Steph, I wish you good luck on tapering off Welbutrin. My anxiety calmed down, and my sleep cycle normalized, and it was just better.

My sleep and anxiety are exactly why I'm going off it. At the appointment today, we talked about it, and I decided to just taper off it but not start another AD. Because I can always go back in to the doctor if I need to.

Now if the insurance/IUD problem gets worked out, and the Coffee Laptop starts up, I'll be ahead of the game.

Definitely not enough ativan. The last MRI I had was maybe 15 years ago, and I do not remember it being that loud. I do not handle noise well at all, and extremely loud noise while trapped in a very small space. Not good. I managed to keep it together to just get the MRI done, but I became hysterical after and I can still barely calm down. Thank goodness Mom is here.

I'm supposed to go back in 2 more weeks for another one, and I don't know how I am going to manage it. Not to mention that I am embarrassed to go back there.

{{{sj}}}

I know it doesn't help with the actual anxiety about the procedure itself, but please don't worry about the embarrassment: it's way common for people to get freaked by the noise and claustrophobia (at least according to what I hear from friends in health care), and MRI techs have seen it all as a result.

I'm supposed to go back in 2 more weeks for another one, and I don't know how I am going to manage it.

Can you ask your doctor for a mild sedative to take beforehand?

I know it doesn't help with the actual anxiety about the procedure itself, but please don't worry about the embarrassment: it's way common for people to get freaked by the noise and claustrophobia (at least according to what I hear from friends in health care), and MRI techs have seen it all as a result.

I know. Mom said the same thing.

Can you ask your doctor for a mild sedative to take beforehand?

I see my PCP tomorrow, so I'll talk to her about it.

There's nothing cheeky about asking for ~ma for wee sister Jay. I would certainly want to sent my best thoughts for her and you. May it be nothing or something easy to deal with.

sj, as amych said, whatever your meltdown was, the techs have seen much, much worse. Can you have headphones or anything to dull the noise? I feel fortunate that my main reactions to the various scans are excruciating boredom and the need to scratch my nose.

sj, last time I had an MRI I was still freaked after 2 ativan. They had to put me in the machine feet-first. Is there an open MRI you can go to.

sj, as amych said, whatever your meltdown was, the techs have seen much, much worse. Can you have headphones or anything to dull the noise? I feel fortunate that my main reactions to the various scans are excruciating boredom and the need to scratch my nose.

I had earbuds on to dull the noise, and my own CD, but it really didn't help at all. I seem to remember last time (10 or 12 years ago) I had on the big old fashioned head phones, which were probably also noise canceling. I need to call the MRI place and see if there were other options. The only other thing they said today was to ask for earplugs instead of the ear buds, but I don't really see that being enough.

sj, last time I had an MRI I was still freaked after 2 ativan. They had to put me in the machine feet-first. Is there an open MRI you can go to.

I took two doses of ativan as well. Which were .25 milligrams each. Which is what I am prescribed to take.

Calling Teppy. Would it be safe to take a whole milligram next time?

I think being nearly out would be my best bet.

My mom is claustro and she HAS to do open MRI.

Ask your doc for something stronger, maybe a Valium? I hate needles and when I had to have a bump taken off my arm to be biopsied, under local, I told my doc I was ok with the scalpel but the local would freak my shit, and she wrote a script for 2 Valium.

Worked!

Much nothing -ma to Fay's sister!