A. Diazepam 5 mg po, once for MRI study or Lorazepam 1mg po, once for MRI study.
Your doctor can help you relax
My neurologist prescribes me Valium to take 45 minutes before my MRI to help calm my nerves and relax me. The more relaxed you are, the less you move around, which helps speed up the scan. If you move, the technicians won't be able to get a clear image and might have to redo a few images.
For patients who may experience claustrophobia during an MRI scan and require prophylaxis, the University of Wisconsin Department of Radiology suggests the use of Lorazepam (Ativan, Temesta), a short-to-intermediate duration benzodiazepine.
– Your GP may prescribe a sedative (usually diazepam) to be taken on the day of the scan. This will not send you to sleep but will take the edge of the anxiety and may be enough to get you through the scan especially if combined with one of the other techniques described here.
What medications are used? Propofol or Versed will be given through an I.V. to induce conscious sedation. These medications have a short duration of action and a rapid recovery time. They can be safely administered to ensure you remain sedated during the entire MRI study.
Generally, MRIs under anesthesia are performed under sedation, although sometimes they are performed under general anesthesia. Sedation is characterized as being in a state between relaxed and very sleepy, but not quite unconscious.
How long does diazepam take to start working? Diazepam starts to work very quickly in your body, and you should get calming effects within two hours of taking it.
The usual dose is: anxiety – 2mg, taken 3 times a day, this can be increased to 5mg to 10mg, taken 3 times a day. sleep problems (related to anxiety) – 5mg to 15mg, taken once a day at bedtime. muscle spasms in adults – 2mg to 15 mg a day.
By mouth. 5–10 mg, to be given 1–2 hours before procedure, for debilitated patients, use elderly dose. 2.5–5 mg, to be given 1–2 hours before procedure.
When it is possible to give diazepam to patients with claustrophobia at the time of CMR, it is a safe, predictable, and highly effective method of obtaining a successful result.
Medication
If you need additional support for your anxiety, your referring provider may prescribe a benzodiazepine to take prior to the exam. Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and can typically relax an anxious patient enough to complete an MRI.
Depending on a number of factors, this time period can last 30-56 hours. It therefore takes an average of 10 days for the entirety of the drug to leave the system, and that's just for the drug itself.
When administered intravenously, diazepam has an onset of action within 1 to 3 minutes, while oral dosing onset ranges between 15 to 60 minutes. In addition, diazepam is long-lasting, with a duration of action of more than 12 hours.
Do not drive a car or ride a bike if diazepam makes you sleepy, gives you blurred vision, or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions. This may be more likely when you first start taking diazepam, but it could happen at any time, for example when starting another medicine.
For anxiety: Adults—2 to 10 milligrams (mg) 2 to 4 times a day. Older adults—At first, 2 to 2.5 mg 1 or 2 times a day. Your doctor may increase your dose if needed.
Unlike other benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, Valium is a long-lasting medication. The effects of Valium can range from four hours to beyond 12 hours.
Diazepam is used to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, and seizures. It is also used to relieve muscle spasms and to provide sedation before medical procedures. This medication works by calming the brain and nerves.
The most common side effect of diazepam is feeling drowsy. You're not recommended to use diazepam for longer than 4 weeks. If you take diazepam and feel sleepy, do not drive, cycle or use tools or machines. Do not drink alcohol while taking diazepam.
Diazepam is a benzodiazepine sleeping pill.
Many patients find that an oral benzodiazepine, such as Xanax, Ativan, or Valium, taken prior to the exam sufficiently relieves their anxiety and allows them to complete an MRI with relative ease.
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.
Can You Sleep During an MRI? There are lots of people who have trouble dealing with the noise that an MRI machine produces. On the other hand, some people quickly get used to it. They might even fall asleep!