Upper body MRI or MRA in chicago? - General Health Message Board

justaguy09 · 11-08-2008, 06:22 PM

Since my insurance wont cover these i am wondering which would be better to get done -MRA or MRI. I especially need to get these areas checked:
Abdomen, GI Tract, Chest/Heart/Lungs, Internal Auditory Canals, Angiography for Head

So i think it might be cheaper to do a full upper body scan than each individual part? Also, I found many full body CT scan centers but not MRI full body centers, any idea of centers in the Chicago region where the do atleast the upper body MRI/MRA? And how much approx they cost?

Thanks.

feelbad · 11-09-2008, 08:39 AM

is there a particular reason you need these areas checked? since you do not have insurance,i know things are tough with regards to getting and paying for any real in depth testing. knowing why you need these areas scanned would help in trying to figure out what really is and is not needed to Dx a problem you may have.

the one thing that could kind of help with alot of what it appears you are trying to see would be a contrasted MRI. it would highlight certain areas that would not be seen really well with plain MRI. and the thing about MRA is it ONLY shows blood vessels,same with angiograms. the contrasted MRI,for you in your situation may be what would help the most and pay the least,you know what i mean? if you actually have a specific issue it would help to know just what you are trying to find out? FB

justaguy09 · 11-09-2008, 05:49 PM

Because of the side effects i am having are effecting all these body parts. Doctors are not sure are are always giving me new theories each time i see them.

1) Have Ear Fullness, Ear Pressure, Ear pain & I can hear my heart beating in my ears.

2) Pre-High blood pressure (145+/85+). gone as high as 165/89

3) Heavy (not fast) heart beating

4) Inflammed / Red nose for the last 2 months

5) Deep breathing

6) Dizziness / Fatigue

7) Too much burping / Stomach gas

8) Very dry mouth / low saliva production

Problem is these sides could be due to anything. Blood work all came back good. EKG came back good. I have an Upper GI x-ray & endoscopy, along with an echo in the next 10 days. So I am pretty sure if there is something wrong it should be detected with an image scan like MRI/MRA or a CT scan. Plus instead of wasting money getting each part done once it would be economical to get a compelete body scan done i guess? Plus it will save time too as i am loosing patience with these side effects, my whole life has come to a complete stop. I need a diagnosis soon.

I have insurance now, its only 2 weeks old so i dont know if they will cover everything or if they will make it a pre-existing condition since ihave these issues for the last 2 months.

feelbad · 11-11-2008, 08:23 AM

while its understanable that you would want a Dx for what ever has been going on,i do think the tests that you have comig up would pretty much take care of the GI area and the heart? so i would concentrate on the upper with imaging. MRI is not always the best type of test when it comes to checking bowel/GI areas. the tests you are having really are a much better form of diagnostic. thigs get highlighted then imaged with a form of x ray,so you do see alot withthat type of test.

unfortunetly there could be a host of different reasons for your wide array of symptoms that simply DO have to be tested and ruled out. glad the bloodwork came back okay.a much cheaper option than MRI if you want to see the abdominal organs would be to have an ultrasound too. i have this done yearly becasue i have a liver and kidney disease. believe me,they can see all the abdominal organs and also check bloodflow too with a simple US. and like i said,wayyy cheaper than an MRI.

so that would leave the upper and spinal areas,which can be done with an MRI with contrast. this would at least rule out(or in) some things ya know? is there any family history of heart problems or high BP? if not,your doc simply needs to take a good look at all things that can crate high BPs in someone. starting with kidney fucntion? even if your bloodwork came back okay,you STILL really do need to get that actual 'look' at certain organs with like an US being done. the reason is despite great labs,you can still have some problems in any organ that wont actually show in the bloodwork til the damage or functions get to a certain level. believe me, i have PKD which is creating huge poly globs of cysts within my kidneys and my liver(found out i actually even had this all my life at age 40 back in 99 when my son got very sick)but despite these being there and enlarging the affected organs in a very huge way,all my labs as of about three months ago are still all within the normal ranges. very bizzarre really,espescially when you see the ultrasound of the organs that show amuch different picture of those organs than my great blood work that is still all within the normal ranges. this is why,if you really want the 'whole' true picture of any given organ,it needs the bloodwork AND at least an ultrasound to see the actual organ and also check flow thru it with the doppler tool they use for that during the US. and in the case of kidneys,you would also need a urine dip done at some point just to check for anything abnormal in the urine like trace blood or protien. protien in your urine is one of the first early warning signs of kidney disease. it just shows up early on. i had this but becasue i did not know what it ment(this was a physical for my job),i blew it off. the biggest reason i am briging up the kidneys is they are really the governing organ for BPs. they dictate how much renin gets released that would affect blood pressure,so they really need a go over to make certain that is not the problem. like i said,test and rule out. i just think doing the testing you are planning and also doing the US really would pretty thoroughly look into the abdominal area in the cheapest way and in some cases,much more clearly than any MRI could.

doing that along with getting the contrasted MRI on your upper body,including your spinal areas and brain too,would show alot and possibly find the underlying problem. if nothing else,it would rule out alot too ya know?

trying to Dx anything is a bit like playing detective,you know what i mean? you look at the symptoms and check out what could possibly create them and rule things out as you go. have you discussed any of this other testing with your primary? if so,what are his thoughts on the contrasted MRI? mention also obtaining that US as it really is good to just see the actual organs and also do those labs too. and of course that urine dip if they did not already do this when you had that bloodwork done.

i do hope you can find the source of your symptoms. believe me,i do understand just what you are going thru. please keep me posted as to anything you find out,K? good luck, FB