Has anyone had mylogram? What was the experience like? How long did it take?!
Question:
Has anyone had mylogram? What was the experience like? How long did it take?
Answers:
I have never personally HAD a myelogram, but I perform them with a radiologist.
First of all, make sure that you are not on blood thinners before you have this exam done. Your blood clot time is very important in association with this exam as you do not want a sub-arachnoid bleed. You should have your PT, PTT, and INR labs drawn prior to this exam if you are over the age of 50 or have ever taken or are currently taking any type of blood thinner (including aspirin). PT, PTT, and INR are blood coagulation (clotting) labwork.
Usually a doctor will have you lie on your side or your stomach. They will use a local anaesthetic (usually Lidocaine) to numb an area of your lower back around Lumbar level 3 or 4. The Lidocaine will be injected with a small needle, and most patients do feel a stick and a burn like a little bee-sting during this injection.
Next the doctor will use a spinal needle to access your sub-arachnoid space. It is a long needle and looks a little intimidating, so if you're afraid of needles, I suggest you look away at this point.
If the doctor is skilled, most people don't feel this at all. If you do feel any pain or sensation or muscle/nerve twitches make sure to let the doctor know right away so he/she may adjust the needle.
After the doctor gains access, they will inject a contrast solution, that, usually, is iodine based. Make sure you don't have any iodine allergies (or shellfish/seafood as they contain iodine). If you do have iodine allergies, there may be other alternatives or pre-exam preps that can be done.
The exam can vary greatly in time depending on how many levels of the spine they want a myelogram for. There are three levels - cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. Also, different doctors do myelograms by different protocol. Some take only plain x-ray films after the contrast is administered, some do CT scans, some do a combination of both.
In any case you should block off several hours, because they will usually have an observation period of about 2-3 hours after the exam...try to avoid standing up or lowering your head below your feet during this time, as many people experience headaches or dizziness after these exams.
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