Have small bowel MRI tomorrow, looking for some advice

[RickUK]

Got appt at 12pm January 8th. Have followed the diet sheet, radiographer basically told me that the healthier stuff is what I had to avoid eating if i could.

Was looking for some advice on the test itself, all I have been told/know about is a contrast dye they're going to inject into me. Some other research seems to say I will be given a bowel relaxant, sedative and have to drink over a litre of liquid.

Anyone had a small bowel MRI who can confirm this?

(also, i found it a bit weird that the foods you're allowed to eat are the fattier, unhealthy ones as oppose to healthy stuff)

 

[valleysangel92]

Yeah that's so you avoid having too much fibre so you aren't all backed up and the contrast gets through.

I've had 2 MRI scans. The first one I had to drink about a litre and a half of contrast, the second time around they let me just drink 3/4 of a litre, but I am tiny and weighed about 7.5 st at the time plus I've had some bowel removed.

I'm sorry to say the contrast tastes nasty, and in some cases can have a laxative effect. (don't worry, you get a button to press if you need to get out of the scanner.)

The scan itself isn't too bad, it can be a bit uncomfortable laying flat on the bed and being strapped in, and it takes about 45 mins. They will give you headphones (take a CD with you and they may play it for you, my hospital does) and will keep talking to you. You will get instructions to hold your breath etc. As I mentioned you will get a panic button which you can press if something is wrong.


On both occasions I've also had IV bowel relaxant, which can make your vision a little blurred so they'll ask you to stay in the department until it's cleared. They also inject iv contrast. This can make you feel a bit funny and cause a warming sensation that can make it feel like you've wet yourself but don't worry - you won't!

I've never been given a sedative before my scans, I think that's usually reserved for children and people who suffer from anxiety or bad clostrophobia.

 

[RickUK]

Thanks a lot! Is the contrast I drink the same as the one they'll inject? Bowel relaxant Im guessing would be to reduce chance of blurred scans?

The diet sheet is quite contradicting though because some people I have read on forums haven't stuck to the diet plan at all and still had a fine MRI scan.

 

[valleysangel92]

It's a different one I think, they inject some to show your veins etc. Yeah the relaxant is to stop your gut contracting so they get the clear picture, but it relaxes everything so hence blurred eyes etc. My eyes watered on my second scan and made them think I was crying.

Yeah I've seen that but I've also seen people who have ignored the advice and ended up with a report that said they couldn't see anything because the bowel was full of stool, and they had to go through the whole thing again. So they do give the instructions for a reason.

 

[RickUK]

It's a different one I think, they inject some to show your veins etc. Yeah the relaxant is to stop your gut contracting so they get the clear picture, but it relaxes everything so hence blurred eyes etc. My eyes watered on my second scan and made them think I was crying.

Yeah I've seen that but I've also seen people who have ignored the advice and ended up with a report that said they couldn't see anything because the bowel was full of stool, and they had to go through the whole thing again. So they do give the instructions for a reason.

I have had a bowel movement about 30mins ago. Think i have to stop drinking and eating at midnight? Going to be hard not drinking for 12hrs

 

[valleysangel92]

You can still have stool in your intestine even if you've had regular motions, some of it is unavoidable but some people really get caught out when they don't stick to the hospitals instructions.
When I've had mine it's been for 6 hours before the scan.. You should of been given specific instructions?

 

[RickUK]

You can still have stool in your intestine even if you've had regular motions, some of it is unavoidable but some people really get caught out when they don't stick to the hospitals instructions.
When I've had mine it's been for 6 hours before the scan.. You should of been given specific instructions?

Well the diet sheet attached to my appointment letter says midnight, night before exam. NHS website and my GP when i asked her few days ago, claimed its 6-8hrs.

 

[valleysangel92]

It's best to stick to what your diet sheet says, each hospital has a different way of doing things so it's usually best to stick to the instructions you're given by them.

 

[my little penguin]

Ds has had them before
The stuff you drink is barium it makes the mri a mre ( mri with entrography )
Some have drink packets to split into the barium ( Ds uses single serve koolaid packets.
The contrast dye the inject at the end in the iv makes it feel like your peeing
Otherwise no issues
Just beware your stool will be chalk white for a day or two and drink lots of fluids afterwards for a few days to move things through your system .

Good luck

 

[wellen1981]

Does it make me weird here in the UK to say when I had my MRI on NHS, and had to drink over a litre of that stuff just before the scan... I didn't like the amount I had to drink but i thought it tasted like Caramac yum yum.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...&sa=X&ei=NwmvVMqTKoL5UrTmgdAH&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA

 

[valleysangel92]

Wellen I wish I was at your hospital. The stuff my hospital uses tates exactly like kleanprep!

Rickuk, how did your scan go?

 

[wellen1981]

Wellen I wish I was at your hospital. The stuff my hospital uses tates exactly like kleanprep!

Rickuk, how did your scan go?

So do I still Valleys...it was in Scotland!
The lower GI specialist Sister Anne Marie Scott was brilliant.

 

[RickUK]

Wellen I wish I was at your hospital. The stuff my hospital uses tates exactly like kleanprep!

Rickuk, how did your scan go?

Went well thanks, just got to wait for a follow up appointment with consultant now to discuss results. Any idea how long yours took?

Had to drink a litre of fluid, looked like wallpaper paste and had same consistency as it lol also had diarrhoea feeling kick in about 20mins or so after scan. Got home and had 2 episodes of D relatively close together

Scan itself was fine though... didnt have blurred eyes off the buscopan which is a relief.

 

[valleysangel92]

I was told my consultant would have the reality in a week to 10 days, but it took him 2 months to do anything about it. The first I knew of it was getting a letter telling me I had to have a scope, no explanation or anything. I got a follow up but with a totally different person which had been arranged by my GP after they got the MRI results and saw I needed attention. So unfortunately I can't really answer that.

Sounds like what I had to drink, icky stuff. I'm glad the scan went well

 

[RickUK]

I was told my consultant would have the reality in a week to 10 days, but it took him 2 months to do anything about it. The first I knew of it was getting a letter telling me I had to have a scope, no explanation or anything. I got a follow up but with a totally different person which had been arranged by my GP after they got the MRI results and saw I needed attention. So unfortunately I can't really answer that.

Sounds like what I had to drink, icky stuff. I'm glad the scan went well

That's ok, I just completely forgot to ask the Radiographer. I just remember as I was leaving she said you'll have to come back down soon to see consultant to discuss the images and findings if any.