Hi guys
Can anyone reccomend a good place in London for an MRI if you are claustrophobic? Where the staff are friendly and understanding and they have music and calming lights etc I need to get one done with contrast I tried twice and wasn't able to do it - they told me to get some valium and come back - but my gp is legally not allowed to prescribe it to me so now I'm lost. Any advice on this would be appreciated. Thanks!
Newbielondon
I'm afraid I can't recommend anywhere but when I had an MRI at my NHS hospital you could take your own CD if you wanted music but the machine was so loud that you couldn't hear it anyway - mind you I did take a nice relaxing ballad collection so maybe I should have taken something more raucous!
As for lighting, the lights in the room were dimmed.
Must it be London, because if you could whizz down the M4 to Reading, there is a completely wonderful MRI scanner at the Rutherford Imaging centre? You do not get pushed into a tunnel. You simply lie down and watch a moving picture of a countryside scene that vaguely comes over your head but you do not notice it, because the picture is so relaxing. I was absolutely dreading it, as I had a previous bad experience with one on my head and this one was also to be on my head. I was almost disappointed when the person scanning said it was all finished, as I was so comfortable and relaxed. Do try it. I think you will be delighted. The centre is just off the M4.
Thanks Hennerton I will check this out j don't mind travelling if it means I can get this done without panic setting in I'll do anything at this point!
I have to say it is an unusual place, as it appears to be very new and is part of the Rutherford cancer centre but in a different building. I went in February and the landscaping around the site was not finished, so you may wonder where you are going but inside is sparkly clean and bright and cheerful. I had a fifteen minute Covid test before being allowed past reception and it all felt very safe. The staff were kind and friendly, without that slightly tense feeling that normally pervades hospitals. I hope you find it as pleasant as I did.
There are open, upright MRI scanners in London. You could do a search online and see if there's a centre suitable for you. Good luck.
There's an open scanner at Croydon hospital, you are still under the scanner but instead of it being a tube it's flatter, like a pancake, and the sides are more open. However it is old now and not as sharp as newer ones. Somewhere in central London there's also one you can sit in, but I'm not sure where it is. Good luck, I've had several head and neck MRIs and absolutely hate them.
Thanks so much guys! I had the upright mri at medserena which wasn't too bad as I was watching Rick Stein whilst it was going on but the neurosurgeon now needs one with contrast and they don't do with contrast at that clinic. Also the images are not as clear so I'm trying to force myself to do one with a stronger magnet to get clearer pictures and the stronger magnet means tunnel scanner 
Has anyone tried taking valium or anything before -has that helped?
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