't be so hard on yourself! If you've got an RX for an anti-anxiety drug like Ativan or Xanax, they can be very helpful when facing these tests we have to endure....Its very likely infact that you won't have to go thru that particular test again as there are 'open MRI's"-- a life saver for those of us who have a hard time with the regular MRI's. Peace to you as you go thru it all, Janet
I am scheduled for my first MRA after coiling. They automatically prescribed 1 mg of Xanax to take one hour before the procedure and one to take at the time of the procedure. It was either Xanax or twilight sleep, which they said was more complicated, as it involves an anesthesiologist. I am deathly afraid of confined places, and am now thinking I need the twilight sleep instead of the Xanax.
