CPAP during MRI???

[Janknitz]

I have an MRI scheduled for next week, and I'm thinking up all sorts of things to feel anxious about. I'll be taking an Ativan to help me relax since I'm a little (spell that a LOT) claustrophobic. I'm hoping I'll actually fall asleep during it (somehow!), but then I worry about apnea and snoring, especially since I'll be on my back about 3 1/2 hours (brain and heart scans).

Is there any chance CPAP can be used during the MRI (I'm guess NOT and I'm too embarassed to ask my doctor or the MRI people because it's probably an incredibly dumb question)? I think it would make me a little more comfortable if I could somehow use the cpap, so at least I'd know I'm not suffocating because of the comfort of the airflow.

Any tips for getting through the MRI are appreciated.

BTW, I'm fine. I have a congenital heart condition, and apparently this is the new-fangled way to image the heart for aging congenital patients. Because my heart condition involved blood vessels too, they have to go looking for stuff in the brain as well. Seems like a whole lot of trouble for nothing, since my condition has been quite stable since I had surgery in 1968.

[chunkyfrog]

Since only the hose and mask would need to be free of metal,
I'm guessing there is a metal-free air hose for that purpose.
How else could they do an MRI on a patient on a ventilator?
Go ahead and ask; this is probably not as unusual as you might think.
Request an 'open' MRI--it's the only kind I've ever had--DH had the other kind.

[kaiasgram]

I have an MRI scheduled for next week, and I'm thinking up all sorts of things to feel anxious about. I'll be taking an Ativan to help me relax since I'm a little (spell that a LOT) claustrophobic. I'm hoping I'll actually fall asleep during it (somehow!), but then I worry about apnea and snoring, especially since I'll be on my back about 3 1/2 hours (brain and heart scans).
Is there any chance CPAP can be used during the MRI (I'm guess NOT and I'm too embarassed to ask my doctor or the MRI people because it's probably an incredibly dumb question)? I think it would make me a little more comfortable if I could somehow use the cpap, so at least I'd know I'm not suffocating because of the comfort of the airflow.
Any tips for getting through the MRI are appreciated.
BTW, I'm fine. I have a congenital heart condition, and apparently this is the new-fangled way to image the heart for aging congenital patients. Because my heart condition involved blood vessels too, they have to go looking for stuff in the brain as well. Seems like a whole lot of trouble for nothing, since my condition has been quite stable since I had surgery in 1968.

Jan, I had a recent MRI at the Vacaville Kaiser -- last month in fact. I honestly have no idea about using a cpap machine for an MRI but I suspect the hassle of trying to get permission to use cpap and lugging it to the appointment, setting it up, etc., would actually add to the stress of the whole thing.

The MRI machine is rather noisy, plus the tech will sometimes be speaking to you through an intercom inside the MRI tube, so there's not much chance of falling asleep with just a bit of ativan (especially if you're a little or a lot anxious). As for the claustrophobia, I've had MRIs at a couple of area Kaiser facilities, and the MRI machine has been pretty light inside (I was surprised, I expected it to be pitch black in there!), and they circulate air inside, you can feel the 'breeze.' The first time I had one I just closed my eyes before they slid me into the tube -- I felt the air flow and then I was ok, just visualized my happy place. Please please feel welcome to pm me if you want a little more support; I'd also be happy to talk to you "neighbor."

Oh, and is your MRI with contrast? If so, it is not like the contrast material they use for CT scans -- I felt nothing from it (other than the i.v. to administer it), and no side effects during or after.

[avi123]

claustrophobia is a sort of an anxiety disorder for which Xanax (Alprazolam is the generic) is prescribed. 0.5 mg Alprazolam ER could ease your anxiety for a whole day. as to a CPAP, I don't think that for head MRI there is space for FF mask. But there may be for nasal pillows. There are smaller and larger opening MRI machines. I would consult with the Radiologist.

They could pump music, or news, into your headphone!

[LSAT]

For any MRI of the head, your head is in a cage type contraption. I had a brain scan MRI several months ago that took about 45 minutes. I did not find it uncomfortable. They gave me earphones with music but the machine makes so much noise that I couldn,t hear much music. Can you go somewhere that has an 'open' MRI?

[chunkyfrog]

If you have a hearing aid--leave it at home, or it could get fried.

[amos]

Jan,

I had kidney cancer several years ago and have at least one MRI each year now. I hate them with a passion, even though it was an MRI that found the original cancer. I, too, take meds beforehand. I think that using a cpap machine during the procedure is impractical if not impossible. Here are several reasons:

1. Since your MRI is to be of the chest and head areas, you will probably have to go into the machine head first. There is little or no room for cpap hoses.

2. My MRIs are of the abdomin and there is a lot of "breathe", "don't breathe", "hold your breath" involved. They want you to be awake so that you can respond to their commands.

3. There is a lot of movement of the bed involved in order to get different views of the same areas.

After I am strapped in, I try to go to my "happy place" until it is over.

Hope this helps.

amos

[Julie]

There cannot be any metal at all on you or around you or in the MRI room, so I wouldn't think about it, plus there's no room in the machine, plus it's very noisy.

