MRI Thailand, can you just walk in and ask to do full body irm ?

[Matty83210]

Hello,

 

It seems that MRI Thailand is offering good service for good price .

 

As I am not interested to wait that a doctor tell me to do it, I would like to pay my own full body MRI.

 

Do you think it's a stupid idea or anyway it could be useful to find if something is wrong ?

 

Any experience with MRI Thailand ? 

http://www.mrithailand.com/index.php?lang=en

 

Thank you.

[JImH2O]

No, you need a referral from a doctor.

[nisakiman]

I live in Greece, and some years ago (maybe 11 - 12), a good friend of mine who owned a bar started going to a private clinic at the behest of his (newish) wife for a full check-up; an annual MOT, if you will. He said to me at the time that it was only a couple of hundred Euros, and that I should do it myself.

 

My reply to him was, "To be honest with you, Ken, I don't think I want to know. I feel fine, and that's good enough for me. Why should I start worrying?"

 

Over the next few years, Ken changed from being a joyful, drinking, smoking, laughing heart and soul of the party to a non-smoking, hardly drinking shadow of his former self. On doctor's orders, of course. The belly laugh was replaced by a wan smile, his formerly rude and robust appearance became a thin, grey visage. All the fun had been wrung out of him.

 

He sold the bar and moved to Florida about five years ago, and I haven't heard from him since. I guess he may have extended his lifetime by another couple of years, maybe, by giving up all those things he enjoyed. But I wonder if his quality of life will ever be the same again.

 

Personally, my goal in life is not to live as long as I can possibly stretch it out, but to enjoy to the max the years I have. It's a cliché, but a very true one, that those extra years you may gain from denying yourself all those indulgences are not exactly going to be the best years of your life. In fact, in many cases, they will be a living death. Diseases of old age are terrible. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and of course cancer are all diseases of old age. Do I want to die at 75 of sound mind, or do I want to die at 95, having spent ten years not knowing who I am or who my children are, and having to suffer the indignity of some harridan 'carer' wiping my incontinent backside?

 

So I would suggest to you, Matty, that perhaps you would be better off saving your money and going out and spending it on wine, women and song instead. Don't worry yourself into a state of medical paranoia. It's bad enough that we have all these professional healthists with their snouts in the taxpayer trough telling us what we can and can't eat / drink / smoke (for our own good, of course), without adding to the burden of miserable conformity they seek to impose. If you're really lucky, you'll die of a massive heart attack while in the middle of a booze and viagra fuelled romp with a girl (or girls) a fraction of your age.

Edited August 7, 2016 by nisakiman
typo

[Matty83210]

2 hours ago, JImH2O said:

No, you need a referral from a doctor.

 

 

Do you know this company ? If I pay myself I wonder why I would need a doctor before ? I want to meet him after, if needed.

 

 

[Matty83210]

25 minutes ago, nisakiman said:

Do I want to die at 75 of sound mind, or do I want to die at 95, having spent ten years not knowing who I am or who my children are, and having to suffer the indignity of some harridan 'carer' wiping my incontinent backside?

 

 

Thank you, but some people live till 110 without all these problems...

 

 

[Jip99]

4 hours ago, Matty83210 said:

 

 

Thank you, but some people live till 110 without all these problems...

 

 

 

Not many.

[chiang mai]

7 hours ago, JImH2O said:

No, you need a referral from a doctor.

 

Most hospitals will not accept a patients instruction for an MRI but they will route the patient to a doctor as a formality who will then issue the instruction. This is different from say the UK where the doctor may take a different course and could well veto the request, not so here.

[longball53098]

The little bit I know about MRIs is that it would be unnecessary to do a full body MRI. I believe they target areas that the doctor recommends based on a consult with the patient. I would think a full body MRI would be very expensive and take a couple of hours to do.

[Kwasaki]

In Sukhothai there is a modern clinic more like a small hospital where people can get MRI done they do 2 one for top body and another for lower body.

Your results are in Thai and English, about 2 years ago it cost 8000 baht.

I would of thought a hospital in Bkk, CM  or any big city that has MRI facilities would cater your needs after all you are paying for it. 

[BudRight]

The reason one gets an MRI is to provide more information of soft tissue for a Physician to make a diagnosis. Absent any other symptoms, only a joke of a doctor is going prescribe an MRI. There's also the question of whether to use image enhancing injections.

 

Just go get a checkup and call it good.

