Say so before the scan - every MRI center has a playbook for claustrophobia.
MedlinePlus names the main options: a calming medication, or an open MRI where the machine sits farther from your body. Add the standard toolkit - a mirror to see out of the tunnel, headphones, a squeeze ball, and the intercom - and plenty of claustrophobic patients complete their scans. Mid-scan panic is also survivable: squeeze the call ball and the scan stops.
What to do
Common questions
What if I'm claustrophobic during an MRI?
Say so before the scan, not during - claustrophobia is common enough that every MRI center has a playbook. MedlinePlus notes the options directly: a medicine to help you feel sleepy and less anxious, or an open MRI, where the machine is not as close to the body. Beyond those two, the standard toolkit includes a mirror or prism glasses that let you see out of the tunnel, headphones with music, a panic button or squeeze ball in your hand, and the intercom so a technologist's voice is one word away. Coaching from a friend in the room helps some centers allow it. If you go in without flagging it and panic mid-scan, you will not be trapped - squeeze the call ball and the scan stops - but a pre-flagged plan almost always converts "I cannot do this" into a completed study. The scan matters; the discomfort has workarounds. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you plan the conversation with the imaging center.