severe pain during mri scan which has left bruising

I had 2 experiences in less than a week, one an xray of my back and one an MRI of my knee and after each one I experienced increased pain in my knee. The level of pain in my knee during the MRI was the worst I have ever felt. And the current level of pain in my knee is the worst since I first injured it 2 months ago. The tech did not ask me where my pain and/or weakness was so my knee could be positioned so as not to futher injure it! Is this usual?

I experienced such excruciating pain during an MRI of my shoulder in a LOW FIELD machine (translation:  High Intensity microwave beam) that I told the tech to STOP.  I have had other MRIs without incident.  Two weeks late I completed an MRI scan of that shoulder in a HIGH FIELD machine (big donut).  Slight feeling, but no pain during the scan.  The high field machines are a bit claustrophobic, but do not burn you with the high intensity microwave beam used in a low field machine.  "Field" refers to the magnetic field used by the machine.  This you cannot feel.  But to get an image, a much more intense microwave beam must be used to compensate for the lower magnetic field strength.  You know what intense microwaves can do to popcorn in a microwave oven.  Enough said.  (BTW:  I have a degree in EE from MIT.)

It appears I was in a low field machine, as it was not yhe claustrophobic tube (which I had 20 years ago for a spinal picture.) and it was not just the pain during the MRI, it's the increased pain as fter, that bothers me. at least the office manager finally called me back and will bring up my pain with her doctors.

I am sorry to hear that the MRI had such lasting after-effects. Do pass the word about the possible consequences of the use of these new Low Field MRI scanners. IMHO, they are dangerous.

i just had the samething are you ok

i have iron infusetion and was on 2 feross iron pils a day and was impact constpaited when i had my mri it burned so bad i climbed out had problems ever sincec they said i craizy how do i get help im loosing everything cause i cant get pain gone long enough to go to work

If getting the MRI scan is required, then have it done in a High Field MRI scanner, the old "big donut" machines.  In my opinion, it is the microwave beam which causes the burning, so you should be OK in a High Field machine which uses a much less intense microwave source.  The burning in an MRI scanner occurs in a Low Field machine, which are the new ones that are appearing in Dr.'s offices.

I just wanted to weigh in. I was looking up 'pain caused by MRI' because I experienced pain both times I had a C-spine MRI. I had one years ago, and one again today. I was lain on a table/bed and then slid into a cylinder. Last time, I told the technician it was painful and she look at me like it was an odd statement.  I told the technician today, as well, and she didn't really respond; just looked puzzled. She did help me to set up and told me to take my time. I was dizzy, had a lot of pressure in my head, and very stiff in my neck.  (I do get numbness while laying on my back,and pain if I stay that way very long, so I can't sleep that way, but I didn't lie there for many hours either. It still would not explain my experiencing the symptoms to the extent or in the same way I did today.) The MRI today caused quite a bit of pain during imaging- not excruciating, but pretty intense, burning pain. I had a lot of head pain and pressure immediately at sitting up, but it quickly subsided. Over the several hours afterward I had a headache, mainly on the right side of my neck and wrapping up and around the right side of my head, which then quickly escalated to near-migraine, which I figure and recognise as cervical in nature. By late evening there is much more swelling, and I feel  like a large mass is at the base of my neck when I look up, and it feels hot and feverish. The MRI definitely caused this. I have some small amount of this swelling at times, and am pretty aware of what causes it, aggravates it and my neck. I know what it feesl like if I sleep on my back for any length of time. I did nothing much for the rest of the day, so nothing else aggravated it. I am wondering if pain is from the sound vibration that aggravates a nerve, if electo-magnets somehow cause increased blood and fluid flow into the area of injury/pain/trauma, or if the magnetic polarity affects and excites nerves and increases inflammation. I have medium-high iron levels, but they are in normal range and I am Rh negative, for those kinterested in that angle.  If someone gets an answer, I hope someone shares it here!

During my MRI today I felt stinging, intense pain in the target area (I have a mass on my lower spine). It felt like mini-knives going in and out, but only when they seemed to be focused on that area. I was doing special breathing, and making little noises just to cope with the pain. 

When I asked the tech about the pain later, he said that about 25% of people have pain, like being electrocuted, in the affected/injured/targeted area during MRI. Seems like people should be informed of this possibility, in case it happens and we can be better prepared!

I had an abdominal MRI/MRCP on a high-field 3T machine  yesterday and regret that I had it done. I went in feeling well and now I am in pain.

The scan took about an hour. The first 30-40 minutes were fine, but at one point I started feeling pulling force, intense heat and growing burning pain in my internal organs with each new pulse/signal of the machine (when they tell you to hold your breath). All these sensations stopped during the last part of the scan when contrast was used. 

Two days later I still have a burning pain in my abdomen that radiates to my back. I picked up my report today, which is fine, and talked to the radiologist. He dismissed me saying that MR technology doesn't generate heat. I don't know who to talk to now. Very concerned about the level of damage that was done and short-term and long-term consequences. 

I just had one today for my shoulder. That was the worst pain that I felt since going through several months of pain. The tech said that it was not the machine. My scan lasted only 20 minutes and I though I was going to die!

Just had an MRI yesterday went through the same thing. I cried all the way through the procedure. I was told at the beginning not to move as they would have to start all over again.I had chest pains all the way through and were worried that I had a heart attack which wasn't so. Haven't got the results as yet will let u know

I just had an MRI scan of my shoulder, they had to strap my shoulder to my body and there was a device to hold my shoulder down to the table.  During the scan I experienced pain, I thought it was odd since it normally doesn't hurt if I am still.  I mentioned the pain to the tech, he said, well sometimes they go numb.

No, it was pain but I want to know what is wrong with my shoulder so I didn't say anything until I was finished.  The only thing I can say is thank God I took a xanax before the MRI or I might have moved and had to start over.  It is sore like I moved it wrong

I have had at least 20 MRIs on areas from head to feet and never experienced any discomfort, let alone excruciating pain.  Last week I had an MRI (High Field) of my foot because of an open wound that would not heal.   About halfway through the scan, during two specific magentic tests, the pain became nearly unbearable.  Felt like a serrated knife was cutting though between my toes and that my skin was being burned.  I had to ask the technician to stop twice.  When I was finally removed from the scanning machine, I thought I would find the skin on my foot blistered and burned.  The pain stopped when the MRI was not in operaton.  I asked the technician why this MRI was so incredibly painful and she pretended that I was the first person that ever complained about the pain.  I mentioned my experience to my primary care and my orthopaedic surgeon doctors.  Both changed the subject of the conversation rather than acknowledging the possibility that I had experienced such horrific pain.  I, too, will soon need another MRI prior to shoulder surgery.  I don't know what to do because I don't think I can take such pain again.

The old oversized doughnuts were cat scans, not MRI.