Worried about upcoming MRE test

[Sunione]

Hi

This Friday (Jan 10) I am scheduled for the following test:

Abdomen Pelvis Enterography W Wo Iv Contrast also called a MRE.
It requires that I drink Volumen every 15 minutes x 4 prior to the test.

I wish that I knew more about what to expect. I have had lots of MRIs, with and without injectable contrast, which I believe they might also do?. No problem with being in the "tube". If you have had this test would you please give advice or share your experience?

My biggest concern might be that drinking all that contrast will give me diarhhea while still in the machine.

Thank you for your help.

Suni

 

[Jmrogers4]

My son just had MRE and no diarrhea he did throw up twice once while drinking the stuff and once in the MRI machine when they gave him the glucagon (used to slow/stop the intestine) so they can get the pictures with the contrast. He buzzed them while he was in the machine and said he was going to throw up and they were fast zipped him out, sat him up and he let loose. They were able to get good shots even though I was worried by this time he had thrown up everything he drank. He called the drink "the drink of hell" because if hell had a taste that would be it - however I don't think it is probably as bad as that as he is exceedingly picky about taste and add in all the teenage drama...
Drink lots of water afterword as I have heard it can cause some constipation and to get it all out of your system. He was fine afterword - no problems.

 

[Dale]

I went through the MRE a few months ago. Only problem I had was vomiting about an hour later.

 

[Jennifer]

They let me use the bathroom before I went into the machine. The test itself seemed to go by a lot faster than I thought it would. It's not a fun test but I've had worse ones. It'll be ok. I made a thread about my experience with the test so feel free to check it out: http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=56255

Good luck and let us know how it went.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I haven't had MRE with oral contrast, but I have had several MRIs with the injected contrast. My advice about the injected contrast is, ask the nurse to push it in your IV very slowly. At my first MRI, they injected it into me very quickly, and I got super dizzy and almost passed out and sort of panicked inside the machine, and had to be pulled out and calmed down - it was not a fun experience. They told me some people will vomit from the injected contrast, apparently I'm a rare case that I got dizzy instead of puking. For my 2nd MRI, I told the nurse what had happened the first time and that I didn't wish to repeat that experience, and she injected me much more slowly, and I didn't have any issues at all that time.

 

[Mike58]

Suni,
I just saw your post. I had an MRE done just before Christmas. I drank 4 bottles of the suspension and had the injectable contrast as well. I don't do well in small tunnels so my GI gave me a sedative before the MRE.
Mine took a little over an hour and they had me hold my breath alot. Other than that, it went fine. Do drink alot of water after the test to get everything flushed out.
Best of luck.

 

[Sunione]

Thank you to all who shared their stories. Here it is 12:45am, the test is 12 hours away, and I am awake even after taking an Ambien. Glad to read that none of you had an "accident" during the test. I am afraid putting so much liquid in my stomach will cause an embarrassing incident. Because I have a fistula from my rectum to my vagina and then to my urethra......if the Volumen gives me diarhhea I have no way to hold it in. Breaking out the Depends! Luckily I have had very positive experiences at the MRI center connected to Yale New Haven hospital in the past, so I do think they will handle whatever happens in a professional way. It will be mortifying just the same if the worst happens. Crohn's has forced me to eccept what I cannot change and move on after some very humiliating experiences. I know you guys can relate!
I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Sunione]

Jennifer, your thread on your experience with this test was extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing the link and thank you to those that contributed with their own stories. Artificial sweeteners all give me big D and I sure hope Volumen is not loaded with that c**p! I hate being contrary, always want to please the drs and nurses but I will explain my concerns and pray that they are heard.
The reason for this MRE test is to determine if my small intestines have anything going on due to Crohn's. Also to attempt to determine if a recto-vaginal fistula (which I have for three years) has now gone thru my urethra (I know it has, I've seen the 'proof' but they don't seem willing to believe me). My colon has gotten all the attention until now, I have never even had an endoscopy though I have had many colonoscopies. The dr intended to do an endoscopy after my colonoscopy in Dec 2012 but my blood pressure was dropping so low that they stopped the whole procedure and got me into an ambulance and then to the hospital. I had C-Diff and Giardia which had severely weakened me.

 

[Jennifer]

Aww, that sounds awful. Hope the test finds something and that they'll have a better idea on how to treat you. :hug:

 

[Magnolia24]

During my MRE I had very slight nausea in the tube (was told that was probably from the glucagon), but nothing worse until I had been home for a comfortable amount of time. After the test, I was told to eat some protein and drink lots of water afterward to flush it out. Hope everything goes smoothly, and you get the answers that will set you on a helpful course of treatment!

