Ear Problems After MRI

I have had tinnitus for many years but at a low copeable level. On Sunday I noticed my right ear was making a weird reaction sound to noise, like a crunching in my ear. I saw an ENT consultant On Tue PM and he said it should go away and was probably anxiety related, but said to have an MRI to check.

So I had the MRI, with the earplugs they provided, but it was still incredibly loud. After it, and up until now, my left ear, which wasn't even a problem, has awful piercing loud tinnitus that I can hear over everything. It's driving me insane. My left ear also feels totally fucked up. I can hear OK but it feels really awful. It makes a loud sound when I swallow, and it feels thick, heavy, closed-in and also weird when I chew. It's hard to describe but it feels terrible.

I contacted my consultant and saw a GP who both said it should settle down.

But I am not coping and it feels horrendous. I wish I hadn't had the MRI and I feel so much guilt and regret. I don't know what to do. I thought the initial problem in my right ear was unbearable but this is a whole other level.

 

Don't blame yourself... the idiot who decided it would be a good idea to send you to an MRI is to blame here.

This is a no brainer..MRI gives out about 120 decibels, while the foam plugs they provide have rating of about 25 NPR under lab conditions (assuming they are perfectly inserted).
So even if we are generous and subtract the full NRR rating (which in reality is more like 15 to 20 at best), you are still left with over 90 decibels.
That is enough to damage a healthy person's ears..but yours were already compromised to begin with.

The only way you can pull this off is with double protection and even then you are pushing it (foam plugs plus ear muffs)..your ENT should know this, but then again most of them are pretty much useless, as they don't teach them critical thinking to begin with.

I walked away from my MRI for the same reason..the model of that particular MRI machine had no room for double protection (foam plugs and ear muffs)..
There are some that do and those are the the ones that should be used to scan people with tinnitus.
Also there are now some MRI machines out there, which operate more quietly...those should be the preffered ones.
Again, your ENT and your GP should have thought about this...but they don't.

 

for MRI the only really quiet machines are the TOSHIBA VANTAGE series

still need plugs but no damage possible

cant wear muffs in a 3T due to metal or image noise

 

Do you know where I can find out which hospital has this mri-machine, preferebly in Holland? I’ve tried calling hospitals, but they are not very cooperative. I have an appointment for this monday at my own hospital for an mri, and called today to ask if it’s possible to do the mri in another hospital with an mri machine that makes less noise. But they claimed they don’t even know these machines exist and that mri machines just always make noise....

I want to go somewhere else, I would drive a couple of hours for an mri machine that is more silent....but I just don’t know how to find out where??

 

Remember that by phoning the hospitals, you are mostly dealing with bunch of non-caring, incompetent idiots with the "I don't know I just work here" types of attitudes, whom are mostly just trained to press buttons and follow procedures without thinking.

You might be able to call the manufacturer directly and possibly find out who they sold them to..
I would try that avenue first.

 

I really wish there were lists for these types of important things somewhere on this site. I had no idea MRI machines are loud.

 

I really wouldn’t have thought about that myself! Thanx voor the tip. I mailed them right away, bit I also found a phonenumber I will try tomorrow morning......

 

When I went for an MRI I don't really recall it being that loud and I don't remember wearing ear plugs. If I had to go again I'd certainly bring ear plugs with me just in case.

But I have to say, there have been times this last year where a comforting thought was "at least you're not having an MRI again" because those things are small and I had to shut my eyes the entire time. Never knew how much I feared tight spaces till then. They had to really pad my head too with this headbrace thing.

 

@anna_xx

you need to call the local sales office of the manufacturer or dealer and they will be able to tell you a few locations close to you

 

My God, I can't believe. I've written so many times here that I have severe tinnitus because of a MRI with inappropriate hearing protection. Why do not people research before they undergo this test that can have irreversible consequences?

 

I am trying! But it’s very difficult. I’ve been calling hospitals for weeks now. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to find out which hospital has which mri scanner.
I ended up rescheduling my appointment for this monday because they couldn’t tell me how much noise it is... and which machine. Is it this difficult in other country’s? (I’m from Holland)

 

Most people are unaware of this potential consequence. They may have heard that an MRI is loud but assume the doctor and clinician would provide adequate protection.

 

Can you get through to the lab and ask someone to just go over to the machine itself and check the brand/model number? Then you could contact the manufacturer.

 

So unbelievably insane isn't it.

Proof that you cannot put any amount of faith in these professionals. Always do more than your due diligence when dealing with these people who live inside a box and read from a script.

 

Anna, do everything calmly, I know that there are now MRI machines that have up to half of the noise, but this is expensive and this price will be passed to the consumer, because the method of construction of the machine has differences. I know that there is a percentage of people who do MRI and who have hearing loss, this is proven. I can not even believe in such a thing. How can you try to solve a health problem and acquire another one in a medical exam?
You are entitled to dual hearing protection, with earplugs and earmuffs, but with very noisy machines this is no use. Has to also take care of the time of exposure to noise and the non-repetition of the sequences.

 

Cannon Medical System - Toshiba 3T Vantage Galan
There's not many of these MRIs available yet.
Northern California - population 6 million only has 2

Contact information USA - They should be able to provide telephone # worldwide

https://us.medical.canon/products/magnetic-resonance/

https://us.medical.canon/

 

the 3T vantage galan is the top of the line model but Tosiba/Cannon have several others 3T and 1.5t in that "Vantage" line, also quiet since they patented the hardware mods to make those more silent

other makers only use some software quietening sequences - which are not used for deep tissue scans

 

One of their other models was available about 45 minutes from me, but GE and a few other manufacturers has the market in my area.

 

Had a heart Mri today. My T is at a very high level. I think it has pushed it further tonight, my head is screaming even more. The operator of the machine was talking to me and it was so loud I pressed the button to get out. Seriously they don't care. I told her the volume was so high and I couldn't understand her anyhow.

I Put in my own earplugs and the ones they supply as well.

I did consider cancelling my appointment but decided to do it as I've been through so much already.
My advice is to consider not going for a Mri at all.

The heart Mri is a lot quite than a brain Mri but it's very stressful as they gave an injection that makes your heart go faster and you feel very ill.

 

I phoned the manufacturer and they told me there is one in amsterdam, but only until october because they rent it. So I called Amsterdam. It’s fully booked for the time it’s still there, and they told me that my exam is not possible on this machine..... :-(.

Everyone tells me not to worry and that mri’s are completely safe..... I’m getting really tired of explaining otherwise.

I have canceled this mri about 4 times now.... it’s really embarrising. But since I have been told to get an mri by 4 different doctors I do think I should get one soon....

 

@anna_xx Hi Anna GE Healthcare has a scanner called Silent Scan that is 75-77 dB. Ask about hearing protection use for more deduction.
http://www3.gehealthcare.be/nl-be#

http://www3.gehealthcare.com/en/global_gateway

 

@anna_xx How did it go? Did you manage to locate any silent MRs?

My local hospital has Sweden's only "Open MR". Its less claustrophobic, but tot sure how that affects the noise level.

 

Not succesfull so far, it’s teally difficult to find a silent mri, because nobody knows anything at the hospitals.... eventuelly I found one in Amsterdam, but that one seemed to not be suitable for my kind of scan. (Didn’t know that was an option).
So.... still searching