Spinal MRI - can someone explain what happened?

[alphamommy]

I had a head and spine MRI earlier today. This was my first MRI on something other than my head.

Pretty much as soon as they started the first spinal scan, I began to get warm. To be honest, I thought at first I was having a hot flash. :flame::fan:

Anyway, the tech asked how I was doing, and I asked him if it was normal to get getting hot. He said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you about that. I'll pull you out so you can cool off."

When he got me out of the machine, I asked what caused it. He said that basically, I was being "microwaved". He said that body temps. often go up by 3 degrees during a spinal MRI. I suspect this was his attempt to put it in layman's terms, but I'm still curious what was really happening.

Can anyone explain, in a little more detail, what was happening? I've never experienced anything like it during a brain MRI (I've had about 30).

Thanks!

[Disney4us2]

I have only had 2 spine MRI's. Both on the LS spine. I didn't feel that heating sensation. I was just very claustrophobic. Hopefully someone can explain why you were feeling the heat.

Hope everything turns out ok.

[russ57]

Did they do a contrast dye MRI? The contrast may give some folks a mild reaction... Had 2 done at the end of December, 1st regular, 2nd with contrast, and I felt something like heat during the 2nd one...

[kakn7294]

A "hot flash" sensation is a very common side effect of contrast dyes but MRIs generally don't use contrast dyes. Probably what you experienced is an actual heat generated by the MRI machine itself. There are fans within the machine to help keep it cool but sometimes there is a localized or even overall heat that is produced by the machine that the fans cannot completely cool. In some cases, it can cause burns but otherwise it's thought to be harmless.

[Dizneyana]

I would agree with Russ - that has happened to me with contrast - sometimes it warms you all over, and causes other things that I can't mention here.. If you want further details, please feel free to PM me...

I have had more than I can count MRI's over the past 10 years of my brain, and most recently of my neck and spine.

While I don't like the 'microwaved' explanation, I would certainly ask my neurologist (or whoever ordered the MRI) about the experience.

Good luck.. I wish you well...

[MNNHFLTX]

I can't help but wonder about the MRI tech's explanation of what you experienced. I have taken care of hundreds of patients that have had MRI's and Cat Scans and the only ones that have experienced hot flashes have been as a side effect of the contrast used. Contrast media is sometimes used with MRI's when the physicians (usually neurologists) feels that it will give a more detailed picture of what is going on with certain tissues. So yes, definitely ask your doctor if contrast was used or if there is some other explanation.

[alphamommy]

The warm sensation started long before the contrast was injected, and only happened during the scans of my spine.

I've had contrast during all of my brain MRIs, and have never had a reaction to it. When I've had contrast during a CT scan, I've always had the warming (very creepy feeling). This time it was a sensation all over my body, but not in my arms or legs.

I'll talk to my neurosurgeon about it on Thursday.

[crazypoohbear]

a couple of years ago I had an MRI on my shoulder. I too felt hot (only on my arm, it felt like I was too close to the oven) and mentioned it to the tech. He pulled me out and placed a small blanket between me and the machine and that took care of the problem.
I did not have anything injected so it was just a regular MRI. I have had them on my back and neck but haven't had the same thing happen again.

[Dznygrl79]

I also don't know why but it happened to me as well, I was having a low spine MRI and I was fine until they started and then I began to sweat buckets. They had put these glasses on my eyes that show tv, they look like a view master but I sweated them off 10 mins into the scan, I thought it was just me and my nerves.

[Ian]

I'm certainly not an expert, but MRI stands for "magnetic resonance imaging."

Powerful magnets are certainly capable of generating a lot of heat. In fact, back in the late 50's/early 60's there were a lot of "wave of the future" type stories about cooking with magnets.

In fact, if you ever eat at the Sci-Fi in DHS one of the clips that plays on the drive-in screen is about cooking with magnets.

[alphamommy]

I had my follow-up appointment with my neurosurgeon today, and I told him about what happened. He said that, while "microwaving" wasn't the correct term, he said the principle is similar.

Microwaves generate heat by exciting water molecules. An MRI uses magnetic waves to align the molecules of the body. When this happens. the energy the molecules use to move manifests itself as heat. I felt it in my body (but not my head) because the overall mass is larger.

He also agreed that the tech was likely trying to simplify the explanation so that a layman could understand.

[Dizneyana]

Well, glad you got that cleared up... hopefully you got positive news on why the MRI was run to begin with. :thumbsup:

[Dznygrl79]

Thanks for posting what the Doc said, I too hope the MRI results where the ones you wanted