 

[Sunione]

It is the day after the MRE test (Mri Abdomen Pelvis Enterography W Wo Iv Contrast) and honestly I do not feel very well, it was a trial. Not the worst thing to ever happen to a Crohnie but worse than expected.
The night befor, I was unable to stay asleep for more than a few minutes at a time so I started out exhausted and feeling fuzzy headed. Unpredicted snow was falling throughout our one hour drive into New Haven. I am very blessed with a devoted hubby who hates winter but he is somehow always there to provide safe transportation and support during all these tests and treatments. He has also been my nurse during two episodes of such violent vomiting and diarrhea that I was passing out repeatedly. Any hoooo, I digress!
We arrived in plenty of time. I had drunk some cold water on the drive in and it went right thru resulting in three bathroom trips prior to completing the paperwork. In one case I could not make it in time....thank you Depends. Soon they had me drinking Volumen (barium). I made a definite point beforehand that if there were artificial sweeteners in the drink it would give me horrific D. They insisted that the Volumen was not sweetened with artificial sweeteners yet I spent the rest of my wait running to the restroom.
I drank 2 of the containers of Volumen in 30 minutes and made more than 12 trips to the toilet where I passed green-yellow watery D and used another 3 Depends. I refused to drink the 3rd bottle. Then an IV was put in and a pinprick test was done called a GFR, which tests the condition of your kidneys to be sure that the injected contrast will be filtered properly.
Time began to pass and it was 2 hours beyond my appointment time before they took me in for the MRE. The patient before me kept moving during his test and they had to redo his test twice. That turned into a good thing for me as by the time I finally got into the machine the D was coming at lengthy intervals and I made it thru without an accident.
What made this different from the usual MRI, other than the barium, was that I was given a shot to stop the intestines from working. It was intramuscular and shot pain down my arm and up into my chest but I did not experience nausea as others have. Also two cameras were put on my body and together they cover my body from the bottom of the breast bone to my crotch. They were convex shaped contraptions and not uncomfortably heavy but had to be strapped down to prevent movement leaving my arms pinned to my sides. Also different was that I was asked to hold my breath several times during the procedure. The contrast was injected after about 20 minutes and I had no reaction to that and back into the tube I went.
When I was finished getting the MRI and was out of the machine, the IV was removed and a bandage applied. Within a brief time blood was all over my gown, the table and my arm. All were surprised as I do not take any blood thinners or blood pressure meds. A new bandage was applied and a stretchy wrap put on for pressure. Soon I was back in the restroom and on the toilet. I stupidly put my clothes in the sink, forgetting it had a motion sensitive faucet! Nothing like putting on wet clothes before going outside in the winter. Also my last Depend was wet.
On the way home I felt nauseous and spent the trip in the fetal position. The snow had changed to freezing rain. Once home I went directly to the toilet and then to bed where I stayed for the next 15 hours. I had fasted from dinner on the previous day but felt no desire to eat and then only had some white rice and vegetables that my hubby made for me that evening.
The individual assigned to me for the prep had a Russian accent which added to my anxiety quite a bit (because she was hard to understand and tended to speak fast) but otherwise everyone was very thoughtful and kind. I was told that the radiologist doing the test was the best there was.
Afterward they were very complimentary on how I handled the test.
I have developed a technique that works really well during an MRI or CT Scan. When I was younger I trained and showed horses. My memories are very vivid of those experiences and I use my time in the machines to recall riding bareback, doing dressage or cantering around my riding ring. It makes the time go fast and keeps me calm and still. For this test the interruptions when I had to hold my breath were annoying. Just as I would get settled into a beautiful meadow on horseback, suddenly I was brought back to the present. Still it was pretty effective this time, as it had been in the past.
In the future I will not be willing to submit to this test unless there is no alternative or a new method is devised regarding the barium drink. Hopefully a lot will be learned from the results and I won't have been put thru this only to gain no new information. I do highly recommend all the services connected to Yale New Haven hospital however and since experiencing such a high quality of care would never want to go anywhere else for serious issues regarding my health.

Suni

 

[Jennifer]

Glad you made it through the test. I hope you see something from the results.

 

[Jessica91]

Hello Suni, I have been reading your posts as I had my MRI scan this Thursday just gone. It was so awful, I thought I was the only one who had a bad experience as out of all of the tests this seems like the easiest one. Reading your experience made me feel a little bit better that I wasn't the only one, infact it was word-for-word the same.
Can I just ask, I also had the injection in my arm but I didn't ask what it was for (as at the time I just wanted to get it over and done with)?
Hope you get your results soon,
Jessica

 

[Sunione]

Hi Jessica
Sorry to hear that your experience with the MRE was similar to mine. Do you know why this test was ordered for you? My surgeon said that is the best way to look at the small intestines and stomach.
Thank you for letting me know that you got some comfort from my story. Where else can we be so brutally honest but on this forum?
The injection in the arm is to cause your intestinal track to temporarily stop working so they can getter better pictures. Was that your question?
I will post my results when I get them. I hope you will also share your results.
Suni

 

[Sunione]

As yet no results from my MRE last week. Does it sound really weird that I hope the test shows something? I guess it's hard to think I went through all that for nothing?:yrolleyes:

 

[Jennifer]

No it's not weird. It's extremely annoying when tests like that show nothing.

