I have some questions in regards to MRIs... I'm going to spew out my story and ask my questions at the end... feel free to skip to the end if you do not wish to read my spew. haha
I had my MRI today, it was a brain and Cervical spine MRI... they started with my neck.. they laid my down on the table and gave me a shaped pillow to put under my knees and lower legs.. once I was in the tube, my legs and knees started to twitch and I couldn't get them to stop. I don't know if I was laying weird or if how I was positioned with my head was causing issues...
It took about 30 minutes to do my neck MRI and they told me I couldn't swallow... which was hard but I did it... and then, they said that the machine glitched and was frozen, the images were saved but they needed to restart the program, computers and machine and couldn't get me out of the tube until everything was rebooted... I'm not claustrophobic so it was good but my legs would not stop twitching! I didn't know what to do.
My brain MRI took about 20 minutes... so all in all I was in the tube for a little over an hour.
so here are my questions:
1. how long was your MRI (time in the tube) in total?
2. have you ever been "stuck" because of a glitch? --> I kind of felt like they said it was a glitch when really they were getting someone to come look at the scan.. the technologist had that "don't worrying nothing is wrong but something is really wrong" tone.
3. how long does it normally take for your doctor to receive the results? --> they told me my doctor would have the results in about a week
4. has anyone else had part of their bodies twitch uncontrollably when in the tube?
4.a) should I be really concerned that my legs were twitching??
5. how have you or how would you handle the news that either a) nothing is wrong and they don't know why you are having non stop super painful headaches or b) something is seriously wrong and you are looking a life time of pain or more surgery?
Thank you for your help and advise and anything else you can give me.
I’ve had twitching before, some time it’s full body, or just a finger or toe. The leg twitching I’ve had before and it was before surgery, I could make my legs twitch if I touched a certain part of my neck near the base of my skull, again that was before surgery and before my diagnosis. it’s a very strange feeling to have been twitching for an hour. I don’t think they were spasms but I’m not a doctor… I did adjust how I was laying when they pulled me out of the tube to change the head piece on the machine but I continued to twitch.
I wasn’t nervous or anything, I’m one of those whackdots that love getting these tests done… I try to count how many sounds are in each test sequence and how many different tones I hear (like I said, I’m a bit strange).
I got nervous when the she said the machine glitched because her tone sounded more like the tone when someone doesn’t want to give you bad news and they try to be all calm and composed but their tone is forced… I’m not sure if I’m describing it well… but most of us know that tone like when you are called into someone’s office and you ask if you are in trouble and they say no no of course not… and then the conversation is about a huge mistake you made or something.
Also the MRI made me feel worse… I know it was probably the magnets and loudness making everything worse but this MRI wiped me out… I just had a 4 hour ‘nap’ (I just woke up) and I actually slept for more than 30 minutes during this nap (real sleep is very rare in my life at the moment)
My MRI's have taken 45 minutes to almost two hours. They always said it would take longer than it did-I hold still really well! I have had twitching muscle spasms in my eyes, thighs, calves, neck, etc. but not specifically during an MRI. MRI's don't use radioactive materials but rather a magnet. If you have tattoos, any type of implant, etc. it can cause irritation. But also, some people can have a sensation when magnets are involved. Think about the magnetic bracelets that are labeled as healing or pain managing. I wouldn't worry too much, especially if it stopped once the MRI was over.
As for the "glitch" absolutely. Especially if you're at a local hospital or a smaller place.Those machines cost literally millions of dollars so they don't replace them like every year. It is very understandable that it would freeze up. Their end is a computer receiving hundreds of pictures in seconds which puts a lot of strain on a computer. I will add that they probably wanted you to remain in that position because all of those machines have a manual override to remove you from the tube. The older ones, the technician actually slides you in (I had two in this kind.) They were probably hoping it would be quick and not worry you.
I have had the twitching before also but not like that during an MRI. I know if you move or breathe when they tell you to be still will throw off the picture reading and they will have to do a repeat. I got my cervical, Flow study, and Lumbar spine done all at once and got my disk to take to my doctor right after my MRI Scan. The doctor got the report within 24 hours. I would make a call to your Doctor to see if they got the results. Just to be on the safe side. Not to alarm you but a week is to long for you to wait if your headaches are really bad.