MRI - possible gallstone floating around?!
Question: im a 29 year old girl who has some stomach problems. ive had to have my gallbladder out, but i still have stomach pains and nauseousness occasionally. the dr. thinks it may be a gallstone floating around. we have already done ultra sounds, upper GI, and and endoscopy (camera down the throat) to see if there is anything. nothing has been seen or found. now he wants to do an MRI of my tummy--he says they still may not be able to see anything.....
heres my question: im freaked about the MRI---- i want to have kids some day, and isnt the MRI radiation??? should i be worried? i wanted to ask my dr. this but he rushed me in and out of last visit!! and i have a call into him, but of course have yet to hear back. anyone? thank you!!!!!
Answers: im a 29 year old girl who has some stomach problems. ive had to have my gallbladder out, but i still have stomach pains and nauseousness occasionally. the dr. thinks it may be a gallstone floating around. we have already done ultra sounds, upper GI, and and endoscopy (camera down the throat) to see if there is anything. nothing has been seen or found. now he wants to do an MRI of my tummy--he says they still may not be able to see anything.....
heres my question: im freaked about the MRI---- i want to have kids some day, and isnt the MRI radiation??? should i be worried? i wanted to ask my dr. this but he rushed me in and out of last visit!! and i have a call into him, but of course have yet to hear back. anyone? thank you!!!!!
"MRI poses no known health risks to the patient and produces no physical side effects. Again, the potential effects of MRI on an unborn baby are not well known. Any woman who is, or may be, pregnant, should carefully discuss this issue with her doctor and radiologist before undergoing a scan"(HEALTHLINE).
MRI uses no ionizing radiation; however we do prefer that you not be in the first trimester of pregnancy. If you are under going medical testing now is not a great time to try and get pregnant. We frequently do scans on people who are pregnant and even on the unborn baby as it is safer than x-rays.
The exam that would be done is most likely a MRCP (Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography ). You would lay in the scanner approx. 45 minutes with occasional instructions to hold your breath. The scan creates images of the bile and pancreatic ducts; while also looking at the liver, pancreas and other abdominal organs. The exam is painless and at my hospital doesn't even call for contrast unless you have a tumor that is the issue which doesn't sound like your case. You will need some type of hearing protection because the machine is very load when operating. Some of my patients say it sounds like a jack hammer, others a off balance washing machine. Each scan sounds differently from the last.
I have included some links that may help you understand better than I can. The Wikipedia like has a picture of one of the images. The first is where I found the opening quote.
There is no radiation in an MRI, it uses magnets. Have the MRI it may give the doctor the information he needs.
No..the MRI is magnetic resonance imaging. There is no problem with what you are worried about.