Having a Head Scan

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Hi,

After visiting my GP today about headaches I have been having for 8 weeks (I have suffered from migraines for well over a decade, but this has been generalised headaches as well as migraines), she is referring me for "a scan" due to the length of time I have had them, the fact I wake with them and the fact I wake up nauseous.

I'm not sure what type of scan it will be.

I'm not all that concerned about any results it might show at the moment, as the more pressing concern for me is the scan itself. I have Aspergers and am already beginning to get anxious over the procedure - I have no idea what to expect. I have sensory issues, as well as hyper-acute hearing and I think the scan will be loud in parts?

I also don't do well with new people or unfamiliar situations - they make me anxious. My anxiety tends to lead to a physical manifestation - I tap my hands on my legs, subtly rock backwards and forwards or bounce my leg. I seem unable to keep still in these situations. I know I will be expected to lie still for the scan.

Does anybody have any advice or experience they could share?

Thank you in advance.

I take chamomile to take the edge off my anxieties and it seems to help, but it doesn't entirely get rid of my stims (I sway side-to-side or rock back and forth unless I'm engaged in a specific task).

You can make it in a very strong tea (4 bags per cup), or take it in capsules (available online). I'm told it's nature's equivalent of Xanax. It helps calm me down without feeling stoned.

If it's an MRI, I've had five in the last two years. (Talk about expensive). The first was of my neck, after I was rear-ended in an automobile accident and done after the ER staff decided I'd needed it. For that one, I was still in shock and didn't know what to expect, which I think helped, since I didn't get the chance to get nervous about it.

The second was of my brain and was done with and without contrast, so it took a bit longer and was done at an outpatient center. (They have to first run the MRI without contrast, then bring you out and give you a shot with the contrast stuff, wait for it to take effect, then put you back in the machine). The challenging thing about the brain one was that I couldn't move my head, but they put it inside this little helmet thing (not sure what the technical term for it is), which restricts your movement and that probably helped.

The most challenging one was of my entire spine. It was technically three MRI's (cervical, thoracic and lumbar) without contrast and then three more of the same, done with contrast. So, that was a production. If I recall, I was there for a full afternoon and the majority of it was spent shoved inside the MRI tube, trying to lay still.

They aren't that bad, unless you get claustrophobic, in which case you might want to find a facility with an open machine. One of the issues with MRI's is that the machine itself is loud, so that can be difficult if you are sound-sensitive. They generally will offer you ear-plugs, if not headphones with your choice of music. I've tried both and, personally, I would go with the ear plugs, if you are very noise-sensitive, since the music doesn't really block out the noise from the machine.

What helped me a great deal was that I was lucky enough to get really cute MRI technicians and I wanted to play it cool and not get all neurotic and anxious when they put me inside the machine. So, that helped to keep me in line, lol. When I had to go back to the outpatient place six or seven months after the brain one to get the full spine one, I made it a point to schedule it during the cute guy's shift. He remembered me and we chatted and flirted a bit, so that was nice. Patrick, I think his name was. Anyway, I guess what I'm getting at is that, if you can find something (or someone ) to distract yourself and take your mind off of the procedure, that'll help and it'll be over with before you know it.

Best of luck!