[lovelomsak]

I would question whether it is worth the cost.2years ago I had one done in Petchebun at a large private hospital. The doctor looked at the image had a laugh told me he need to x ray for more info. He said nothing about the MRI  and did not give me any written report. He didnot seem to see I had a bladder 4 times normal.They needed to drain my bladder for xray the doctor was shocked when I filled the catheter 2 times and still  had urine in the bladder. I strongly feel he knew nothing about interrupting the MRI. He could not even see my enlarged bladder. He did  know it was enlarged till they went to drain it. i was there because of bladder problems,I wonder ig he even knew where the bladdr was on the screen.He was the hospitals urologist. 2 years before I was at Bumrungrad and the urologist mentioned my bladder was oversized simply by looking at me while sitting with all my clothes on and then it was half the size it was when I went to Petchebun urologist..Big difference is knowledge. the urologist at Petchebun charged me over 20,000 baht for MRI and xray and visit. I never paid over 6000 for any visit to urologist at Bumrungrad.

  What I am saying is why pay for an MRi if no one knows how to read it once it is done.Ask a lot of questions before hand. Make sure the doctor is not a quack.

[NancyL]

11 hours ago, nisakiman said:

I live in Greece, and some years ago (maybe 11 - 12), a good friend of mine who owned a bar started going to a private clinic at the behest of his (newish) wife for a full check-up; an annual MOT, if you will. He said to me at the time that it was only a couple of hundred Euros, and that I should do it myself.

 

My reply to him was, "To be honest with you, Ken, I don't think I want to know. I feel fine, and that's good enough for me. Why should I start worrying?"

 

Over the next few years, Ken changed from being a joyful, drinking, smoking, laughing heart and soul of the party to a non-smoking, hardly drinking shadow of his former self. On doctor's orders, of course. The belly laugh was replaced by a wan smile, his formerly rude and robust appearance became a thin, grey visage. All the fun had been wrung out of him.

 

He sold the bar and moved to Florida about five years ago, and I haven't heard from him since. I guess he may have extended his lifetime by another couple of years, maybe, by giving up all those things he enjoyed. But I wonder if his quality of life will ever be the same again.

 

Personally, my goal in life is not to live as long as I can possibly stretch it out, but to enjoy to the max the years I have. It's a cliché, but a very true one, that those extra years you may gain from denying yourself all those indulgences are not exactly going to be the best years of your life. In fact, in many cases, they will be a living death. Diseases of old age are terrible. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and of course cancer are all diseases of old age. Do I want to die at 75 of sound mind, or do I want to die at 95, having spent ten years not knowing who I am or who my children are, and having to suffer the indignity of some harridan 'carer' wiping my incontinent backside?

 

So I would suggest to you, Matty, that perhaps you would be better off saving your money and going out and spending it on wine, women and song instead. Don't worry yourself into a state of medical paranoia. It's bad enough that we have all these professional healthists with their snouts in the taxpayer trough telling us what we can and can't eat / drink / smoke (for our own good, of course), without adding to the burden of miserable conformity they seek to impose. If you're really lucky, you'll die of a massive heart attack while in the middle of a booze and viagra fuelled romp with a girl (or girls) a fraction of your age.

 

This is an insane reason to forgo annual check-ups.  Many diseases and conditions are very treatable if caught in the early stages.  If this story is true, then it sounds more like your friend let himself be talked into changing his lifestyle and habits more because of his "newish" wife than simply by what he learned in having an annual health screening.

 

In helping older expats with problems here in Chiang Mai, so many have problems that could have been treated and cured had they been caught early on.  But instead guys brag about how they haven't seen a doctor since they left the army and continue to ignore symptoms until it gets to the point that they can't walk or eat or stand or become incontinent.  Sometimes all of these.  It's hard to see someone die of something that could have been treated if they'd simply had simple annual health screening.  And no, I'm not talking about something that could have been prevented if they'd stopped smoking or given up rich food.  Instead, I'm talking about cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.  All these can kill and usually can be handled if caught early enough.  Plus, their mode of killing isn't particularly pleasant.  Just as bad as dementia and Parkinson's. 

[lovelomsak]

I had a very good life. As I always say I spent my money on travel,sailing and women the rest I squandered.

  I do not drink or smoke. But my bladder has stopped functioning even  with regular exercise etc. I went to urologist and they did nothing till it completely stopped functioning. Then they put me on cathering 4 times a day. So what the hey good does it do to pay specialists and pay big fees for them to just sit back and wait for everything to fail. I am so vulnerable now. If I get in an accident how will the nurses at emergeny know i need catherering if I am unconsciuos when admitted Many scenarios where I could be very vulnerable. What good does check up do me or ever did me.

  I cannot even spend my time and money on wine women and song,need to be home to catheter.I am 100% behind nisakiman get out there and live to the utmost. Tomorrow you could be like me.at home with tubes inside you to live.

  Life is only good when enjoyed.To sustain life just to sustain it is health for profit the way I see it. Does no one any good but the doctors pharmacists and drug companies. and ties up hospitals and staff where they could be used better in other areas.

