Don't worry - you go in for your regular MRI - then they pull you out of the tube for a minute, inject the contrast and you go back in for anothere 5-10 minutes - it's like a litte break - you can wiggle around and get comforable again, breathe some air, etc. no big deal, you'll see. Good luck! Diane

When I had an MRI with and with out contrast I was in the machine for 45 min. I think?

Hi Brenni
like d lee says they pull you out for a bit to stretch.
I do two things cause I am claustrophobic
1) Tell tech just to say something every now and then
he does
2) he puts a wash cloth on my eyes before I go in.
When I had 4 done at the hopsital (3 done in same time) the tech put that wash cloth on my eyes and it calmed me.

thanks for letting me know! this really helps! When I had my MRI done in May there was a mirror at the end of the machine so I could see out and I was fine, but I'm going to a different place for this one so I don't know how there's is set up. I'm not claustrophobic, I just can't sit still! :)

Bren no coffee (jk)
It is hard to sit still
But glad you are going. Let me know how you are when you get results.
(Hugs) Mary

IF they have music/earphone try to use them...it blocks out the noise (a Bit) It doesn't take more than an hour and the dye is no big deal. Make sure they put a pillow under your knees so that your legs don't cramp!

I'll let you know the results when I know them. Unless they tell me on Saturday though, I won't find out till the end of January because that's when I see my doctor next.

I've only had one MRI since I was diagnosed and I wanted to hear everything that was going on. It was an open MRI too, so it wasn't all that bad. But this time my dr. set me up for a head and spine MRI. she said it would be free so I don't know if it's going to be open or not. I don't know how I'll react! I figured with the open MRI, I would get all wrapped up in the music and open my eyes and think I was having some kind of weird nightmare and then I'd freak out! I don't like being closed up and laying on my back is even worse. I don't know how that's going to work.

the contrast thing will only take a few more minutes, just like DLEE wrote. However, if you're getting a brain MRI or a brain & spine MRI is where the time difference is. The brain only was about 45 min, the brain & spine MRI was over 3 hours!

Hi ... it is a long procedure to have both done at the same time. I would suggest that you schedule them on different days or perhaps one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.. I had an awful time doing them both together. My legs were shaking, my head was bobbing, etc. I hope you get this figured out and I'll be thinking of you and waiting to see how it goes.

i'm only having it done on my spine, not on my brain. I thought that was weird since my last mri on my brain was in may. I don't know why he didn't order a brain one too...

When I had my brain and spine MRI done it took over 3 hours. I asked for a pillow under my legs because my legs were cramping up and my back was killing me. The pulled me out 3 times. All three times I asked to stand up for a minute. It was long but it had to be done. Good luck- I'll be thinking about you.

Call your doctor's office and let them know about your difficulty being still for so long. Make sure you have a driver, and ask for something to help you relax.