MRI and pacemaker

[vanvechten]

Can an MRI be done of the spinal area?  I've had 2 spinal taps,but no MRI due to pacemaker.  I now have a new neurological problem that I did not expect---severe bladder retention.  I must use the catheter 3/4 times per day.  I' skimming patients' responses and noticing that the spinal area could bethe culprit, hence my question. Thanks!

[Lulu54]

hi and welcome over here at the MS forum - I see you've been active in the Thyroid forum.  Have you been dx'd with MS or are they still testing?

If your do a search of this community you will see that bladder issues - including retention - are a fairly frequent topic.  It is very common with MS patients.. And yes, it comes from spinal lesions in our situation.

Self-cathing, once you get past the *ick* factor, is a very effective way to control the problems that can arise from urinary retention.  Many of us are in the same situation.

Sorry to read you have a pacemaker - those ICD's are really marvelous devices, aren't they?  Does your fire often?  

hope to see you around with more questions and comments.

my best,
Lulu

[vanvechten]

Dear LuLu,

You've seen my posts in the thyroid section b/c I just had a 3cm nodule removed from the right thyroid and a smaller one in the left lymph node. This was discovered following a year-long effort to find out what's wrong with me neurologically.
I'm sorry that I asked a question that has been answered through so many responses in the MS section. Since I have not been diagnosed with MS or any other disease, and since my neurologist seemed a bit non-commital to the baldder/neuro connection ,I turned to the forum.  I don't have time to scan responses from all of the topic areas.  The ""ick" factor from self-cathing,by the way,is the least of my worries!

[Lulu54]

Hi, you can ask all the questions you want, even if we've covered them before!  We like to point people in the right direction for more discussions.

Whenever I see a new name pop up here, I always click on their name and see if they are truly new or if I have forgotten them.  That's how I saw you were on the thyroid forum as well.  Lots of people here have multiple problems - having MS doesn't preclude us from having other things wrong too.

I glanced at my answer and see we didn't discuss the MRI/pacemaker question.  A good article on the risks of pacemakers and MRI's can be found at

http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/26/4/325

It says you could have your ICD turned off during the MRI.  You would then have to have the pacemaker turned back on and regulated afterwards.  But there is also the problem of the unit heating because of the magnetic field of the MRI.    

Medtronics has supposed developed an MRI safe ICD - but I don't know much about that

I guess from what I read, the MRI could be done if the clinical value of doing this imaging would outweigh the potential risk.  

I hope this helps.  

Lulu

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Would you post the information you offered on Anna's thread either here or on a separate posting?  That way everyone can hear your story and can say hi.  Thanks.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/bladder-problems-where-to-turn/show/1111698

And a belated welcome!  I was pretty absent during the summer and missed you.

Lulu - I am SO glad you are here to discuss the cardiac stuff!  We get a lot of it and your experience and knowledge are invaluable!

Quix