Hi All, the clinic phoned me this morning and booked me in for a breast MRI for weds the 5th January i’m so scared about having the MRI and when they told me i was having dye injected in me, i started freaking out! because i suffer with bad anxiety anyway, i’m worried about the affects of this dye they are putting in me what if i have a severe allergic reaction from it ect…ect… never been so worried in my entire life.
Hi
I remember it well. I contacted my GP and asked for a sedative to help me manage my claustrophobia. Once I was being treated by the hospital, the oncologist would prescribe 2 lorazepam to take before chemo to ensure I didn’t do a runner. After a few sessions I didn’t need it (and I am the expert at anxiety and panic, believe me) so I use them for scans.
The dye really is nothing. You will have a cannula inserted into your hand beforehand (it doesn’t hurt at all) and a short saline flush which feels cool in the veins of the hand. You might get a taste in your throat but it’s harmless and is gone before you even think to tell the nurse! The scanner has a mirror so you can see what’s going on in the room. The scanner is very noisy - I don;t know why they say you can take music because you can’t hear it! They will tell you when the dye goes in, after they’ve done the first scan. You may feel a cold sensation going up your forearm but little else. Certain dyes do create sensations but you will be informed what to expect. I don’t think MRI contrast dye causes any discomfort.
You mention severe allergic reaction. It is highly unlikely unless you are prone to these, in which case the hospital should be informed, but they are always prepared with whatever is required so, as far as I’m aware, it doesn’t last long. In all my chemo and scans, I’ve only seen one woman have a minor reaction and she was sitting happily having her chemo 5 minutes later.
So, contact your GP. Be open about your anxiety, don’t play it down, and request specifically a sedative (probably diazepam). If your GP won’t help, contact the hospital and do the same thing. They don’t want panic attacks on their hands so may be more amenable. Apart from that, go to Headspace, Calm (2 apps recommended by the NHS) or YouTube videos on anxiety and practise every day, several times if you can. Build up some emotional strength so you know you can face these challenges.
I hope the results are good. All the best xx
Hi eeyore 58,
Please don’t be afraid! I had this in November, and had my op 10 December. Yes it is noisy and I asked them to switch the channel to classic fm! (Which really helped! It’s really relaxing ! ) the first few seconds/minutes I did think I’m not going to able to lay still here but honestly just think of other things and you will be fine. I don’t know if you will have to lay on your front like I did which is a bit scary but as long as you are prepared for it you will be ok. And you don’t feel the dye go in! They put the cannula in before you go into the scanner and they will tell you when they are going to do the one with the contrast. You wont feel it! They talk you through it all and give you a button to press if you need to speak to them or stop at anytime . Please don’t worry honestly. You can do it!
lots of love and hugs
sparkle 0103
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