 

[Sunione]

Seeing the surgeon that ordered this test tomorrow. Annoyed that no one has gotten back to me with results after a week has gone by but I guess one more day makes little difference.

 

[Jessica91]

I haven't had my results either do don't worry too much !

 

[Sunione]

The MRE apparently did not show any damage to my small intestines or stomach. (However having a two hour period between when I drank the barium and when the test was done meant that the barium was by that time in my colon). After going 20 years with my doctors ignoring my bloody diarhhea, then being diagnosed with colitis and NOT even told of that diagnosis until 10 years later when I went back for another colonoscopy....... Then finally seeing another GI and being given Mesalamine, which almost killed me, while my GI insisted it was not the Mesalamine though I bled more every day I took it, often enough to FILL a toilet bowl several times a day.......funny how I began to get better as soon as I refused any more of that poison. Next being told I could not possibly have a recto-vaginal fistula because I had colitis and not Crohn's and a CT scan didn't find a fistula, while stool was coming out my vagina daily...... But hey what do I know, it's just my body after all ......well the point is that it is hard for me to trust tests or doctors.
In any case I am scheduled for surgery on Feb 24. The surgeon wants to remove about 1/3 of my colon and put in a temporary stoma, the thinking being that if no stool goes into the fistula it should heal on it's own. In six weeks he says they will close the opening. I have agreed to this and yet I am not convinced it is the right thing to do. The reason for the surgery is that the portion of the colon to be removed, from the transverse and descending colon, is full of polyps. With the surgeon we counted them on the colonoscopy pictures and quit at 35 but it was obvious we could have kept counting.
He tells me that detecting colon cancer when there are so many polyps is very difficult and that this portion of my colon is "dead" (anyone else ever been told that?). My surgeon also stated that the rate of getting colon cancer in anyone with Crohn's is 30% as opposed to 1-2% in those who do not have Crohn's . He said that colon cancer in Crohn's patients is much harder to treat successfully (the rate of fatality from colon cancer in Crohn's patients is about triple that of the general population ). And the kicker for me was that no one ever diagnosed (even if cured) with cancer can take REMICADE. Since REMICADE seems to be controlling my most severe Crohn's symptoms, I do not want to have to stop the infusions.
Any feedback or personal stories would be greatly appreciated. I am seriously questioning if surgery is the right thing and in fact the surgeon admitted that he thought my GI was over reacting in pushing for the resection!?:devil::devil::devil:

 

[Jennifer]

Would you like to make a new thread in the Stoma subforum Sunione? http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=46 Or if you like I can copy your latest post in this thread and turn it into it's own thread in the stoma section so you can get more replies. I don't have any experience in that area so all I can really suggest is if you feel uncomfortable with surgery then you could try and get a second opinion.

 

[UnXmas]

Hi, I'm sorry you've had such a tough time. I wanted to say that I had to have my whole colon removed (I have a permanent ileostomy). My surgery was done for different reasons, but my surgeon also gave me a list of benefits that I have gained through having it, and top of his list was that I can no longer get colon cancer. I have a very strong family history of colon cancer, plus Crohn's. My surgeon said that, although he would have left me with my colon for longer if it was just about the cancer risk and not for the fact that I wanted the enormous improvements in quality of life that my ileostomy has brought me, he thought it was a very good thing that my cancer risk has been reduced.

My mum has actually been having discussions with doctors about removing her colon to avoid cancer, now that she has reached an age where it is becoming likely, even though she does not have Crohn's, because her family history of bowel cancer is so strong (but she has regular screening colonoscopies, which have all been clear, so she is leaving it for a bit at least).

I love my stoma, though I can imagine that if you were not going to gain considerable improvements in your quality of life as a result of having one, you may well feel very differently. But it sounds like your surgery is to allow the fistula to heal as well? Which would also be a good reason to consider one, especially if temporary.

It's of course very much a personal decision, as everyone has instinctive feelings about surgery and different treatment paths feel right to different people, but to me it sounds like there may be some sound reasons for your doctor to suggest the surgery to you (though I'm hoping I've understood the aims of the surgery correctly, please correct me if I've got it wrong). It does sound, however, that your trust in your doctor(s) is not great. I can definitely relate to having been failed by many doctors, and I know that trusting can be difficult to say the least. I have had the same surgeon for all six of my surgeries, and he is one of the few whose judgement I trust, and I can not imagine I'd have felt the same assuredness about my surgery if not for him.

So perhaps getting the opinion of another surgeon or GI (or more than one!) would be a good next step for you, if possible? It seems the likelihood of the polyps signalling a significant cancer risk is a vital factor here, and hearing the interpretations of other doctors may help you feel more sure about what to do, one way or the other.