The trick is to ask them for a Xanex when you check in.
I've had two MRIs. One with Xanex, one without. I actually enjoy the sound of the machine, it can be rhythmic and pleasing.
The only time I had an MRI without Xanex, was a religious experience. Things were going well for 20 minutes (they had me in for just under an hour total) and then the thoughts of how people die in MRI machines came on strong. I'd seen a few videos of how strong they are [0] and the thought of being crushed or otherwise mutilated by a million dollar magnet, along with the confined space, was too much. I felt panic coming from a mile away, and it engulfed me. My brain was telling me to 'get the fuck outta here!'. I knew it was irrational fear. I took labored breaths. The fear moved from my feet to the top of my head and exploded. The pulse oximeter must have been going crazy because the tech asked how I was doing. "I'm fine." The lie worked, the fear immediately dissipated and a wave of euphoria rushed over me. I'm not going to die. I'm going to live! What should I do with my life? The best I can. I fell asleep a few minutes later. I woke up feeling fantastic.
We discourage self medication as it makes sedation complicated. If someone took oral sedation, then is still needing sedation, we don't know if their medication hasn't worked, or is still coming on. We use IV sedation, its controllable, easily reversible, easy to top up. Getting an OD under control when they are still absorbing from their gut is not easy. We like to think we learn from experience!
The availability of sedation is often 'under advertised'. More doctors need to advise that 'yes you need an MRI, don't worry, if its freaking you out too much, you can get sedation and it will be like a 60 minute nap'
We don't advertise it but do screen people for claustrophobia instead. The doses we give of midazolam are usually small, but we have had respiratory arrests and significant cardiac events. It isn't something we like to give often. Between our 3 scanners it would be a dose per day.
I went through one in university as an electrical engineering studies "field trip". It's a lot of fun if you aren't worried about an actual medical condition at the time TBH.
I've had one as part of a brain science study at my undregrad school and aside from the loud noises (which can mostly be muffled enough by some good earphones), it's pretty okay. In fact, with the muffled MRI noises, I honestly nearly fell asleep every time I went in there.
I'm a big, broad man and was concerned whether my shoulders would even fit in the thing, and have very mild claustrophobia. I was tired... and had trouble staying still because I found it so funny - the noise made me think of bad scifi space battles: brrrrrr pewpewpew chchchchch
