After your PET-CT
Eating and Drinking — After Your PET-CT Scan
The fasting and waiting are over. Once the scan is done you can eat and drink normally, and there is one simple thing — drinking plenty of water — that helps your body clear the radiotracer faster.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · MD · DM (Adyar, Chennai) · ECMO · MRCP SCE (UK) · Last reviewed September 2026
- Eat immediately — You were fasting before the scan. You can eat as soon as you leave the scan room.
- Water is the priority — The radiotracer leaves your body through urine. Drinking water speeds that up.
- Brief contact precautions — Stay a short distance from pregnant women and young children for a few hours — a standard precaution with any nuclear medicine scan.
- Back to normal quickly — By the following day there are no restrictions at all.
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You can eat and drink as soon as you leave the scan room. The radiotracer used in a PET-CT leaves your body mainly through urine, and drinking plenty of water for the rest of the day helps clear it faster. There are no specific food restrictions.
CION does PET-CT in Hyderabad from Rs 10,499 — among the lowest published prices in the city, with no hidden charges. Indicative price, as of September 2026.
What should I do as soon as the scan is finished?
Eat and drink as soon as you leave
You were asked to fast for several hours before the scan. That restriction ends the moment you leave the scan room. Eat whatever you would normally eat. There are no specific food restrictions after a PET-CT.
Drink plenty of water through the day
The radiotracer — usually a glucose-based compound called FDG — is processed by your kidneys and passes out through urine. Drinking water is the main thing you can do to help your body clear it. Aim to drink more than you usually would for the rest of the day.
Keep a little distance from pregnant women and young children
For a few hours after the scan, stay at a comfortable distance from pregnant women, babies, and young children. You do not need to isolate — normal household life continues. This is a short, standard precaution with any nuclear medicine scan. Other adults need no precautions.
Resume everything normally by the next day
The radiotracer decays quickly. By the next morning there are no contact precautions, no dietary restrictions and no activity limits. If you drove yourself to the scan, you can drive home the same day — unless you were given sedation, in which case ask the imaging team.
Why does drinking water after a PET-CT matter?
The radiotracer used in most PET-CT scans is FDG — a form of glucose attached to a mildly radioactive atom called fluorine-18. Your kidneys filter it out of your blood, and it leaves your body in your urine.
Drinking water increases how quickly that clearance happens. The faster the tracer passes through, the shorter the time your body carries any residual radioactivity. This is why imaging centres emphasise hydration after nuclear medicine scans.
You do not need a special drink or an electrolyte supplement. Plain water is what works. If you find plain water difficult, any non-alcoholic, non-sugary drink will do.
PET-CT Partner Centres
PET-CT Scan Centres in Hyderabad
CION offers PET-CT scans through 4 trusted partner PET-CT centres across Hyderabad, so you can choose the one closest to you. Call 18002028726 and we’ll guide you to the earliest available appointment.
PET-CT Centre — Punjagutta
PET-CT Centre — Himayatnagar
PET-CT Centre — Narayanaguda
These are partner diagnostic centres within the CION network. Toll-free booking: 18002028726.
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Who needs to keep some distance after the scan — and for how long?
| Who | Precaution | When it ends |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnant women | Stay about an arm's length away; avoid prolonged close contact | After a few hours — for the rest of the scan day is a safe guide |
| Babies and children under about five | Same — short distance, avoid prolonged cuddling or carrying | After a few hours — for the rest of the scan day |
| Older children and other adults | No precaution needed | No restriction at any point |
| Breastfeeding mothers | Ask the imaging team before your scan — they will advise based on the tracer used | Varies: get the advice before the scan, not after |
Did you know?
The radioactive atom in the most common PET tracer — fluorine-18 — has a half-life of about 110 minutes. That means the radioactivity in your body roughly halves every two hours.
By the time most people have finished the scan, travelled home and eaten a meal, the tracer has already decayed to a small fraction of the starting amount.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Radiation Protection in Nuclear Medicine
CION does PET-CT in Hyderabad from Rs 10,499 — among the lowest published prices in the city — including an oncologist-reviewed report and a free Rs 950 consultation. Indicative price, as of September 2026.
