MRI w/Sedation concerns... | Autism PDD
The only ways that we could get the medication into my ds was hold his nose (helps with the taste), stuck the syringe in his mouth between teeth and cheek, and once the medicine was in his mouth, I would blow real hard into his face. He was left with no choice but to swallow the medicine in order to catch his breath.
I know it probably sounds really harsh, but its not at all. And has always worked like a charm.
Good luck!!
Cole's had 2 of these. Its not a big deal, truly, so don't get yourself scared.
The first time, all we used was choloryl hydrate and it worked great. BUT when he came to, he dry heaved for 24 hours solid. No exaggeration.
The second time, they gave him a smidge of it and put some of that numbing cream on his hands to anesthetize them for the IV stick(s). This made the IV easier, and it was supposed to not make him el puko.
Well, he STILL dry heaved afterward from the IV anesthesia, but I made them give me a Finergan (sp?) prescription before we left the hospital. He'd wake up, we' d hammer him with fluids, and let him pass out. Still vomited, but not as bad.
FYI, be REALLY REALLY NICE to the radiologist when you go in. We got ours to spin a copy of Cole's MRI onto a CD we brought home (my neighbors saw his MRI before the neurologist did!), and he even brought up images on the screen to show me. Home grown tomatoes or a cold bottle of Starbucks iced coffee may work wonders for you!
My son was two and I refused the anesthesia. He was still taking naps at that time and our appointment was in the afternoon and we had to wait. They wanted to give him the chloral hydrate, but I asked if we could please try laying him down on the table with me present and go from there...Sure enough he fell asleep on the table...I couldn't believe it as the machine is LOUD! I sat on a chair in the room right by him. No problem. We were very lucky!
PS I am a family doctor, but I didn't pull that card out until they hesitated and I thought they were going to say no.
Our son had the chloral hydrate - TWICE - and it still did nto knock him out, only made him drowsy and mad - he is like that wiht meds - they have tried knocking him out 5 different times and he never goes out - scary!
an aside, all our ds meds are pills but he does not even know he takes meds as he just has his flavored applesause and is swallowing the pill in it!
[QUOTE=NorwayMom]My son isn't as obsessed with routines as some kids, so I didn't really have that issue to deal with, but here's a summary of our MRI experience plus some helpful links.
My son got a brain MRI under full sedation at age 7 here in Norway. We didn't talk to the hospital ahead of time and didn't have anything written prepared, and we felt that it was hard to get the busy nurses and doctors to listen to our concerns. They had zero knowledge of the case, and weren't even aware that autism was the suspected diagnosis.
We had to wait a loooooooooooong time, which is less than ideal for an autistic child but luckily they had a good play room.
My son was not fully sedated when they started strapping him down for the MRI, and he felt SCARED by all the hustle and bustle around him. I was in the room, but unable to be at his side, and it was awful to see him scared like that. Luckily the liquid anesthesia (<!--StartFragment -->Dormicur/midazolam) causes amnesia, so he doesn't remember anything about the procedure.
We were able to be with him in the recovery area. It took him a long time to wake up, so we were there in plenty of time. Later that afternoon, when he was fully recovered, we all went to McDonalds.
He also got some presents for what we called "Happy Brain Day." The two EEGs he had were also called Happy Brain Day. We even put birthday candles on his breakfast and sang happy brain day to you... I asked him if he'd rather go to school or have a happy brain day, and he immediately replied happy brain day, so I guess these experiences haven't been too traumatic
Sorry to hear he was so scared and had to be strapped down i dont ever like to think about that but i gusess the conceren is some kids will run and hurt themselves 
it really does make me glad he cant remember somedays in the past ive wished i could be as lucky 
i will not lie im kind of scared by these things myself but have come along way in dealing with some things and am proud of myself for that. ]
i had to have an EEG at 13 it was a terrible expereience my mom told me nothing going into it and i was completley freaked out
more or less when the doctors tried to make me get one i resisted and head butted one of them in the stomach before running down the hall i remeber refusing to go back in the room under any circumstance and screaming at my mom until i was red in the face
i told her i hated her and would never forgive her i didnt speak a word to her for a full week she criewd and begged me to talk to her i wouldent and remained silent around her until the following friday
she took me home after my epsisode.
and gave up on the whole expeirence i suffered some legit mental truma because of it it was not a day i can look back on and smile at.
I would recommend staying with your son at all costs by his side and making picture schedules showing him the pictures of that machine
and telling him what will happen if youre worried about him drinking the sedative give him a drink or something (like soda)
before then so maye it wont taste as bad or maybe he can drink it with the sedative.
but please do stay with him like andrews mommy did for her son it can make a world of difference if moms there it really can
to this day when im heading home from work on the bus we will drive by the hospital
and i will see the word MRI on the sign outside of the building where people usually go in to get it
(they pick up some people at the hospital on the route home)
usually ill get a pretty terrible feeling of dread after hearing /reading those words and turn my head away and start stressing.
My son isn't as obsessed with routines as some kids, so I didn't really have that issue to deal with, but here's a summary of our MRI experience plus some helpful links.
