I have had several people ask me about how to get through having a breast MRI done, so here are my suggestions on how to prepare for one. I’m really claustrophobic, so you can imagine my concern when the MRI technician told me that the procedure takes 45 minutes (yup, that’s roughly how long it takes to do both breasts).
Here are my 16 recommendations on how to get through it without panicking:
- As with any of the procedures you have to go through during this breast cancer process, I would recommend bringing someone with you. You never know how you’ll react to some of the procedures and you won’t know what kind of shape you’ll be in to drive yourself home, so it’s always best to have someone with you, just in case you’ll need a ride home. Plus, afterwards you can both laugh about how crazy the experience has been (or cry together if it’s been a particularly bad one).
- The MRI takes about 45 minutes long if you’re getting both breasts checked, so wear socks to keep your feet warm as the room was pretty cold when I went.
- Don’t wear any metal jewelry. They asked me repeatedly if I had any body piercings (come on, do I really look like I would have a belly button ring?) or metal parts in my body.
- You will be laying face-down on a cushioned bench-like table which has 2 holes, into which the nurse will help you position your breasts (similar to the image above).
- The technician will try to get you as comfortable as possible, because you need to lay still, but she’ll move your arms and breasts around until they’re in the right position and once you’re in it, try really hard not to move, so that the films will be accurate.
- They do the scan with and without dye to get a better visual, so you’ll be getting a needle with dye inserted halfway through (I hate needles). It feels cold when they inject the dye, a very odd sensation. My technician inserted the needle prior to the procedure while I was on the table, so that she just came out and injected the dye for the second part of the procedure.
- Ask all of your questions before they start because once you’re in there, it would be tough getting out.
- If they have the option, ask them to put the headphones with music on you (you’ll be lying down with your arms in a weird position and won’t be able to do it yourself). I had them play “Coffee house music” from Sirius radio and it was nice when I could hear it over the din of the banging machine.
- You can’t really hear the music that well, because the machine is really loud and bangs incessantly the whole time, but with the headphones on, you can count how many songs have played to gauge how long it’s been. It was about 13 songs for the 45 minutes. By counting the number of songs and figuring out how many minutes had passed, I felt a little calmer.
- As noted above the machine is really loud and bangs incessantly the whole time, so just be aware of that going in or it’ll scare the heck out of you when it first starts. I actually thought the machine had broken until I realized it was going to continue and was part of the process.
- Practice deep breathing techniques to calm yourself down when it first starts, so you don’t move around and mess up the films.
- Pee before you go in, because once you’re in there there’s no getting out; make a rest room pit stop before you get on the table.
- After the procedure, it took about a week for me to get the results, so don’t expect to receive results the exact same day or even that week as it might not be for another full 5-7 days.
- I called prior to the procedure and asked the technician a lot of questions. I told her that I’m very claustrophobic and that I was worried about being inside the machine; she told me that they would work with me and try to alleviate my concerns as much as possible.
- I then told the technician who was there on the day of the procedure the same concerns so that she was aware of my worries also.
- I’m of the mindset that it’s not a time to be brave during any of these procedures. I wanted to know that if I had a panic attack while in there, I could flag them down, and someone would know enough to get me out quickly.
By the way, they told me they would give me a Valium if I was really nervous. I passed, figured I’d need more like a Vicodin or Quaalude to get me through it if I was really going to have a bad reaction, LOL.
It wasn’t as bad as I expected. They had a little mirror in front of me, which slanted out towards the room so that I could see the technician in her windowed room in front of me which calmed me down a bit, because I knew that if I had a complete meltdown, I could get her attention by waving my hand around or screaming and she’d see me. None of these things happened. It was fine and I wasn’t really as scared as I thought I’d be. I hope you find this information helpful, and I hope your experience with your own MRI isn’t too frightening.
Wow, that sounds scary. It reminded me of the stereotactic biopsy from the perspective of the boob in a hole and lying down…and you can’t move! That was the worst part….except for the “novocaine” needle….and my arm was in a weird position so it hurt after a while, but you simply CAN NOT move! But it sounds like the music helped and you just go into a zone after a while. I had no idea (as you know) what I was getting into with the biopsy. This is going to be so helpful to those that need to undergo an MRI! Our hero Claudia……….
Claudia, I remember mommy used to have to have MRI’s fairly frequently so they could observe her brain activity while she was taking the beta seron for the MS treatments. They gave her Valium before she went in each time. She was like milketoast but at least it helped calm her fears. Good advice.
