The short answer: Most adults have an MRI fully awake, with no sedation, and can drive home right after. If you take any calming medicine, even one pill from your own doctor, you need a ride. After IV sedation or general anesthesia, RadiologyInfo.org says not to drive for at least 24 hours.
Do most people need sedation for an MRI?
No. An MRI does not hurt, and the scan itself needs no medicine to work. Sedation is only there to help a person stay calm and hold still inside the scanner.
Good numbers on how often adults need it are scarce, and they vary by hospital. One older study from a university hospital looked at 939 adults over a 7-week period. In that group, 134 patients (14.3%) needed oral sedation, IV sedation, or general anesthesia to get through the scan. That left about 6 in 7 adults who needed nothing.
The same study found sedation was more common in women, in people having a brain MRI, and in people who had already had an MRI. The study dates from 1997 and comes from one center, so treat the figure as a rough guide. Wider scanners and shorter scans have changed practice since then.
If fear of the tube is your main worry, start with non-drug options. Our guide to MRI claustrophobia covers those.
What are the levels of sedation?
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) describes sedation as a continuum. Its statement on depth of sedation, last amended in October 2024, defines four levels:
- Minimal sedation (anxiolysis). You are relaxed, and you respond normally when someone speaks to you. A single anti-anxiety pill before the scan usually falls here.
- Moderate sedation. People often call this conscious sedation. You are drowsy, but you respond on purpose to a voice or a light touch.
- Deep sedation. You cannot be woken easily. You respond only to repeated or painful stimulation.
- General anesthesia. You are unconscious and cannot be woken, even by pain.
The lines between levels are not fixed. A person can drift deeper than planned, which is why staff watch you at every level. RadiologyInfo.org, run by the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America, says a trained professional monitors every sedated patient. With moderate sedation, MedlinePlus says you should not need help with your breathing.
Who gets which kind of sedation?
The choice depends on why you cannot lie still. RadiologyInfo.org lists the main reasons as anxiety, fear of closed spaces, and medical conditions that stop a person from staying motionless.
- Anxiety or claustrophobia. RadiologyInfo.org suggests asking your doctor for a mild sedative before the exam. This is usually a pill from your own prescriber, taken before the scan.
- Severe claustrophobia or a failed earlier scan. A center may offer IV moderate sedation. Midazolam is one drug with an FDA-labeled use for sedation during radiologic procedures. Not every outpatient center offers IV sedation.
- Infants and young children. RadiologyInfo.org notes that MRI is noisy and means lying still in an enclosed space, which can frighten a child. Children usually get sedation through an IV from an anesthesia team. Some hospitals use child life specialists and distraction devices to avoid it.
- Movement disorders, severe pain, or confusion. People who physically cannot hold still may need deeper sedation or general anesthesia. An anesthesia team gives this, most often in a hospital.
Anxiety that goes beyond the scanner deserves its own care. Our sibling site anxiety.md covers treatment options.
Do you need to fast or bring someone with you?
For an MRI without sedation, usually neither. For sedation by the imaging team, expect both.
Sedation weakens the reflexes that keep stomach contents out of the lungs. The ASA fasting guideline applies to general anesthesia and to procedural sedation. For healthy patients having planned procedures, it allows:
- clear liquids, such as water, up to 2 hours before
- a light meal, such as toast, up to 6 hours before
- fried or fatty foods and meat only with more time, for example 8 hours or more
Your center may be stricter. RadiologyInfo.org says you may be told not to eat or drink for up to eight hours. Follow the instructions your own center gives you. We cover the details in can you eat or drink before an MRI.
A pill from your own doctor often comes with no fasting rule, but ask. It does come with an escort rule. MedlinePlus advises arranging for a responsible adult to drive you to and from a sedated procedure. Many centers will cancel a sedated scan if no adult is there to take you home.
How long before you can drive again?
It depends on what you received.
- No sedation. You can drive straight away. Contrast dye alone does not affect driving.
- A calming pill. RadiologyInfo.org says that if you take any relaxation medication, you should have a ride home. The FDA label for lorazepam tablets, a common choice, says patients should be warned not to operate motor vehicles. The tablet label gives no set number of hours, so ask your prescriber when you can drive.
- IV sedation. The midazolam injection label says the decision must be individualized. It recommends no driving until drowsiness has gone or until one full day after anesthesia and surgery, whichever is longer.
- General anesthesia. RadiologyInfo.org says not to drive, operate equipment, or make important decisions for at least 24 hours.
Feeling alert is not proof that you are safe. The midazolam label warns that simple recovery tests cannot predict reaction time under stress. It also notes that memory can be impaired for several hours.
After moderate sedation, MedlinePlus says most people can go home 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. Staff check your oxygen level and blood pressure first. For children, RadiologyInfo.org advises delaying swimming, climbing, and bike riding by 24 hours. It also says a responsible adult should watch the child for 12 to 24 hours.
What should you ask the imaging center?
Call when you book the scan. A center cannot add sedation on the day if it has no staff or recovery space for it. Useful questions:
- Do you offer sedation on site, and at which level?
- Who gives it and who monitors me: a nurse, a radiologist, or an anesthesia team?
- If my own doctor prescribes a pill, when should I take it?
- Do I need to fast, and for how long?
- Must my driver stay in the building during the scan?
- How long will I stay in recovery afterward?
- Which of my regular medicines should I take that morning?
- Do you have a wide-bore or open scanner that could let me skip sedation?
Tell the team about sleep apnea, lung or heart disease, pregnancy, and every medicine you take. The ASA moderate sedation guideline, written with the American College of Radiology and other societies, covers how teams prepare and monitor patients. A sedated visit also takes longer than a plain scan. See how long an MRI takes for typical scan times.
The bottom line
Most people need no sedation for an MRI and can drive home. If you take anything to relax, arrange a ride. After IV sedation or general anesthesia, plan on no driving for at least 24 hours, and bring a responsible adult. Ask about fasting and escort rules when you book, because each center sets its own.
Last updated: October 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Ask your own doctor and imaging center which sedation, fasting, and driving instructions apply to you.