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MRI Sensitivity in Fibromyalgia Patients

11/26/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body.  MRI's are usually ordered to show problems that cannot be seen with other imaging methods.

For an MRI test, the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that contains a strong magnet. The  magnetic field is then initiated and radio waves begin to create detailed images of the body on a computer.  Scientifically stated, this is one of the most in evasive procedures that could be ordered.  For an individual with hypersensitivity or nerve pain it could be a recipe for disaster.

I recently went to an ordered MRI a bit under the weather.  I had a sleepless night previously and was uncertain if I should proceed with the test.  After informing the specialist of my dilemma, she prompted me to at least try it and said, "We'll see what happens." Famous last words of those who do not understand this syndrome.

I was a bit tired and concerned of falling asleep once I entered the Open MRI.  After all, I had these before and experienced no ill effects so there were no anxious feelings of that contraption.  That was of course BEFORE I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  Once the radio waves kicked in I felt my nerves stand on end.  My heart began to beat at an uncomfortable pace, and the top of my spine began shooting those well-known late night spasms.  I immediately squeezed the oblong bubble for help.  I explained it may be good to reschedule due to lack of sleep.  I received the barrage of "maybe your anxious" cliches and was told that this machine could not be possibly producing those side effects.  Off I went to attain a better night's sleep in hopes of battling this once more.

Two days later I was in the imaging machine again.  I was not anxious, but a bit concerned over what happened previously.  The machine started its whooshing effect and I was drawn into its warmth as it began to create a shroud of my neck.  I closed my eyes feeling the soft vibrations making note that the previous episode must have been caused  due to lack of sleep.  The imaging proceeded and shut off intermittently as the radio images were being sent.  I did notice some intermittent spasms in various points of my body, but not tremors.  By the third wave, my nerves stood up on end.  My upper spine hurt enormously and waves of electronic pain shot down my arms.  To make matters worse, my heart began doing flip flops as the waves produced deep pain that reached my inner core. 

I tried to relax and breathe going deeper into mediation trying to calm down my body from this hypersensitivity.  Within seconds, my heart began racing again, and a headache intialized that felt full of rising blood pressure.  I beeped the specialist again explaining that I may not be a good candidate for this imaging.  For the remainder of the day I felt severe spine pain, elusiveness, dizziness, and various joint pain.

After devouring the Web once again, I came up with the following information:

Electrical Sensitivity as an Emerging Illness 

What is electrical sensitivity? Perhaps you are already familiar  with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) whereby the patient develops symptoms  from exposure to ordinary levels of synthetic chemicals in common use such as  perfumes,
pesticides, and household cleaning products. Electrical sensitivity  (ES), another environmentally triggered illness, produces symptoms in the  patient exposed to common levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from electrical 
sources in the environment: power lines, motors, computers, etc. ES patients often are also MCS patients. Other at-risk groups for developing ES seem to be chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients and those experiencing mercury toxicity 
from dental amalgams.1 Because the nervous system is a primary site impacted by both chemicals and electromagnetic fields, those with nervous system damage from toxic exposures seem more susceptible to becoming ES 
too.2,3 Also, overexposure to EMF can singularly bring on ES, independent of other illness. Historically, ES was known as radiowave illness or microwave sickness.

In a recent ES survey, the five most common symptoms experienced  when EMF exposed were skin itch/rash/flushing/burning and/or tingling,  confusion/poor concentration and/or memory loss, fatigue/weakness,
headache, and  chest pain/heart problems. Skin problems and memory  difficulties tied for first place among the overall symptoms. Less commonly  reported symptoms included nausea, panic attacks, insomnia, seizures,
ear  pain/ringing in the ears, feeling a vibration, paralysis, and dizziness. Some ES  patients experience only one symptom when EMF exposed, but often more than one  symptom is apparent.

The importance of being aware of electrical sensitivity in the health care setting becomes clear when you realize that a patient may be suffering symptoms from electromagnetic exposures similar to the way a cardiac pacemaker may malfunction when exposed to certain EMF exposures. The typical doctor's office is a minefield of EMF exposures such as computers, fluorescent lights (particularly energy-efficient lighting), and medical tests that require exposure to electromagnetic or ultrasound sources. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been especially troublesome for some ES.

Once a patient realizes that proximity to electrical sources is the  triggering event that leads to their symptoms, they find EMF avoidance most  helpful for reducing reactions. Unfortunately, with the advent of increasing  wireless
technology, such as cellular phone service and paging systems, EMF  avoidance is becoming very difficult for the ES, creating more suffering and  leading to life-threatening consequences for the severely ill. The chemical  sensitivity
equivalent of this wireless technology might be aerial pesticide  sprayings, a life-threatening event for many MCS patients.

In the past, if daily computer use at work caused, for example,  a skin rash and headache, a cause and effect relationship could be determined by  noticing that these symptoms abated evenings and weekends and intensified at  work. It would become clear that the workplace, at least, was responsible for  the development of the symptoms. Whether the computer was the source could be  checked by using that computer or other computers in other locations to see if  symptoms would then reappear. If not, it may be a "sick building" problem in the  workplace instead, due to chemical exposures. 

For the newly ES, it will now be more difficult to pinpoint the  cause of their symptoms if they are also reacting to the ambient EMF exposure  from various wireless services. The new digital cellular is particularly  troublesome for
some ES; the prior analog cellular - a lower frequency - was  much less of a problem. http://www.tldp.com/issue/179/emf179.htm

This article stuck a cord with me.  One thing I remember respectively was the onset of my illness.  For the first year I could not be exposed longer then 1-2 hours at a computer.  I would experience all the above symptoms once I passed that threshold.  I asked my doctor what it could possibly could be, but at that time he had no answer.  After this last imaging fiasco, I now wonder if I have had ES as one of my noted symptoms.
4 Comments
Stephen in DeLand link
12/10/2013 01:35:47 pm

I was wondering if you happened to have read about a different fibromyalgia clinical study that was conducted recently using brain scans to map the reactions participants had to visual cues for pain. The results of this study suggest that fibromyalgia patients go from a lower state of pain to a higher level of pain which could affect the way they process the pain and relief cues. I had written a post about it last month and was wondering if this had been something that you had looked into?

Reply
Robert in Birmingham link
3/21/2014 04:23:58 am

Yes, this was certainly an intriguing study which should really help researchers gain a better understanding of this complex syndrome. By the way, there was a recent UK study which discovered that people with osteoarthritis share a connection with fibromyalgia patients in the way their brains anticipate pain. This was really intriguing research that I recommend looking into.

Reply
Louise
9/16/2017 03:10:01 pm

o blink - I have mri booked in a few days - I have mcs and some fibromyalgia and when I was first ill I had a big electric sensitivity. I will let you know how I get on - if you don't here from me by the end of the week I could well of frazzled in the scanner.

Reply
Valerie
10/15/2017 03:41:17 pm

How did your testing go?

Reply



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