I’m going in for my second mri and I will have them every 6 months.
I’ve had to reschedule due to not having female technicians available. After missing my last two I decided to find somewhere on my on. I am uncomfortable with a male because there was a lot of touching and tugging going on. The female who preformed my last mri told me they usually try to schedule females, but it can’t always happen. My last mri was not only scheduled with a male, but with a group of trainees also in the room. I understand for some this isn’t an issue, but for abuse survivors it can be quite triggering.
If anyone is in this situation, you may want to ask who is preforming it and if anyone else will be watching. .
Thank you for posting this and helping others thru this difficult journey.
I can understand why you’d prefer a male technician. Mine was female, I would also be very uncomfortable with a male technician because, as you note, there is a good bit of touching and moving around until the breasts are placed correctly. Thanks for making this distinction which will be helpful to others who have to have this procedure.
when I had my spine MRI I was wearing hot pink panties with TOP MODEL plastered in silver metalic letters on the seat.
Ha!
Off they came before I got on the table 🙂
Well hello Claudia, I googled how to survive a breast mri and your site came up first, wish I had googled it last week, before my mri, which I didn’t make it through, I had a rather large Panic attack!!!!! and ended up shaking and throwing up (oh what fun) I only lasted about 3 mins!. it was soooo much tougher than I thought, so now I wait, I called my Dr. and it seems she wants to try it again (Oh joy) I know it’s important but now I am scared to death of haveing another panic attack, so I guess I will try some kind of sedation. wish me luck. and if you have any other suggestions for the mri please post them, thanks
Lola
Yes i had one yesterday and didn’t make it past about 12 minutes, or when they came in to inject the dye. I had a blocked nose with hayfever as well and so found it hard to get enough air especially laying so hard against my breastbone. I also had a hot flush and just had to get out of there and sit up to get some good air. i felt i had failed and feel very anxious about going through that again. Judy
Judy, I’m sorry you had such a rough experience. It is pretty scary. If you tell them how nervous you are, they would probably give you something to calm you down, like valium. Good luck next time, I’ll be thinking of you. Best, Claudia
I had the same thing happen to me! I have had many MRI “s done but never a breast one. I wasn’t at all nervous to start…but after being on the table for 10 minutes I was in agony where the table hit under my breasts and against my ribs. Then I panicked and had to holler for them to let me out. I was dizzy and thought I was going to throw up! It was the worst experience of this entire cancer journey. I had a male tech which I think added to the discomfort to start with. It was unnerving to have him moving my breasts around on the table. I feel that hospitals should be in tune with patients comfort and not use male techs for a procedure that is already embarrassing and awkward. So I must go back! Next time I’m taking a Valium first and taking one with me!
Oh no, I would be very uncomfortable with a male technician as well. I hope the next time is not as difficult for you.
Had the first two without Valium, but the third one I took two pills, one an hour before, then the second one thirty minutes after the first pill.
It really does help you relax, but you need to have a driver to take you home.
Good point, you’re right, you’d definitely need a driver to take you back home if you took anything to calm you down.
Hi there Lola! Yikes, so sorry you had such a tough time…..I would certainly agree – take a valium! I didn’t have any, but tell your dr. and I’ll bet she’ll prescribe it for you. I also did a lot of preparation, I made sure I knew what to expect, so maybe now that you know what to expect, it will be less scary? Not sure…..also, have them play the music, that helped me a lot, ’cause it calmed me down. Is there a mirror facing into the room that you can look into? That was a big one for me, it helped me from feeling quite so claustrophobic. Hang in there – I’ll be thinking of you. Claudia
No music, no mirror and a male tech. Maybe I should just find another MRI location! Lol
Oh dear, that’s not good, sorry to hear! I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have those little extras to help me get through it.