  An MRI may be useless the doctor may not be able to interpret what is on the screen.And even if he can he probably is unable to do anything about it but prescribe drugs to  hid the symtoms 

  The older I get the more useless I see the medical world.They can prolong but cannot cure or improve on most situations.

  And surgery well donot get me started. I know very few people who have had surgery that benefitted from it. Most muscle surgury patients just are worst off after surgery than before. Knees,backs you name it doctors talk a good story and do not deliver.

  When back in Canada last month friend was told he had a gall stone and they need to remove the gall bladder. they operated and then told him no stone sorry.They still got paid huh.

  The medical world is about money first health second.

  It took me 25 years of bladder pain and suffering before the medical world could do any thing for me and what they did do was teach me to catheter after the bladder finally quit.

  Why waste money on doctors and hospitals.

[Bonobojt]

I have been having some symptoms recently and went to Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai and spoke to 2 different doctors on different days, both doctor's offered me an MRI on my first talk with them, so maybe its not too hard, not sure about other hospitals in Bangkok or anywhere else.

 

I asked 1 doctor at Bangkok Hospital CM how much it would cost and she said most likely around 20,000 baht, I'm guessing its only a certain body part and not full body, and she said they may not see or find anything from the MRI scan so its risky.

 

if money isn't a issue for you and your in pain and discomfort, maybe you have neck or back pain, nerve problems etc then I am sure you can get a MRI easily.

[Sheryl]

You can, in fact, just walk into that place and get an MRI, I have done so. And the facility is fine as long as you are not having MRI with contrast media, in which case I advise against it.

 

HOWEVER - total body MRIs have no clinical utility whatsoever and are not advised as part of a general check up. MRI is useful only when specifically indicated as a diagnostic aid based on an identified problem and at least a differential diagnosis. And there are specifics as to type of view, use of contrast media etc that would need to be specified by the doctor in charge. Many types of problems are not identifiable by MRI or can be diagnosed through less expensive tests, it is not always the "best" test.

 

Just get a regular check-up package at any hospital - but do your homework first as to what tests to include as the various packages do not always make sense especially for westerners. It is always possible to add-on additional tests and sometimes a lower end package with a few well chosen add-ons makes more sense and is more economical than a top-end package which may both include unecessary things and miss some things you need.

 

the attached file lists recommended elements of preventive health screening by age and sex.

 

MHQP ADULT PREVENTATIVE CARE GUIDELINES 2016.PDF

[Hedghog]

Sheryl.

I have had two CT scans,with contrast in the last 10 months.

Is this also ill advised?

sorry slightly off topic.

[Matty83210]

Thank you, so it seems possible but useless like throwing 60000 by the window ?

 

So i will first do the best checkup as it seems that everybody should see a doctor yearly, not every 20 years as I do...

 

But in case a doctors tells me to have a MRI with contrast media why do you think better not doing it at MRI center ?

[balo]

I went to MRI Thailand recently to scan my lower back region . I have a trapped nerve that radiates pain down my leg .  I went to MRI Thailand to save money , they asked me if I had made a doctor appointment but I told them I would bring the MRI with me to a spine specialist at the spine clinic and talk to the doctor. that I already knew about and they accepted that .  So I saved around 10000 baht . 

 

BTW, there's no point doing a full body scan if you don't know what you're looking for.  

 

 

  

 

 

Edited August 8, 2016 by balo

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, Matty83210 said:

Thank you, so it seems possible but useless like throwing 60000 by the window ?

 

So i will first do the best checkup as it seems that everybody should see a doctor yearly, not every 20 years as I do...

 

But in case a doctors tells me to have a MRI with contrast media why do you think better not doing it at MRI center ?

 

Exactly - possible but useless waste of money to just do an MRI for no specific reason. Actually worse than useless because invariably an MRI of the whole body will show some cysts and other nondescript masses here and there and people then often end up having further unnecessary tests or even surgeries.

 

A small minority of people have severe adverse reactions to the contrast media so it is important to not have the dye injected outside of a facility with immediate access to the full range of emergency interventions which in Thailand means a hospital. However contrast media is only needed when the MRI is done for certain specific reasons, i.e. when it is necessary to examine blood vessels/blood supply to an area.

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, Hedghog said:

Sheryl.

I have had two CT scans,with contrast in the last 10 months.

Is this also ill advised?

sorry slightly off topic.

 

Depends entirely on why it was done.

 

CTs deliver a fair amount of radiation (i.e. more than an Xray) so not advisable unless really necessary for diagnostic purposes, and there is an additional small risk associated with contrast media to boot.

 

But if it was necessary in order to rule out a serious problem, or to ascertain a course of treatment, then that would outweigh the risks.

 

CTs should never be done just as part of a routine check up.

[Hedghog]

Sheryl.

Thanks for your reply.

The CT are being done to to monitor my  condition and decide on the best way forward.

[Sheryl]

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[Sheryl]

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