Ct Scans

[tooj]

I'm booked for a CT Scan next week and I am massively claustrophobic. My doctor just says Close your eyes and listen to the music. I can,t sleep thinking about it. Has any one overcome this problem?

[chrissa1]

Isn't it the MRI scans that are the noisy ones? CT Scans are not. Correct me if im wrong, anyone.

[237SJ]

They`re not too bad. My mum has regular ones and she is claustrophobic and has no problem. It`s like going through a giant polo. Are you sure you don`t mean MRI?

[trt]

Are you sure its the scanner like a big giant drum, that clangs very loud, as I used to hate it.

But I thinks its the big polo mint looking one that your going to scanned, and they are fine.

[whirlyhurly]

I am like you very claustrophobic, but managed to cope with the CT scans as they were not "fully enclosed", it was like being in large polo mint. However as for the MRI, the nurses had me all prepared till I hopped on and found it was too narrow, and sadly had to decline, I was told not to worry many folk also refuse.

[Sammy48]

CT scans are fine. Its like a very large polo mint you go through backwards and forwards stopping on the part of the body to be scanned. Not at all enclosed.

[bednobs]

which part of you is being scanned?

[tooj]

It is to scan my chest. It is a CT coronary Angiogram with an injection of contrast media to highlight vessels. I saw John Snow in one in the drugs programme last night and it scared me and I couldn't sleep.

[237SJ]

John Snow had an MRI scan of his brain - it wasn`t a CT scanner.

[Sqad]

No big deal....it is CT scanner that is used and although there is a short tunnel, covering the chest it is not as long or as claustrophobic as a MRI tube (tunnel.)

You will be fine.

[tooj]

Thanks everybody. I feel really relieved after all your comments.

[237SJ]

CT scans don`t take as long as MRIs either and if you have no metal about your person at all, you don`t even need to take your clothes off.

[Sammy48]

tooj, I've had this particular type of scan. A dye is injected through vein in arm, you feel a warm sensation from top of head all the way through body, then its over. You want to urinate quite quickly, and thats it job done.

No after affects at all.

[MargoTester]

I had one and I am very claustrophobic. I rang the hospital and explained my problem and they were very reassuring and asked me to Take my favourite cd with me as it can be noisy. There is a 'panic' button if necessary.

[soapnumpty]

I had the exact same scan as you last year and if was fine. Like the others said you lay down and the bed you are laying on slides back through the large polo type scanner. Your head and shoulders will be out the other side so your head isn't enclosed. The gap around you is quite big so you're not restrained at all, although you have to keep still. It took about 10 minutes. It's quite noisy as the scanner whizzes around your body but not scary. They told me when the dye was about to go in. It makes you feel like you've wet yourself!