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MRI SMALL BOWEL STUDY

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 11/6/2017 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
👋 Hello I just thought I would post this as I have literally just got home after having an MRI on my small bowel. IT WAS AMAZINGLY EASY - for all those who are reading threads about how AWFUL it is, TRUST ME it was a piece of cake. I didn’t sleep for 3 nights worrying about it, I have a concern about being shut in small spaces, I was panicking about the contrast, the mannitol AND the drug to relax the bowel. ALL were NOTHING to worry about in the slightest. The drink tasted like water with a slight salty taste - that was the small amount of saline they put into it - SO easy to drink, one cup every 5 minutes. The MRI scanner is open each end and you go in feet first and so your head is facing forward so no worries there and the contrast I didn’t even know had gone in and the buscopan the same - NO side effects at all. It was all over and done in 30 minutes - the only lasting effect was diarrhoea from the mannitol but that didn’t last long and I was home when it started and I live 50 minutes from the Hospital. Please feel free to ask any questions as I’m happy to put your minds at rest. PLEASE DONT PUT IT OFF - it really IS a walk in the park. I’m just waiting on the results now as to how bad my Crohn’s disease is and whether or not they need to operate. X
Posted 11/7/2017 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting, Wildlife Lover. Did they use gadolinium as a contrasting agent? I read gadolinium can have lasting damage to the body.

Also, I recall my GI doctor said MRI Small Bowel Study is good, but not as accurate as CT Scan? I suppose MRI is more expensive, but CT Small Bowell Scan can produce much better quality pictures? I know CT Scans have radiations to our bodies.
Posted 11/7/2017 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
MRI's are more definitive than a CT & less radiation exposure.
Posted 11/7/2017 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
I had a terrible experience with it personally. Not something that would stop me from doing it again if I had to, but I was in such a severe flare up at the time, and the barium made me have to go. To top it off, I had anxiety about being unable to move. My nurse was so nice, she put me at ease, but she did warn me that if I moved we would have to start over & that would have been a nightmare for me considering my situation. I got up and darted to the toilet, which was occupied, nearly messed my gown but found another bathroom just in time. I don't know if I ever ran so fast. Running and clenching don't work so well together...Got back, laid there, did fine. I turned down the contrast because they said it makes you poo, and I knew anything that caused poo, would make me poo... It ended up working out, so I was thankful for that. It's nothing to lose sleep over, just inconvenient. Happy yours went better then mine.

People always talk about pouchogram like it's the worst, but mine was no big deal. I guess you never know how it's going to go for you, but might as well think positive.
Posted 11/7/2017 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
That's great going in feet first! It is head first where I went, and a bit confronting. The worst part was laying still, for me, as I was sore.
Get some pain relief or relaxation meds if anyone has anxiety.
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