You may have clear liquids only (jello, tea, fruit drinks without pulp, black coffee, water, etc.) for 6 hours before the exam.
What Should I Do Before My MRI? It's important not to drink a lot of caffeine before your MRI because caffeine will make your blood vessels constrict. If your scan is monitoring blood flow, constricted blood vessels will give you inaccurate results.
This high incidence of use is significant because caffeine can affect the results of several common diagnostic tests, including MRI.
Since the MRI machines are magnets, it is best to not apply deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes, or body lotions before the examination. These items contain metals that might interfere with the magnetic field inside the MRI machine and cause you to have distorted images and wrong results.
On the day of your MRI scan, you should be able to eat, drink and take any medication as usual, unless you're advised otherwise. In some cases, you may be asked not to eat or drink anything for up to 4 hours before the scan, and sometimes you may be asked to drink a fairly large amount of water beforehand.
If You Have an Overactive Bladder
This feeling of urgency can make it harder to hold urine in. While you may still experience this urgency to a degree, not drinking for several hours before your procedure can make you less likely to experience incontinence during the scan.
You will be asked to fast for 4 hours prior to your exam. You may take your usual medications with small amounts of water. Otherwise, no additional preparation is needed.
You will not be able to have breakfast the morning of your surgery. You can brush your teeth in the morning, just be sure to spit the water out!
A recent study 41 has shown that caffeine has an anatomically differential effect on brain responses to tasks. Although the study was based on external tasks, it provided evidence that caffeine's effect on BOLD MRI is area dependent.
The level of caffeine in your blood peaks about one hour later and stays at this level for several hours for most people. Six hours after caffeine is consumed, half of it is still in your body. It can take up to 10 hours to completely clear caffeine from your bloodstream.
Keep your eyes closed or even wear a blindfold.
It's much easier in an open MRI it's wider than a standard scanner, so patients shouldn't feel any walls touching them.
Preparing for a CT scan
Usually, you will be asked to not eat for two hours before your appointment time and to drink 500ml of water (tea or coffee is fine) during this time.
Fasting – before undergoing a pelvic or abdominal MRI scan, you will be advised not to eat or drink for at least five hours before the procedure. In most other cases, it is usually not necessary to avoid food or drink prior to the scan. However, be advised by your doctor.
If you're getting an MRI/MRA with IV Contrast
For IV Contrast patients, you should stay hydrated and should drink 16 oz. of water prior to your exam and 16 oz. of water after your exam.
It's important that patients remove all clothing prior to their MRI exam. We ask patients to remove: All outer clothing, including shoes. Bras or any undergarment that could have metal in it.
Most metal tooth fillings or other permanent dental implants won't cause a problem. If you have detachable metal braces or a retainer, you should take them out before you get an MRI.
Can a subject wear deodorant for an MRI scan? It is recommended to refrain from wearing any powder, perfumes, deodorant and/or lotions on your underarms and chest area prior to the procedure. This is to prevent the possibility of localized burns because these items may have metal in them.
Some cosmetics contain metals that can interact with MRI magnets, so on the day of the MRI don't wear makeup or nail polish. Also, minimize hair products and forgo antiperspirants and sunscreens, which contain metals, just to be safe.
How long does an MRI scan take? A single scan may take a few seconds or 3 to 8 minutes. You may be asked to hold your breath during short scans. The total scan lasts 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and how many images are needed.
Before an MRI exam, eat normally and continue to take your usual medications, unless otherwise instructed. You will typically be asked to change into a gown and to remove things that might affect the magnetic imaging, such as: Jewelry. Hairpins.
You won't have pain from the magnetic field or radio waves used for the MRI test. But you may be tired or sore from lying in one position for a long time. If a contrast material is used, you may feel some coolness when it is put into your IV.
A pelvic or abdominal MRI scan requires fasting (no food & water consumption) for a minimum of 5 hours before the scan to ensure accurate test results. In most other MRI scans, no fasting is necessary.