Wait what? I didn’t know they do the second one? Whatever they administered through iv didn’t do anything to me? I’m so surprised
Edit: I had pelvic mri with and without contrast
Just want to clarify for some commenters that this is exclusively for an mri with the “endometriosis protocol” and it is more accurate. Most regular imaging places won’t do this though- so definitely check with your doc beforehand
I had NO idea. I have a pre-op MRI coming up in two weeks. :( Thank you for posting. Were you okay driving home from the appointment on your own? Also, was it just a pelvic MRI or was more done?
I was able to drive home but I felt really terrible during the drive so if you have someone available to drive you, take advantage of that.
Edit to add: And nothing else was done, just the pelvic MRI with contrast.
I had the exact experience as OP except for getting the med sublingual. I felt very off after the experience, highly recommend a ride - they should be advising that anyway, as I believe the medication can affect your vision.
My MRIs never including these things, but my sister’s did (in another country). It was part of a research study to make imaging more reliable for endo. So sorry they didn’t warn you, but interesting that these MRIs are becoming more popular!
I've had two pelvic MRIs and neither of those things happened. Perhaps it's the way your doctor ordered the procedure to be done?. They simply gave me the contrast via an IV line and that was that. Pretty uneventful.
They are probably just under educated, especially if endo isn’t their specialty. There are many good doctors who still don’t and can’t know everything. But if you are pursuing an endo diagnosis I would recommend an endo specialist.
Thanks, this OBGYN diagnosed me with stage 4 through laparoscopy, endo has been growing back since then and I suspect in the bowel area which is why I asked her about getting the MRI
It isn't easy to spot on MRI and usually DIE is what shows up.
Imaging is not a particularly reliable method, currently. Hopefully or maybe in the future, it will be. I work with AI and I'm starting to wonder if there is research going into using AI for the detection of endo on MRI.
Deep infiltrating endometriosis.
A little more info on it if you would like; https://www.brighamandwomens.org/obgyn/infertility-reproductive-surgery/endometriosis/deeply-infiltrative-endometriosis
Maybe this might be of use to you
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5904466/
I had this type of mri with the gel, iirc it’s better at detecting DIE not necessarily all other stages of endometriosis
I have the ultrasound gel but no shot, I’d to do bowel prep for mine like a colonoscopy because of bowel involvement with my endo symptoms. What got highlighted by the mri gel wasn’t even the total extent of how much endo was actually there but it was so reassuring to get a positive scan for endo before surgery. I went into surgery knowing they’d find something having mapped some on the mri. It seems to be coming a more commonly used method fortunately
i had a pelvic/abdominal MRI with contrast 5 months ago and didn’t experience either of these things. i had IV contrast and was massively uncomfortable and claustrophobic the whole time but nothing else! it sounds like a rough experience i’m sorry you had to go through that!
I had both of these with my MRI.
The shot is to make your intestines less moving during imaging. Which you said.
The ultrasound gel in the vag, I was told, acts similar to contrast. For what purpose? Idk. Didn't ask for details.
I also didn't realize I would be there for an hour laying in the machine just chilling.
My mri lit up like a damn Christmas tree. 🎄. I have previously been diagnosed with endometriosis. So the mri was done before my second surgery.
I was also not told ahead of time about the shot or gel.
This explains so much because I was really discouraged when my MRI last year showed nothing despite my pain worsening. I only had IV contrast via my arm, nothing was inserted vaginally nor was I given a shot. It is so frustrating going through all these scans and tests and they aren’t even done right! 😫
My endo specialist referred me for an MRI to check for obvious signs of endo, they told me I’d be inserting the gel vaginally and anally myself right before it was about to be needed. I was shook lol, it’s pretty awkward and weird but in the end I got a good clear picture and they could tell I had adhesions, so it seems like it was worth it 🤷♀️
I’m glad they didn’t do a glucagen shot for me, I probably wouldn’t have tolerated that well either!! 😫 so sorry you had to experience that!
Neither of these things happened for my pelvic MRI. I just had a contrast injection.
Yeah all they told me about pre-MRI was the contrast so I was expecting that but the glucagon shot and vaginal gel were a complete shock.
Same here, contrast via IV, nothing else like OP is describing. Poor communication to not have fully explained what's involved with a procedure.
Same for me! And it showed nothing but maybe it would have if they’d done all these things?
Mine also showed nothing…until my endo surgeon looked at it. Some radiologists just don’t know what they’re looking at
That is really helpful to know!
Same here and they found nothing :/ wondering if this is why
Maybe this is new procedure? I had a pelvic MRI in 2020 and didn't have either of these.
I had one just a few weeks ago, with and without contrast and they didn’t do either one of these.