[chunkyfrog]

Maybe time to listen to a good audio book?

[Slartybartfast]

I spent an afternoon in an open MRI machine about 3 years ago when the Medicine Man was still trying to figure out why I was coming down with bronchitis every 6 weeks. It was of my lungs. Chest X-ray showed some thickening which turned out to be calcification. The experience was much ado about nothing. It was really not all it was cracked up to be. Way overbilled. Not worth the price of admission. Just passed through a ring and the machine made a moderate amount of noise, but nowhere near what people told me it would make. I just held still and mentally recited the Alice's Restaurant Massacree, Parts 1 and 2,** a couple of times and it was over.

The tech warned me about claustrophobia and so forth, but, like my first colonoscopy, when it was over I found myself wondering what all the fuss was about. I think some people tell others how bad it was, and they tell others and exaggerate (or fabricate) the bad part and others hear about that and let their anticipatory anxiety get the better of them.

Just go in with an open mind knowing you're not the first one to have the test and don't dwell on it.

** http://www.arlo.net/resources/lyrics/alices.shtml

"We walked in, sat down, Obie came in, sat down. Man came in said, 'All rise.' We stood up,
Obie stood up, and the Judge walked in sat down with a seeing eye dog, and the dog
sat down. We sat down.

Obie looked at the seeing eye dog, and then at the
twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles and arrows
and a paragraph on the back of each one, and looked at the seeing eye dog.
And then at twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles
and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one . . . and began to cry,
Obie came to the realization that it was a typical case of American
Blind Justice, and there wasn't nothing he could do about it . . .

So we had to pay $50 and pick up the garbage."

[JohnO]

especially since I'll be on my back about 3 1/2 hours (brain and heart scans).

Is the appointment scheduled to last 3.5 hours, or do you expect the time in the machine to be 3.5 hours? From my one scan, I'd expect it to be about 30-45 minutes in the machine for each scan. Now, the whole appointment might be that long for prep time, review time, etc, but that seems to be a really long time to be in the machine.

Sure, the machine is narrow, but you can usually see out (sometimes with the help of a mirror) plus you can talk to people, which can help with the concern about claustrophobia. I feel much more stressed in a crowd pressing in around me (like exiting from a stadium) than I did in the MRI machine. The banging noise is what was most disturbing to me. Mainly because I was not expecting it. Knowing about the noise, I don't think it would bother me a second time.

[Slartybartfast]

That's right. They'll likely run an IV in your arm with an iodide solution (I think) and there is quite a lot of fooling around prior to actually starting the scan. Tech will ask you if you feel warm, or have any odd feeling from the iodide. I told him I didn't even notice it, and I really didn't. I remember it was about a 3 hour procedure, but the total time in the ring was maybe 30 minutes.

[kteague]

I've had a few MRI's and prefer the open ones, but even with those, I can't imagine how a cpap could work in that setting. And I'd be concerned the magnetic fields would damage the machine. Used to work in a hospital, and one doc was known for forgetting and walking in the room with his wallet in his pocket. Wiped his credit cards every time. Maybe the technology has changed since then.

As for tips - yes to the meds. And what I did was close my eyes even before lying down. Silly me, when they said I was almost done the first time, I opened my eyes, wanting to get the full experience. LOL Regretted that decision when I had to go back for another one. The noise was patterned so I played a little game doing jingles to the sounds, as if they were sound tracks to the music in my head. Anything you have memorized - nursery rhymes, whatever - quote them in your head to the beats. Just don't move your mouth. LOL

[Slartybartfast]

Just hum silently to yourself:

"You can get anything you want
At Alice's restaurant.
You can get anything you want
At Alice's restaurant.
Walk right in, it's around the back,
Just a half a mile from the railroad track.
You can get anything you want
At Alice's restaurant (exceptin' Alice),
At Alice's restaurant."

[JointPain]

Best wishes for your test. I am also VERY claustrophobic and I sure hope your test goes a lot better than my first one (which ended up not going). For the brain scan your head will also be in a small "cage" to keep it in position. After my first aborted attempt, they offered me some anti-anxiety medication (serious stuff apparently, since I had to bring a driver), but that was out as soon as they heard "CPAP" (afraid I'd go to sleep and not wake up again). And the MRI is kind of relaxing once you get past the initial terrors, although I was never close to sleeping (without the meds obviously).

I found that keeping my eyes very, very closed was absolutely essential. The tech is always just outside and ready to rush in and get you if necessary (I know that part works. ). I found an adequate way to pass the time was having something to repeat over and over to myself. I also asked the tech to keep me appraised of progress in between the different scans. (There are about 6-8 different scans for the brain part. The machine makes different sounds for each of them, and there's a short pause in between during which you and the tech can talk.) The techs also told me it was possible to break out of the head cage, but they really didn't want me to put my hands anywhere near it since it was very fragile and horrendously expensive. But that was helpful for me to know.

Go for an "open" MRI if you can. Note that it's only not as bad as a normal MRI machine, not an actual pleasurable experience. I had to get my doctor's approval since the open MRI has poorer resolution that the regular one.