Hello again Claudia, first I love your blog, we seem to have a similar outlook on things. I am so glad I found you. anyway, I am not sure if it’s good or bad now that I know what to expect, the noise was so loud, and they dont offer music (bummer) and one of the ear plugs fell out so that didin’t help either. and no mirror either,they had a “panic Ball” I could squeeze (which I broke) if I had problems. I might if my insurance agrees to it try and find another place to go with sedation and music. Cause I think your right the music would help. anything at this point, but at least I got my Biopsy scheduled for the 21st of April, so next week. The Dr. wants everything Stat, but my insurance seems to have other ideas, but I am trying to push there buttons and get a move on things. thanks again Lola
Hi there Lola (love your name, by the way). The benefits of an MRI are impressive (they find almost everything with an MRI, vs. a mammogram) so there is a big plus to getting one (despite the negatives). Keep pushing, those insurance companies are a pain, but eventually you should be able to get what you want. Good luck, keep me posted. Also, when you go back, TELL THEM upfront that you’re really scared and ask them to be ultra nice and careful with you. I told my MRI technician that I was highly claustrophobic and she was really helpful, tried to make me as comfortable as possible. This is not the time to be brave, just tell ’em what you need 🙂 Good luck……Claudia
Hello again claudia, just giving you a quick update, I was successful in getting my biopsy done and now I am waitng for the official results (the Dr’s are sure it’s cancer because of everything else that is going on with me) and now I need to schedule the mri (wish me luck) Lola
Hi Lola, Good luck. How was the biopsy? The MRI should be easier/less painful than that anyway. In fact, it doesn’t hurt at all….Hang in there. Claudia
Hey Claudia well, I finally went to the breast surgeons office this morning to go over the biopsy, and yes it is definetly cancer and an agressive type at that, looks like I get surgery, chemo and radiation, oh joy… surgery should be scheduled within the next few weeks, so wish me luck and hey at least I got out of the MRI (lol) Lola
Oh Lola, I’m sorry. Will you have a lumpectomy? I wish you LOTS of luck, you’re kind of getting on a roller coaster and a lot happens. Hope you have people around to help you through it. Let me know what I can do to help. Best, Claudia
Hey claudia, unfortunetly I need to have my left breast totally removed, because of the size and location of the tumor and yeah it is one hell of a roller coaster ride already. Looking for support groups now. But you have actually been a great support already, I have gone through and read your posts and they are really helpful, so thanks for that.Lola
Oh Lola, I’m so sorry. I hope you find a good support group and I hope you have people around you who can help you out and offer support. Hang in there. Keep me updated. I’ll be thinking of you. Claudia
I haven’t read this problem. I couldn’t getonthe table. My knees are very bad and the table didn’t go down.
I’m sorry to hear, Pat. I hope your doctors helped w/some sort of solution.
Claudia, this is an excellent post with great tips for any kind of MRI. Your story is inspiring and, while I’ve not had a breast MRI, I have had other kinds of MRIs and all of your tips apply! It’s certainly not a fun experience at all, but GO YOU for being so strong and being a fighter. And hey, you never know who has their belly buttons pierced these days haha…
Courtney @ Little Miss MBA
Hi Little Miss MBA – thanks for the note. I know, these days you DO never know who’s going to get a belly button (or other body part) piercing 🙂 Thank you for reading and stopping by!
Hi Claudia, I’m going in for my first MRI on 12/23/14, yes, two days before christmas. I too have anxieties and claustrophobia, but after reading your story, I can honestly say I’m okay with it now. It has been a long month for me emotionally. On 11/18/14, I went in for my annual mammogram (I’m 47), long story short, 3 days later I’m in for a recheck because there are two “spots”, I go in on 12/12/14 for the stereotastic biopsy, but they were unable to perform it after 2 hours because they “weren’t sure” they saw anything anymore. 12/18/14, I go see a breast surgeon for his opinion (per request of the radiologist ) and the surgeon sees THREE spots on my left breast. So now on 12/23/14, I’m going in for the MRI. Its kinda like WHERE’S WALDO in my left breast. Ugh,.it’s been such an emotional 30 days. I cry pretty much everyday (because of the doctors seeing spots, not seeing spots, seeing two spots,.seeing 3 spots). I’m prepared for the “C” word, if it is, just take it out and I deal with all that comes. Thank you for your words and for all the women out there, stay strong and a big comforting hug to you all.
Hi Shell, I truly hope your MRI shows nothing or at least, if it shows something, they’re not cancerous spots. Hang in there and enjoy your Christmas (you probably won’t get results from MRI until Friday or later) and time with your family. Just know that if it IS cancer, you are not alone and you will make it through. All my best and strength, xo Claudia
I’ve read all comments. I’m so impressed with all the women who survived their MRI but I’m KNOW this is one fight I can’t do. Cancer in left breast and likely in right. I’m overweight with very high blood pressure and have been riddled with chlostrophobia since I was a child. I’m now 68 years old. Have handled many things over the years and don’t want to die but can even handle the idea of death. I’m sensitive to loud noises too by the way. But I KNOW I CANNOT SURVIVE THE MRI THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR 3 days from now. And the shame I feel is overwhelming too. Had Valium for previous procedures. DID NOTHING.