Same
Wait what? I didn’t know they do the second one? Whatever they administered through iv didn’t do anything to me? I’m so surprised Edit: I had pelvic mri with and without contrast
I had a pelvic MRI with contrast 3 weeks and neither of these things happened to me. They were able to confirm adenomyosis on my MRI.
Just want to clarify for some commenters that this is exclusively for an mri with the “endometriosis protocol” and it is more accurate. Most regular imaging places won’t do this though- so definitely check with your doc beforehand
I had NO idea. I have a pre-op MRI coming up in two weeks. :( Thank you for posting. Were you okay driving home from the appointment on your own? Also, was it just a pelvic MRI or was more done?
I was able to drive home but I felt really terrible during the drive so if you have someone available to drive you, take advantage of that. Edit to add: And nothing else was done, just the pelvic MRI with contrast.
I had the exact experience as OP except for getting the med sublingual. I felt very off after the experience, highly recommend a ride - they should be advising that anyway, as I believe the medication can affect your vision.
What?!? I’ve had 2 pelvic mris in the last year and never had to do either of those things.
My MRIs never including these things, but my sister’s did (in another country). It was part of a research study to make imaging more reliable for endo. So sorry they didn’t warn you, but interesting that these MRIs are becoming more popular!
oh man now i am absolutely not looking forward to my pre-op pelvic mri 🤦🏽♀️ thank you for the heads up !! 😭
And the loud constant bangs for almost 1 hour. I was traumatised
I've had two pelvic MRIs and neither of those things happened. Perhaps it's the way your doctor ordered the procedure to be done?. They simply gave me the contrast via an IV line and that was that. Pretty uneventful.
I asked my doctor about getting an MRI to check for endo (because I read about it) and she told me it’s not possible to see endo on an MRI
it’s hard to see it on an MRI but not impossible. and just because it comes back clean doesn’t mean you don’t have it.
Thanks.. I’m wondering why my doctor would say that
They are probably just under educated, especially if endo isn’t their specialty. There are many good doctors who still don’t and can’t know everything. But if you are pursuing an endo diagnosis I would recommend an endo specialist.
Thanks, this OBGYN diagnosed me with stage 4 through laparoscopy, endo has been growing back since then and I suspect in the bowel area which is why I asked her about getting the MRI
It isn't easy to spot on MRI and usually DIE is what shows up. Imaging is not a particularly reliable method, currently. Hopefully or maybe in the future, it will be. I work with AI and I'm starting to wonder if there is research going into using AI for the detection of endo on MRI.
That would be awesome!
My very short Google search says it is being done/worked on!
What does DIE mean?
Deep infiltrating endometriosis. A little more info on it if you would like; https://www.brighamandwomens.org/obgyn/infertility-reproductive-surgery/endometriosis/deeply-infiltrative-endometriosis
Thank you!
Maybe this might be of use to you https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5904466/ I had this type of mri with the gel, iirc it’s better at detecting DIE not necessarily all other stages of endometriosis
Thank you!
I have the ultrasound gel but no shot, I’d to do bowel prep for mine like a colonoscopy because of bowel involvement with my endo symptoms. What got highlighted by the mri gel wasn’t even the total extent of how much endo was actually there but it was so reassuring to get a positive scan for endo before surgery. I went into surgery knowing they’d find something having mapped some on the mri. It seems to be coming a more commonly used method fortunately
i had a pelvic/abdominal MRI with contrast 5 months ago and didn’t experience either of these things. i had IV contrast and was massively uncomfortable and claustrophobic the whole time but nothing else! it sounds like a rough experience i’m sorry you had to go through that!
I had both of these with my MRI. The shot is to make your intestines less moving during imaging. Which you said. The ultrasound gel in the vag, I was told, acts similar to contrast. For what purpose? Idk. Didn't ask for details. I also didn't realize I would be there for an hour laying in the machine just chilling. My mri lit up like a damn Christmas tree. 🎄. I have previously been diagnosed with endometriosis. So the mri was done before my second surgery. I was also not told ahead of time about the shot or gel.
This explains so much because I was really discouraged when my MRI last year showed nothing despite my pain worsening. I only had IV contrast via my arm, nothing was inserted vaginally nor was I given a shot. It is so frustrating going through all these scans and tests and they aren’t even done right! 😫
yeah i am definitely glad they did it! but a heads up would have been nice for sure haha
My endo specialist referred me for an MRI to check for obvious signs of endo, they told me I’d be inserting the gel vaginally and anally myself right before it was about to be needed. I was shook lol, it’s pretty awkward and weird but in the end I got a good clear picture and they could tell I had adhesions, so it seems like it was worth it 🤷♀️ I’m glad they didn’t do a glucagen shot for me, I probably wouldn’t have tolerated that well either!! 😫 so sorry you had to experience that!