My son got a brain MRI under full sedation at age 7 here in Norway. We didn't talk to the hospital ahead of time and didn't have anything written prepared, and we felt that it was hard to get the busy nurses and doctors to listen to our concerns. They had zero knowledge of the case, and weren't even aware that autism was the suspected diagnosis.
We had to wait a loooooooooooong time, which is less than ideal for an autistic child but luckily they had a good play room.
My son was not fully sedated when they started strapping him down for the MRI, and he felt SCARED by all the hustle and bustle around him. I was in the room, but unable to be at his side, and it was awful to see him scared like that. Luckily the liquid anesthesia (Dormicur/midazolam) causes amnesia, so he doesn't remember anything about the procedure.
We were able to be with him in the recovery area. It took him a long time to wake up, so we were there in plenty of time. Later that afternoon, when he was fully recovered, we all went to McDonalds.
He also got some presents for what we called "Happy Brain Day." The two EEGs he had were also called Happy Brain Day. We even put birthday candles on his breakfast and sang happy brain day to you... I asked him if he'd rather go to school or have a happy brain day, and he immediately replied happy brain day, so I guess these experiences haven't been too traumatic.
Here's an article about Going to the Doctor, by the National Autistic Society in the UK.
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1064&a=1144 0
The article included a link to a pamphlet you can hand out to the doctors and nurses taking care of your child. The pamphlet might help them take your concerns more seriously:
www.northshorelij.com/workfiles/autism/YourNextPatient.pdf
Good luck with everything.
The oral sedation is a very small oz or so in med. cup~the problem lies in it taste..it's horrible!
Sarah took it because she had no clue but cough and gagged afterwards..it still was enough to make her drowsy..the the anesthesiologist put gas on her to knock her out before they did the IV so she felt no pain:) She was really drunk after the MRI and it took both me and dh to hold her still for a couple of hours..she was really out of it. Take lots of distractions for him: bubbles, magnadoodle, stuffed animal ect...the recovery was the hardest but by time we got home she was pretty much to herself:) Good luck and keep us posted:)
My 6 y/o son has an MRI of the brain scheduled for next month. He will be sedated but I’m not really sure how this is done. When I spoke to the registration dept. the rep said they will probably use Chloral Hydrate (???) or something like that by mouth. The Ped/Neuro just said the hospital intensivists will administer the sedation. I am worried because my son will more than likely refuse to drink an unknown substance and he cannot swallow a tablet. He gags a lot and he is extremely picky and I’m worried that they’ll end up giving him a shot or something. I’m also not sure how to handle not giving him his morning beverage which starts his day – everyday (drinks while he is still in bed). He will be very suspicious when he doesn’t get it. It’s just his routine and woe betide me if he doesn’t get it. He’ll go the kitchen and try to make it himself (it’s warm milk and
I know many of your children have had MRI’s with sedation. How did your children handle the sedation and NIL by mouth and the change in routine? My son was in hospital a couple of years ago because he swallowed a toy battery. He is now terrified of these institutions. It took 2 doctors and 4 nurses to put the IV in the last time. He pulled it the next day – blood everywhere!
Better start psyching myself up from now!
When Brendon was "sedated" last time it wasn't for an MRI but for a hearing test. They gave him 4 of the little syringes (sp?) of Chloral Hydrate over a one hour period. When that didn't work they moved on to two teaspoons of tylenol with codeine during the next hour. The kid didn't go to sleep until 9pm that night. The test was scheduled for 8am. All he got was a good buzz. The kid was loopy all day, but never passed out.Oh i just wanted to add as i forgot to put it in my original post
try bringing stuffed animals
and trying to tell him its like a nap/ making it seem like a nap i think that would work as well
[QUOTE=143hayden] Im not sure if they do it all the same as with eegs but my son just had an eeg on the 11th of this month and they gave it to him rectally because he threw such a big fit and wouldnt take it and started vomiting. My husband got very mad with the way the nurse gave it to him altho i didnt think anything of it because im pinning him down and she had to do it quickly, but the next day he had blood in his poop! I was soooo upset and i took him to his ped. doctors and doc said it happens sometimes itll be ok and my son never said it hurt or anything. Sorry dont wanna scare u but thats what happened with my situation. We have an mri to take him to soon so im really worried. I hope everything goes ok for u and ur son!
[/QUOTE]sorry to hear about the EEg if i can help you in any way with ideas to keep him calm for the MRi please pm me [;)
Thanks rainman, I think hes going to freak no matter what after the eeg, he already got traumatized again at his reg. doc app. to check on him. Im sorry about ur experience that u had when u were younger, that mustve really sucked!
Good luck and God bless you and your son!
[QUOTE=143hayden] Thanks rainman, I think hes going to freak no matter what after the eeg, he already got traumatized again at his reg. doc app. to check on him. Im sorry about ur experience that u had when u were younger, that mustve really sucked!