I’m so very sorry, Faye. I hope that your health care team can come up with a solution that will allow them to find out what they need to find without an MRI. I too am claustrophobic so I know how hard it will be for you. Sending strength and healing thoughts your way. And…there is no shame, you are facing something that is incredibly frightening and overwhelming. xo
I to could not make it through the MRI …I tried I really did …not sure what to do now ….Is there any other test to do to see what this is in my left breast …I am so scared everytime I think about it Elena
Elena, Talk to your doctor and ask them if they can possibly do something else like a breast ultrasound. If there’s no alternative but an MRI, ask the MRI technicians how they can help you tolerate it. Maybe they can give you something that would calm you down. I’m sorry for what you have to go through and send you love and support. xo
Thanks Claudia I go again on march 3 ….They said I could put one of those breath right strips on my nose so I could breath better…I had a slight cold when I was there last and didn’t know that I was going to be face down in a box with no air lol…. So I am hoping I get through this ALOT better then last time …I’ll let you know how it goes …Thanks for caring Elena
Hope it’s better when you don’t have a cold. All my best, good luck this time! xo
Hello Claudia I did it this time I made it through the whole 45 mins 🙂 The Doc is on vacation so they said I should know in about 2 weeks what going on … Thanks for you support Elena
Hi Elena – Wow, so glad that you made it through this time. Let me know what the results are, I’ll be thinking of you. xo
Trying to hang on to your sense of humor can be helpful, too. I had a breast MRI prior to my double mastectomy. When I got thee and the tech got me into position, I just burst out laughing. It was just such a ridiculous position! I put in my ear plugs (it IS loud and I depend on my hearing for my work), focused on my breathing, and made it through. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, a good sense of humor sure is helpful through the entire breast cancer experience! Thanks for reading. xo
Tried but couldn’t get through it. Had even tried Vallium but that didn’t help. They had me take another one and wait about 20 minutes, then try MRI again. There was something poking me in the stomach. Between that and claustrophobia I just couldn’t manage the test. The drugs did absolutely nothing for me. I did fine with the core biopsy????
I’m impressed that you did fine with the core biopsy! That one threw me for a loop…..I thought the claustrophobia issue for the MRI was really scary, also. xo
So has anyone been sedated for this. I don’t mean a valium. I had my first panic attack in January in an OPEN MRI for my shoulder. I think I made it less than 5 mins. Redid it with two valium at a different facility with nicer people and brought my husband who sat beside me and could talk to me. I learned that I could move a little when the noise stopped which helped alot and it was only 2o mins. However, I still had tears streaming down my face the entire time. I knew i could get myself out if necessary and my husband kept me posted on how much time was left and I could see him. I’m already having anxiety just thinking about being put in a tube with my face down. I know it’s not rational but 2 valium will not even get me IN the tube much less keep me there for 30-45 mins. I thought I could calm myself by praying, meditating or whatever but panic attacks are not rational. I could not slow my heart rate and thought I might have a heart attack before I got out of the OPEN MRI. I really need to be out. Just knock me in the head. I am tempted to skip it if they will not sedate me. They don’t really think there is a problem bu the mammogram has changed since last year ( which was normal) and the US couldn’t show them what the issue was. They think it’s probably nothing. I want to know but the thought of another panic attack is making me crazy. Oh and I am generally not claustrophobic as in elevators are no problem, airplanes are not a problem it’s more things like telling me not to move or doing dental work where I can’t talk or communicate, or putting me in an MRI machine. LOL Thoughts on sedation?
Hi Kathy, I’m not really sure if they would give you stronger meds to put you out or not. It’s worth asking, the worst they can do is say no. Have you tried calling them to ask, and telling them how bad your last reaction was? It’s worth a few phone calls…..
I had my first breast MRI yesterday. No cancer, but I’m at a high risk due to family history.
The medical team wasn’t bad but they could have been much better at communicating to me what would be happening. Once I was face down on the table, they talked to each other but not to me as they were poking and repositioning me, then they stuck earplugs in my ears (without warning!), then their voices started fading as I was moving into the machine.
