Hi I am Tori (which is probably dumb to say, since it is my username) I have looked at this forum many times, but finally decided to join! I am 16 and on Monday I have to get a MRI. The only reason I worry is because you have to drink 3 bottles of some fluid, the woman on the phone said it wasn't that bad and it wasn't to thick/chunky. I HATE drinking that kinda stuff, I always work my self up and just can never get myself to do it, My question is has anyone had this done, and was it honestly terrible? :sign0085:
MRI with contrast?
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kiny
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I have a few times. Sometimes it was nothing, sometimes it was bad.
The reason it can be bad is if you are not in remission and you do an MRI, you can have inflammatory strictures, which can feel bad because of the inflammation and it can feel bad because of the pressure of the contrast on the stricture.
If you are completely in remission an MRI with contrast is nothing.
So depending on who you ask, you will get a different response.
But the upside of all of this, is the current MRI are amazing, and they show tons, and after an MRI a doc will know exactly what is going on with you, so think about that.
The reason it can be bad is if you are not in remission and you do an MRI, you can have inflammatory strictures, which can feel bad because of the inflammation and it can feel bad because of the pressure of the contrast on the stricture.
If you are completely in remission an MRI with contrast is nothing.
So depending on who you ask, you will get a different response.
But the upside of all of this, is the current MRI are amazing, and they show tons, and after an MRI a doc will know exactly what is going on with you, so think about that.
Sounds like you might be drinking barium and that the place you're having it done at may not have the most recent mixture of it. Many moons ago I had to drink the old barium which is white, chalky, and generally tastes like yuck. They used to try adding flavor like Tang and it never helped. I still got the stuff down, most of it anyway. You could try the straw method but even that doesn't help much. It comes chilled which actually makes it taste, I guess better would be the right word but its not really better.
Best thing to do is chug, pull it away from you and breathe then repeat.
Now if it is in fact the new barium, you shouldn't have to drink as much. Its still white and is pretty creamy actually and tastes kind of like some sort of strange citrus. Really its not bad at all. Not good but you can down it no problem.
Just do your best. Most people don't have to drink 3 bottles of it (hey, maybe they are tiny shot glass bottles, one can dream right?). So just get down as much as you can in a timely manner (they start getting all pissy if you sit there and nurse the stuff).
After that, enjoy the strange smelling white poop.
Best thing to do is chug, pull it away from you and breathe then repeat.
Now if it is in fact the new barium, you shouldn't have to drink as much. Its still white and is pretty creamy actually and tastes kind of like some sort of strange citrus. Really its not bad at all. Not good but you can down it no problem.
Just do your best. Most people don't have to drink 3 bottles of it (hey, maybe they are tiny shot glass bottles, one can dream right?). So just get down as much as you can in a timely manner (they start getting all pissy if you sit there and nurse the stuff).
After that, enjoy the strange smelling white poop.
kiny
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Oh yeah, drinking the stuff itself is nothing, just chug it down. I would take 10 MRI over an endoscope, especially since they didn't give me any painkillers 10 years ago, luckily the dock was out of reach, or he would have died right there.
nogutsnoglory
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It tastes like a crappy lemonade that's a little gooey. It's not that bad!
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The contrast used for different studies (CT, MRI, and x-ray) varies, and it may even vary depending on where you go/your clinical history. My 4 year old was able to down 3 bottles of the MRI contrast. It smelled fruity and she said it wasn't bad at all! Good luck with your exam! MRI contrast may give you a bit of diarrhea...dd had to go before she even finished drinking it!
Good luck with your exam! MRI contrast may give you a bit of diarrhea...dd had to go before she even finished drinking it!- Joined
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Good luck tastes like flat water to me it makes the X-rays clearer when you drink. The advise I will give you is take your time with it don't down it all at once which is the mistake I made. You have to hold it all in until after its done. I struggled but done it good luck keep us all informed xx
good luck keep us all informed xx
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can i point you to this thread that i started a few weeks ago, all about the mri and the procecure.
http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=38081
http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=38081
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I've had two MRI enterographies with contrast. I am unsure if they do this with all MRI's with contrast of the bowels, but I was given a shot of Glucagon to slow the bowels to take a better picture. Besides having to hold down the nasty barium drink, the Glucagon caused instant nausea and vomiting. Absolute worst feeling in the world. Best of luck.
nogutsnoglory
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I just had an MR enterography and I had 3 bottles of barium and was injected with gadolinium. I wasn't given anything to slow my bowels though.
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do they really use barium for mri these days, the only time i have heard of its use is for radiology work IE x-ray or ct scan and BaFT (barium follow through).
i would have thought all mri scan`s with contrast would use gadolinium due to the way mri works.
i would have thought all mri scan`s with contrast would use gadolinium due to the way mri works.
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Hi Tori,
I had a bowel study MRI scan last week. I had to be nil by mouth for 4 hours before the scan, and had to drink a litre and half of almost like minty water. I took along some cordial to mix it with incase it was awful, im a complete baby about taking liquids, they make me gag!!
