I recently had an MRI done on my spine, about 40 min. I was given 32db reducing foam plugs, that's it. I had told them on the phone when booking that I had tinnitus, they told me they would have muffs for me. I assumed this would be okay with plugs under, when I arrived they told me they do not have muffs. Why I went ahead, I don't know.
The noise was absolutely unbelievable, but for some strange reason I laid there taking it. I've had tinnitus for almost 5 years and have been fairly diligent in not exposing myself to extreme noise, I have hyperacusis as well.
I think I have been accused of being anxious so many times in the past regarding noise (which I never have been) that I almost wanted to show myself that I was right and they were wrong.
Everytime Ive gone to a audiologist, or any other tinnitus/hearing expert with my hyperacusis/tinnitus I was told that I was a anxious type personality and had protected my ears too much, even though this wasn't the case. I could take a sudden painful blast to the ears in the way of my car alarm going in a closed garage, and not think twice about it.
No matter what I did, no matter who I talked to regarding tinnitus and hyperacusis, I was always accused/prejudged of being a nervous person to the point that I developed a serious complex. I had reached the point of rage with these people, everyone treated me like I was some kind of of crazy hypochondriac making hyperacusis up. I had become extremely self conscious and defensive about this topic. I think this is wear I got caught in my own load bull shit baggage, I could have stopped the mri anytime, but this voice in my head was telling me not to be a anxious chicken shit like I've been accused of so many times.
Instead of using reason, I started to believe that these people from my past could be right, maybe I was scared of noise, maybe the ear plugs were just fine, and I was just being anxious like everyone had accused me of all these years since my tinnitus onset.
Well, I took it the entire time. I was encouraged by the lady doing the scan, she kept telling me great job, just a few more images. This somehow was feeling good, instead of being accused of being a chicken shit, I was even being told good job, beside the extreme pain in the ears, I somehow had a feeling like I was either proving everyone wrong, or I was somehow conquering my anxious feeling about sound (which I never had). Either way, for some twisted reason, I felt like there was no way I could get out, I had this extreme pressure to stay, almost feeling like I would have all these people laughing at me if I stopped it.
After getting out, I was greeted with with the tech, I could hardly understand her, her voice sounded like beeping and tinnitus. She asked me how I was, I remember still not wanting to show anything due to this stupid complex, I told her yeah, I'm fine, was no big deal.
I actually don't remember driving home, I was in shock, I still am. My tinnitus is so much worse, I lost A LOT of hearing that day, all due to the fact that I wanted to prove something, maybe I didnt want to be in this group of anxious paranoid people that I was immediately cast into As soon as I mentioned the word hyperacusis.
Looking back, maybe a little paranoia is good thing when you have a health issue. Instead of it being the problem like it had been suggested to me so many times, it would have been the solution here. I wouldn't be writing this right now, I've been off Tinnitus Talk for ages, now I'm back here due to my own stupidity, I actually hate myself at the moment.
I messed up huge, it's been 5 weeks, I could always sleep with very loud tinnitus, not now. I can sleep for 10 min at a time all night on and off, My tinnitus is at a point which I never thought even existed, I'm NOW a nervous wreck, full of terror, hands shaking, can not function with this extreme blasting tinnitus, sore ears, pressurized head like I'm under water, completely messed up distorted hearing.
Does anyone know what the standard protocol is when doing an MRI? The original poster had double protection on, muffs and plugs, as you just read I was only given ear plugs.
Sorry about the long post, thanks for reading.
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