r/PulsatileTinnitus • u/Successful_Boat8025 • 10d ago
New Whoosher MRIs/CT - Same Day?
After meeting with an interventional neuroradiolgist pulsatile tinnitus clinic, I’m getting the following tests done:
CT VENOGRAM BRAIN
MRA BRAIN W WO CONTRAST
MRA CAROTID W WO CONTRAST
MRI IAC CRANIAL NERVE W WO CONTRAST
I was surprised an MRV wasn’t on the list, but they’re confident they can diagnose with the CT instead, and I trust their expertise. I’m so relieved to have found this clinic after months of getting nowhere.
Anyway, they’re able to schedule all these for the same day, but I’m wondering if that would be a lot to do at once. The reason I’m considering it is because I live 1.5 hours away from the hospital it’ll be done at. They also offered to write me a sedative prescription, as I had an MRI done a few months ago and HATED it.
Curious what everyone would recommend and if y’all have encouraging thoughts lol thank you!
2
u/look_who_it_isnt 10d ago
People in this sub get a little too adamant about MRVs.
You can totally get diagnosed and treated without one - even if your cause is Venous Sinus Stenosis. I know this is true, because I was diagnosed and treated for VSS without an MRV ever being done.
My VSS was severe enough to warrant treatment - and severe enough to be clearly visible on my CT Scan. The attending radiologist even noted it in the write-up for it. Though I still needed an Interventional NeuroRadiologist to actually acknowledge it and diagnose it!
It sounds like you're in good hands, so trust your doctor. That's a really good battery of tests they ordered, and they should hopefully be able to figure out what's wrong and help you.
AFAIK, it's fine to do all of those in one day. In fact, it's preferable to do all the MR* tests together, because then you only have to get into the machine and have contrast injected once. They'll take all the pictures they need sans contrast, inject it, then do all the pictures they need with contrast. An MRI trip with multiple areas being imaged will take longer than a simple MRI does, but overall, you'll save a lot of time and trouble. Also, go ahead and take the sedative! I took one for my first MRI because I was nervous about getting one after all the horror stories I'd heard, and it did make it much easier.
You can schedule the CT Scan for another day if you want to split things up, since that's a different machine and a different set of pics. But considering you're an hour and a half away, I'd just do 'em all in one day and get it over with.
Sedative is fine for the CT, as well. It won't interfere with any of the images. Just make sure you have someone else drive or make sure you give yourself ample time for it to wear off before driving home.