Explore 64 more Preparing For and Having Your Scan Safely topics
Scan Day: What Actually Happens
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- How Long Does a PET-CT Scan Take?
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Diabetes & Blood Sugar for PET-CT
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Preparing for Your Scan
- A Printable PET-CT Preparation Card
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- Can I Have a PET-CT Scan During My Period?
- Can I Take My Regular Medicines Before a PET-CT Scan?
- Can You Reschedule a PET-CT Scan?
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- Preparing a Very Elderly or Frail Person for a PET-CT
- Preparing a Wheelchair-Bound or Bedridden Patient
- Preparing for a PSMA, DOTATATE or FAPI PET-CT
- Should I Avoid Exercise Before a PET-CT Scan?
- Smoking, Alcohol and Caffeine Before a PET-CT Scan
- What Happens If You Break the Fast by Mistake?
- What to Carry to Your PET-CT Appointment
- What to Eat the Day Before a PET-CT Scan
- What to Wear to a PET-CT Scan
- Why Your Kidney Function Test Is Needed Before a PET-CT
Radiation Safety & After-Scan Precautions
- Are You Radioactive After a PET-CT Scan?
- Being Around Pregnant Women After a PET-CT Scan
- Can I Hold My Child or Grandchild After a PET-CT Scan?
- Can a PET-CT Scan Cause Cancer?
- Cumulative Radiation From Repeated Scans
- Do You Need Precautions After a PSMA or DOTATATE Scan?
- Do You Need Separate Utensils or a Separate Toilet After a PET-CT?
- How Long Does the Tracer Stay in Your Body?
- How Long Should You Avoid Close Contact After a PET-CT?
- How Many PET-CT Scans Are Safe in a Year?
- How Much Radiation Is in a PET-CT Scan?
- Is PET-CT Radiation Different From Radiotherapy?
- Is the Radiation From a PET-CT Scan Dangerous?
- PET-CT Radiation Compared With CT, X-Ray and Natural Background
- Radiation Safety at Home After Your Scan: A Family Checklist
- Radiation Safety for Staff and Attendants at the Centre
- Simple Steps to Clear the Tracer Faster
- Travelling Home After a PET-CT Scan: Public Transport and Airports
Your next step
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat straight after a PET-CT scan?
Yes, immediately. You were asked to fast before the scan because food raises blood glucose and affects how the tracer distributes — that is a pre-scan requirement only. Once the scan is done, eating is fine and encouraged. There are no food restrictions after the scan. If you feel light-headed from fasting, eat before you drive or use public transport.
How much water should I drink after a PET-CT?
Drink more than you usually would for the rest of the day. The imaging team may give you a specific target, and that guidance takes priority. If you were not given a number, drink consistently through the afternoon and evening rather than a large amount all at once. Frequent urination is expected — it is the normal sign that the tracer is clearing. Plain water is fine; nothing special is needed.
Can I be around my children or grandchildren after the scan?
For a few hours after the scan, avoid prolonged close contact with young children — babies and children under about five in particular. Normal household life can continue; you do not need to stay in a separate room. By the following morning there are no restrictions at all. If you are the sole carer for a young child and need specific guidance, ask the imaging team before the scan day so you have a plan in place.
Can I go to work or drive after a PET-CT?
In most cases yes, the same day. PET-CT does not use sedation, so unless you were given a sedative or feel unwell after fasting, you can drive and return to work. If your work involves prolonged close contact with pregnant women or very young children — as a teacher, nurse, or childminder — consider whether that contact will happen in the first few hours after the scan. The imaging team can advise on timing if you raise it before your appointment.
Is the radiation from the PET-CT tracer dangerous to people around me?
The exposure to people near you is very small. The contact precautions for pregnant women and young children are a standard conservative measure, not a sign that the scan used a large amount of radiation. The tracer decays quickly — within a few hours the radioactivity has already reduced substantially. Other adults, including elderly relatives, do not need any special precaution at any point.