[/QUOTE]
It did it was scary and sad
i checked the smilicons since i have trouble understanding a few and by
i sense confusion as to why i have a problem with some things the reason for it is becauase it is a tendancy i have to get bothered over things because of autism
i am autistic therfore i do not think Neurotypical and loop,obsess, and get bothered over things that a neurotypical would not
most of these kids think the same way as me on alot of related things im willing to wager and act similarly
im a little confused quite honestly at your smilicon
may i have clarifaication please
,my bosses wife has to get a catscan next week i joked to her that she was braver then me how true
everyone has things they are afraid of i dont really understand whats puzziling about that
sorry if i came off as strange or not reacting like an nt at age 13 in my response an nt would be scared too
but im not neurotypical and therefore have difficulty thinking like one or reacting like one or seing situations the same as another sometimes its part of my condition
but i do think that i try harder to see Nts perspectives then a few other autistic adults ive encountered online thats for sure
im sorry if thats confusing for you
also sorry if i rambled a bit in this post i tend to do that sometimes when im in thought
[
Im not sure if they do it all the same as with eegs but my son just had an eeg on the 11th of this month and they gave it to him rectally because he threw such a big fit and wouldnt take it and started vomiting. My husband got very mad with the way the nurse gave it to him altho i didnt think anything of it because im pinning him down and she had to do it quickly, but the next day he had blood in his poop! I was soooo upset and i took him to his ped. doctors and doc said it happens sometimes itll be ok and my son never said it hurt or anything. Sorry dont wanna scare u but thats what happened with my situation. We have an mri to take him to soon so im really worried. I hope everything goes ok for u and ur son!
That is wonderful advice!! I never stopped to think of it that way. I will definitely be more aware of that in the future. Thanks LeAnne C
He'll be unconsious before he ever nears the machine. Ours was decorated on the outside by giant stuffed animals, bright and happily painted ceiling, etc. This is just same-ole-same-ole to the radiology team, so follow their cue.
Just tell him they're going to take his picture while he's asleep and your holding his hand. He is 6 - lie your butt off if need be. It will be okay! Don't tell him until the evening before. If he doesn't sleep well? Good! It helps him pass out.
Oh, DO bring a spare change of clothes for you both in case he pukes up a little bit. Also, its chilly, so sweat pants and socks are a great idea.
I suggest you do NOT say "don't be scared, honey"...this suggests that maybe there IS something to be scared of. Just act like this is a pain in the butt, hauling all his toys, getting up early, oh well. I have a friend who is a dentist. She HATED it when parents said that because the kids were A-OK till the dumb parent told them not to be afraid. She says its the equivalent of saying to your husband "now, DON'T lose your erection!" Never woulda dawned on him to do so until you mentioned it.
We did sedation for both an MRI and sedated hearing test.
We kept him up late the night before so that he wasn't wanting to wake up in the morning, which helped us avoid the whole breakfast/eating issue. We put him to bed in the clothes he would wear to the hospital, so in the morning we just did a quick diaper change, scooped him up, and put him in the car and drove to the hospital.
When we arrived, we got the Versed into him with an oral syringe in the back of the mouth and then gave him his gameboy to zone out with. He didn't even notice putting the IV in, just kept playing his game with one hand. The transported him to the MRI in a wagon instead of guerney and he was almost asleep before he was at the MRI room.
When we did my sons MRI it actually went pretty smooth. Instead of doing anything by mouth we did an IV. I held him while they put it in and then for sedation my husband carried him into the MRI room and they did propofal for sedation. Propofal is nice because it is fast acting and doesn't have really any side effects. He was out for the entire MRI and hearing test and then woke up quickly afterwards. If you are truly worried ask if you can sit in the MRI room. I did this and just listened to the machine and heart monitors. I had to wear earcovers but it wasn't anything bad. The rooms are always really well decorated at places where they do pediatric MRI's so it does help with comfort.
Hi all,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. Gave me some good tips and ideas. I will certainly be with him throughout. I wasn’t going to tell him before hand because he will perseverate about it and I know he’s going to start asking “am I going to die? “. I just didn’t want to upset him before hand otherwise he will be too upset for any mediation to work. He has had a chest x-ray before so was going to tell him he’s going to have one of those but with a special machine and this time it’s to take a picture of his head. I hope he is given the chloral hydrate before he sees the MRI machine. It certainly will remind him of a coffin… Yep, he is obsessed with dying. Mentions it every day!
I will take along his special toys (the usual 2 or 3 bags full!). I am just so concerned as he remembers being in that hospital and he remembers all the “bad” things they did to him. He’s was fondly called the Battery Boy for one of his stays. When he was younger (age 3) he was in the ER for a rotavirus, he had to be attended on the floor as he refused to sit on the bed and they had to given him Ativan to calm him. The ER doctor said it was the first time in her 20 years that she had to do that. He was so worked up with fear he could hardly breathe. It was awful.
Well, there’s no point in worry about it right now as it’s weeks away. I also wanted to make sure they don’t use any head gear on him. I am scared that he will start hitting and biting as he is very strong when he’s upset. He only weighs 44lbs for a 6/1/2 year old but for a scared autistic kid has the strength of an Ox! I am claustrophobic and was scheduled for an MRI at mobile unit. I freaked out when they slid me inside they had to pull me right back out and I went to an open MRI! It was better but still not pleasant!
It’s a pediatric hospital so they should be used to dealing with special needs children all the time!
Thanks again!
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