MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Discussion & Experiences & Questions

I am a physician who has had several MRIs, one after my own tinnitus started. I uses moulded earplugs and was fine. MRI is a safe procedure. Those of you worried about the sound levels that can be produced should ask the technician what the maximum decibel level is is for that machine and take apppropriate precautions. If still concerned, ask your medical specialist if a CT Scan would be an alternative - you are exposed to X-rays but it is essentially a silent process.

 

I had a 50% reduction or so after using a neti pot. So it could be connected to sinuses. I don't think it's the source, but maybe an amplifier?

 

Erland, a 50% reduction in your sinus problem or T?

I've have sinus problems for quite some time, sinus congestion comes and goes. It does not affect my T one bit.

 

I had T very loud, did a nati pot cleansing and at the moment at least, it felt like a 70% reduction and I was convinced I was gonna be 100 fine. But I think clogged sinuses just amplified the sound.

Right now I can barely hear it, it's weird like that. When I sleep many hours after a night out (it is now 5pm and I just got up) it's almost gone. I don't know why alchohol reduced my T (it's louder after I drink, but very much lower the day after)

 

I sure hope it stays low for you. Keep us updated...

 

This was 3 months ago, it is still low. But it was really loud before I did the neti pot thing.

 

What one is it. Is it just a plain saline spray? I tried a rinsing once where I tilted my head and shot the spray up one nostril and it came out the other. Is this what you are referring to?

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Yep. Maybe it was just psychological or something. Don't force it, I think it was just pressure or something that was fixed.

 

The last time I did a rinse it was before T. I was getting nose bleeds. I have plenty of saline on hand, I'll have to look again how to do it. Sure won't hurt anything....

 

J. Wing,

Very interesting about Afrin type sprays. I keep Afrin in my house at all times. I used it for way too long years ago and eventually weened myself off of it using Sinus Buster. I've had T since late October. I'm trying to figure out if my T was brought on by a loud concert I attended (wearing earplugs) or by sinus issues. Last night I felt my sinuses were quite congested so I used the Afrin. To my utter surprise, just as I felt my sinuses clearing, the ringing in my T (left) ear subsided. I couldn't believe it. A couple weeks ago I was prescribed Nasonex and an antibiotic for a "near sinus infection", but I don't think those two meds did a thing for me.

 

Nothing to MRI's, I have had 2-3 in my life and it's not a big deal. You get earmuffs and whatnot. Don't worry.

 

I'm scheduled to have an mri of my brain and specifically my ears on Monday and I'm concerned with this increasing my tinnitus and hypercausis. I have tinnitus in both ears and the ent wants to rule out any tumors. Anyone have experience with having and mri and their tinnitus?

 

Getting a MRI is part of the T protocol. Everyone with free healthcare go through that. They may (or may not) adjust your head on a fixed position with some thingy they have (don't know the name sorry), so earmuffs may not be possible. Carry your own earplugs in case they give you some shitty cotton ones. Pro tip to avoid claustrophobia: close your eyes before getting inside the tube, don't open them until you are finished. It's not a pleasant procedure, and there is a very low chance of tumors, but if you skip it, then you'll be paranoid about it.

 

Ive had an MRI of the brain and ear canals ordered But Im upset to see its got to be with contrast which means being injected with Gadalidium....anyone know about this?

 

Hi Luisa,
I have had a MRI with contrast - no side effects. Just wear ear plugs, if it's not open scan it can be noisy.

 

i have a big question. im having real long term LOUD tinnitus. Next step aside from accupuncture and chinese herbs im doing, is to allow the ENT to do the MRI with contrast. They insist contrast is necessary...NOW big question...SO many things make my Tinnitus louder and louder lately.. Im terrified that the Gadalidium metal dye they put inside you when doing the MRI will be ototoxic and make things worse. Its possible...anyone have any experience with this?? thanks...

 

I don't think it will make your tinnitus any louder, I remember doing a quick search about it a while back but maybe just double check with google. With the MRI, be mindful they are quite loud and use ear plugs and if possible some ear muffs as well.

I'd also like to point out that not all MRIs are equal in loudness, there are apparently differences between how powerful the MRI is and what brand. I did some quick research about it and found out that Toshiba make a line of MRI machines that are significantly more quiet than most others on the market, I think there was approximately around a 30db reduction in comparison to other more common models but I could be off a bit. You can do a bit of research and find out if you have one near you - I sent them an e-mail and they were able to point me in the right direction for me.