I was actually in an open machine but didn’t know since I was face down, of course. I’m slightly claustrophobic although I can usually control it okay. Anyway, I was not comfortable with the top of my rib cage resting on something hard, and then I felt like I couldn’t breathe. After just a few minutes, I hit the panic button!
They rushed to me asking what I needed. I said I felt like I couldn’t breathe. There was supposed to be an oxygen tube blowing into the support for my head but it hadn’t been properly placed. They fixed that and gave me some padding for my ribs and we tried again.
With the cool air blowing in, it was much, much better. Plus now I knew I was just a couple of feet from the machine opening. It still wasn’t particularly comfortable although it wasn’t as bad as before. I just tried to come up with things to think about as I lay there. When I’d start wondering how much longer or think how much my shoulder hurt or how my hands were going to sleep, I’d try to focus on something else, like plans for the weekend or even a work project. I stayed as still as possible during all the clicks and beeps, and then would move just a little for comfort’s sake when it was quiet.
It was much more exhausting than I had expected – I think just lying there motionless for that amount of time is physically difficult and then dealing with any panic or distress on top of that. I had thought I’d finish it, take time to get some lunch and then go to work for the afternoon. Instead I went home, went to bed, and slept the rest of the day!
I’m supposed to have these yearly because of my high risk for breast cancer (mother, grandmother, cousin, aunts). I think I’ll do better next time knowing what to expect, and can let them know if I’m not comfortable enough or there’s not sufficient air flow.
PS – Already got the results today and everything is clear.
Sounds extremely exhausting. I’m very glad to hear that your results are in and that all is clear – wonderful news. xo
I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Monday. I am scheduled for a lumpectomy on my right breast next Friday. I will probably need an MRI of my breasts next Thurs. I have extreme anxiety and I am claustrophobic. I had a panic attack in a MRI about 2 yes ago and couldn’t finish. This one was if my neck, I had to do the open MRI. I’m praying with these suggestions you have mentioned I can make it through. I will take a Valium before and take my headphones. Hopefully I will make it through.
I’m so sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Please let your MRI tech team know how claustrophobic you are, and then let them know again, once you’re in the room, so that they are aware of how you are going to be feeling. Hope all goes well. xo
Thank you for publishing this. My experience was exactly as you described and your guide helped prepare me mentally. I asked the tech for time updates which they were happy to do it. Knowing how much time was left definitely helped me power through.
I’m glad it was helpful for you. Best of luck with your results.
I have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, right breast. I am Extremely claustrophobic and am trying to mentally prepare myself. They have indicated that they will give me valium but anyone with claustraphobia knows it may or may not help. The pictures that I’ve seen show that your head is at the open area of the machine. Is that correct?? If not, I think I’m in trouble! I’m terrified, but promised the doctor I would try. Any other suggestions to survive this?
Yes, when I had mine, I faced down on a table that faced forward (like the image I have on the blog post) and when I went into the machine my head was not completely enclosed and there was a little mirror in front of me so that I could see out into the room which somehow calmed me down a little. Also, since I’m a big music fan, having the music/headphones on gave me a feeling of control and calmed me down. I kept consciously focusing on just trying to mentally calm myself down the whole time. Have you considered calling the MRI center/technician to let them know that you are extremely claustrophobic? And then I told them again, that day. I told the technician that I wanted to know that if I had a panic attack, I could let her know somehow and she was very nice about it. I hope you do ok. Try to remember and tell yourself, how important it will be for you to have the proper diagnosis with an MRI – it really is the gold standard in terms of finding anything in the breast, especially if you have dense breasts as I did. It’s not at all painful and I don’t think it is as bad as an MRI would be when you have to face up and go far into the tube (which my son once had to have and it sounded so scary).I’m rooting for you and hope you get through it! xoxo
I had one breast MRI a couple of weeks ago and whatever that is in the middle of the table that’s pushing into your rib cage and your lungs was the biggest problem. Now I’m scheduled for a MRI guided biopsy next month which they tell me will take about 45 minutes. Is there anything I can do to make this more comfortable so I can actually breathe? That metal thing in the middle of the table that’s pushing into your rib cage and into your diaphragm is so difficult to bear. The last one I was only on the table for I think about 15 minutes. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to handle it for 45. Is there anything that can help you breathe better or is there any kind of padding or something they can put under that metal part that will help you not not have something pushing into your ribs? I am dreading this already.
I would suggest you tell your MRI technician about the concern and see what she/he recommends. Maybe they can put a layer of padding underneath you. Best of luck next month, I hope you can get through it.