On the patient portal of my mri they said they didnt use contrast. is that why they didnt see anything? ive been getting headaches for months, and wondered whats the point of the mri if they dont use contrast? could they have missed something that wa?

Rec with contrast: Most headaches do not need imaging as they do not always show the cause, does not matter whether contrast was used or not. Typically if a determination is made to order an MRI for headache then it is better to get one with contrast, unless you have a contraindication for getting contrast. Please discuss with the ordering physician as there may have been a reason for not ordering contrast.

Guidance: 98% of MRI's done for headaches are normal. Although contrast might pickup uncommon small benign vascular lesion, this would not be the explanation for chronic headaches for months. Instead these could be migraines and if so, could be treated preventatively, which would indeed improve your quality of life. Hope this helps.