Perhaps I should be placed on a delay

[oldfella1962]

Yep, been in the tube 5 or 6 times, fortunately they play some good tunes to listen to. Yes, it is a tight squeeze for a big ole boy like me.

Worst was when I fasted and went for a CT scan with contrast on my thyroid last fall. The tech told me I could only swallow when prompted. When the contrast die hit me, I thought I was going to puke and lay there and drown in a pool of my own vomit. Fortunately I kept it down. The tech went and found me a bottle of apple juice when the test was done. Worst 15 minutes I can recall in a long time.

Yes I have been through this before. Very, very difficult & grueling to say the least.

 

[ilbcnu]

Never go near them without the trusty Xanax or two

 

[Toliver]

the one that bothered me was the head scan.

they put your head in a hannibal lecter type cage box and throw you in the tube. i get claustrophobic in that cage.

the regular isn't as bad, but since the face cage, i get the pacifier pill before hand.

I'm good in them but I had one exception. I've been scanned multiple times for one thing or another from one end to the other. The one and only time an MRI bothered me was when they put a similar contraption over my chest and I couldn't draw a full breath. My chest kept hitting the cage so I felt like I couldn't breath. I guess knowing I'm not trapped and can get out whenever I need to makes it ok because the older I get the more claustrophobia is a thing for me.

 

[Toliver]

Open sided MRI. I had not been claustrophobic in a long time. But since Nov 28th 2022 I have had 4 MRI's, 2 CT Scans and one ultra sound. It brought it back on. I know where it first happened. I was in Boy Scouts. We went up to Kentucky to one of caves. Got to spend the Saturday night. We ended up going on the explores trail. All was good and then We thru a Cave to cave trail. It was 18" height and about 20" wide for about 25 yards of crawling on your belly. About half way thru one of the other kids got stuck. Laying in cave dust and disturbing it every time you said hurry up at the top of lungs. As you are stuck there you can't imagine the things that run thru your head. All of them more frightening than the other. We were stopped about 25 minutes before we got going again. I would not do anything for a long time. Unless it was with your girlfriend in a closet. But all the Scans have brought it back, but I have/need to do.

NOPE! MRI is one thing. Belly crawling through a dark tight space ain't happening. My heart rate changed noticeably just reading that.

 

[georgia_home]

It would be interesting to have in a heart rate monitor… except they don’t allow the metal… but i would be curious to see exactly what my BPM is with the cage and without the panic pill.

yeah, at be fun

 

[tr21]

It would be interesting to have in a heart rate monitor… except they don’t allow the metal… but i would be curious to see exactly what my BPM is with the cage and without the panic pill.

yeah, at be fun

funny you say that, they told me my heart rate went down until they gave me a drug to speed it up for the test I was in for. before the test it was 55BPM and during the test it was 51BPM

 

[Stroker]

Yea I can see that messing you up. I'm good as long as I can see out and have air moving. Now if I couldn't see out I wouldn't like it at aion for

Yea I can see that messing you up. I'm good as long as I can see out and have air moving. Now if I couldn't see out I wouldn't like it at all...

We used to prank the new guy/girl. Kill the lights, yank the fresh air duct, throw the tank lid on and start running screws. A few would freak out, couple wanted to fight, if they laughed you knew you had a good one. Us old guys would just laugh, pass some gas and take a nap. Lot of pranks and other stuff happened in those tanks.

 

[tr21]

We used to prank the new guy/girl. Kill the lights, yank the fresh air duct, throw the tank lid on and start running screws. A few would freak out, couple wanted to fight, if they laughed you knew you had a good one. Us old guys would just laugh, pass some gas and take a nap. Lot of pranks and other stuff happened in those tanks.

man that's just mean ! we played pranks but nothing like that. that would of got someone hurt when I got out. wow, I couldn't imagine trying to explain to a lead how the inside of the tank got so many dents in it needing to be repaired. It would be one thing during a leak check where you knew going in you were going to be sealed in with 2 way communication , but out of nowhere OH HECK NO, They'd better have a nurse standing by when I get out because someone is going to need medical attention !

 

[Oldstick]

Dreading the day when I have to get into one of those contraptions. I might insist they call in an anesthesiologist to put me to sleep or otherwise forget it and let nature take it's course at my age.

I agree with others above that claustrophobia seems to increase with age. Never had any problem with it as a kid, but I have had several "negative" experiences since reaching adulthood. I can barely even stand to watch videos where they are climbing down inside of caves and slithering through crevices.

My hypothesis is that your "fight or flight" survival instinct gets more and more dominant the older you get and confined spaces can cause panic.

 

[TJay]

Every time I look at the culvert at the head of our driveway I think of those things. Ugh.

 

[2dye4]

Yep, know the feeling well. I was mid 40s first time I had one. Nurse said lay here. I did and looked up as I was on the table and had an immediate panic attack when I saw the tight space I was about to enter. She asked if I needed a happy pill and I told her I’d tough through it because I don’t like taking medications.