It tasted fine and i had to drink it within an hour. I then had a line put, so that they could inject buscapan, and gadolinium.
There was lots of noise whilst scanning and i had to breathe in and hold my breath alot. The buscopan gives you short term blurry vision, and made my heart race for a bit. It also dried my mouth out completely, so my teeth stuck to my lips - i had to call for a little water.
Maybe you could ask for the water contrast?
I had a bowel study MRI scan last week. I had to be nil by mouth for 4 hours before the scan, and had to drink a litre and half of almost like minty water. I took along some cordial to mix it with incase it was awful, im a complete baby about taking liquids, they make me gag!!
It tasted fine and i had to drink it within an hour. I then had a line put, so that they could inject buscapan, and gadolinium.
There was lots of noise whilst scanning and i had to breathe in and hold my breath alot. The buscopan gives you short term blurry vision, and made my heart race for a bit. It also dried my mouth out completely, so my teeth stuck to my lips - i had to call for a little water.
Maybe you could ask for the water contrast?
Here are the differences between a MRI, MRA, and MRE: http://www.scandirectory.com/blog/2007/12/mri_mra_mre.html
Yes nevilletanner, they can and do use barium as a contrast. Guess it really depends on what they're looking for.
Yes nevilletanner, they can and do use barium as a contrast. Guess it really depends on what they're looking for.
nogutsnoglory
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Tori MRE is a type of MRI and it looks at the abdomen and possibly pelvis if your doctor orders two tests. It's about 30 min long. Lots of breathing in and out.
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I had a CT Scan not to long ago. They put some clear liquid stuff in a bottle of water and I had to drink it a few hours before and when I went in for the scan. It had no taste and I could not tell it was in the bottle. The nurse told me thats how it would be. During the CT Scan they where able to give me the contrast though an IV which the effects only lasted about 30 seconds and it was not to bad at all. It was not to bad overall.
I remember going to have an MRI and I saw this girl struggling to take it down.
I said to her, wait till you have to have pico prep for a colonoscopy.
It's not that bad. It doesn't taste the best but when you're Ill, you're Ill and gotto do what you gotto do.
I didn't want to go to a urologist and have a scope done....
I would drink 1000 cups of that stuff to avoid having a scope like that again lol.
The worst part is... You have a test that horrible and 2 years later... Still not fixed.
I got told I had a sinus tract of 4.2 cm and a void from a resolving abscess.
Haven't had it fixed and got told its prob just scarring....
And to move on with life... Thanks again doc lol.
MRI's can be wrong apparently.... Well... Not the MRI but the report for the MRI.
Goodluck!
I said to her, wait till you have to have pico prep for a colonoscopy.
It's not that bad. It doesn't taste the best but when you're Ill, you're Ill and gotto do what you gotto do.
I didn't want to go to a urologist and have a scope done....
I would drink 1000 cups of that stuff to avoid having a scope like that again lol.
The worst part is... You have a test that horrible and 2 years later... Still not fixed.
I got told I had a sinus tract of 4.2 cm and a void from a resolving abscess.
Haven't had it fixed and got told its prob just scarring....
And to move on with life... Thanks again doc lol.
MRI's can be wrong apparently.... Well... Not the MRI but the report for the MRI.
Goodluck!
Thanks for all of the advice! It wasn't bad at all, it wasn't barium, it was a white-ish liquid, which they flavored with a fruit punch flavor (I think they used that mio flavoring) it tasted pretty good actually, I couldn't down all 3 bottles, I did a little less than 2 bottles, but since I am petite that was all they needed. I also got an IV but I am not sure what is was.
Thanks Again!
Thanks Again!
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same as mine, the iv is for contrast and a drug (buscopan)to stop your intestines moving.
glad it went well, did you have difficulty holding your bowels?
bet you needed the toilet after, i know i did.
glad it went well, did you have difficulty holding your bowels?
bet you needed the toilet after, i know i did.
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Hey you guys I was scheduled an MRI on Wednesday and I was given a 16 ounce bottle of what looked like conditioner and i didn't think it was gonna be bad but when i took my first sip i was nauseated... then i tried to chug it and UP and away it went... I couldn't even get my MI done because I couldn't keep it down and i had to swallow like four or three and i couldn't get through one!!! I feel like a p****y but I honestly tried to swallow it all then it ALL came up... Idk what to do now.. waiting on my doctor to call me back
waiting on my doctor to call me back- Joined
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Awww sorry you had to go through that sounds awful. I hope you don't have to do another big hugs xx
big hugs xx
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I just had an MRI with contrast last week. The glucagon caused instand nausea for me, too! I didn't throw up, but I had to take some very slow and controlled breaths to keep my composure. It was awful!
The rest was OK, though. I didn't find the barium to be too bad, although I felt really bloated for the rest of the day.