 

HI....Im talking about the Gadalidium dye...NOT the MRI...can it be ototoxic//

 

I was referring to the dye in the first paragraph - it isn't ototoxic as far as I know.

 

I don't have an answer. My anecdotical experience: got Gadolinium twice, no change. There are several brands and different dilutions are used.

 

Hey Luisa I just had this same mri done (brain and ear canals) with and without contrast. The gadolinium didn't have any effect on my T. I did bring in my own earplugs (you can get 33db at Walgreens) and I used their headphones (covered the whole ear) without the music. No problems with the mri/loudness/t getting worse. Hope this helps.

 

Lynette,
What was the result of your MRI?

 

It was clear. I also visited the Duke Tinnitus Clinic and had an eval done and they measured my T at 8000 and my hearing loss at 2000-3000 high frequency...Whatever that all means! The noises they pumped into the headphones in the end made my T louder so they said I wasn't. A candidate (yet) for noise masking hearing aids. I'm not ready to fork out the $ for them yet anyway.

 

For the first time since 1999 I'm going to have an MRI specifically for my tinnitus. This is horrible for me for a number of reasons. A. I'm terribly claustrophobic. I've called around and managed to schedule a "semi open" MRI. I used this same place 3 years ago so I should be ok. B. I suffer from Health Anxiety so I'm pretty certain they're going to find either a tumor or aneurysm or both. C. I'm worried we won't find ANYTHING which means there's no cause.

Honestly I can handle C. It's what I've been telling myself anyway. I've just accepted I will live with tinnitus the rest of my life. It's not a big deal. I would prefer not to, but if there's no known cause, I will manage.

I realize B. is highly unlikely but the beauty of health anxiety is that it's a jerk and makes you think things you don't want to.

So, on Wednesday evening (providing we don't get a huge snowstorm; we are enjoying a super snowy winter this year) I will have my MRI and get the results a few weeks later. And that is point D.... waiting so ding dong long to find out the results.

wish me luck.

 

Just had an MRI where they offer no ear protection, noise cancelling headphones or classical music options. I brought my moulded earplugs with me, but they were not enough to tolerate my t and hyperacusis. Some of those sounds get up to 115db, so even attenuation of 25db would not be sufficient. I had to ask to be taken out of the closed MRI unit after the second round. I just couldn't stand it. Now have to look around the Bay area for MRI machines that will accommodate people with t and hyperacusis. What a nightmare.

 

Anyone in the Bay Area who knows of places to go, please let me know. I have heard wonderful stories of those with t and hyperacusis being pampered with ear protection, noise cancelling headphones and classical music in their MRI units. There have got to be some like that around somewhere over here.

 

Back in October 2013 I accompanied my daughter to an MRI, sat in the room and was given ear plugs and muffs, however, the techs didn't instruct me on how to put the plugs in. My recollection is they were not adequately pushed in to protect my ears. I have had horrible constant tinnitus and hearing loss ever since. I didn't realize I had hearing loss until I saw the audiologist, but the ringing started within a week of the experience. I had to do an MRI myself to rule out acoustic neuroma since I had different levels of hearing loss (worse on the left). You can be sure I made sure to protect my ears. I stuffed 2 plugs in each ear and wore the muffs. I don't believe the tinnitus got worse at that point. The MRI showed a small benign brain tumor, incidental and apparently harmless and unrelated to my tinnitus. I was relieved not have an acoustic neuroma and the worse part of the MRI was worrying about the dye--gadolinium which can have side effects. I will post on a separate thread my current frustration which is that in addition to living with this very loud high pitched ear piercing tinnitus, I've developed low pitched tinnitus as well, a completely separate tone, also on both sides. It's a low E (on the guitar) but isn't musical in quality. It's loud, constant and thunderous, like a plane that never flys away but stays nearby. Very ominous and frightening sounding. I was nearly habituated to the high pitched scream and doing quite well when this second tinnitus hit about a month ago. Oddly, when the docs told me that the hearing loss at high and low frequencies was causing my tinnitus, I wondered why I only had high pitched tinnitus.... That was apparently temporary!

 

I have read here that many of you have had an MRI, but those seem to be always negative / nothing has been found. Has anyone here had an MRI that actually was useful?

I haven't had an MRI myself yet. I wonder if having one makes sense, if it practically never finds anything? I have understood that MRI is mainly used to rule out acoustic neuroma, which is VERY rare. Is there something else MRI has been used to diagnose when you have had them?