Preparing for Your Scan
Can I Take My Regular Medicines — Before a PET-CT Scan?
Getting your medicines wrong before a PET-CT scan can affect image quality or mean the scan cannot go ahead. Most medicines continue unchanged — but the right answer for your specific medicines is confirmed at booking, not assumed.
Medically reviewed by Dr. T. Raghavender Reddy, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · DM (Medical Oncology) · MD (Radiation Oncology) · Last reviewed September 2026
- Most medicines continue — Routine medicines for blood pressure, thyroid, and heart conditions are generally continued before a PET-CT scan.
- Some need timing changes — Certain categories of medicine affect how the scan tracer distributes in your body — a timing adjustment may be needed.
- Diabetes and kidney conditions need your treating team — These need input from your oncologist, not just the scanning centre, before scan day.
- Declare everything at booking — Prescription medicines, supplements, ayurvedic preparations, vitamins — all of them, so the centre can confirm your instructions.
17+
Cancer Specialists
on Panel
on Panel
96.9%
Breast Cancer
Survival Rate*
Survival Rate*
15,000+
Patients
Treated
Treated
4.8★
Google Rating
(800+ reviews)
(800+ reviews)
Most routine medicines can be continued before a PET-CT scan, but some categories need timing adjustments. The right answer depends on your specific medicines, your scan type, and your health conditions. Declare every medicine you take when you book — the centre will confirm your exact instructions then.
PET-CT at CION starts from Rs 10,499 — among the lowest published prices in Hyderabad, with no hidden charges. Indicative price, as of September 2026.
What do I do about my medicines before the scan?
List everything before you call to book
Write down every medicine, supplement, ayurvedic preparation, and vitamin you take — including the dose and how often. If you have a prescription slip or a medicine summary from your doctor, keep it to hand. This is the list the booking team needs.
Declare the full list when you book
Tell the booking team about every item on your list. The centre will review it and confirm which medicines to continue unchanged, which need a timing adjustment, and whether any need input from your treating oncologist before scan day.
If you have diabetes or a kidney condition, contact your treating team
Do not wait for the scanning centre alone to advise you on these. Contact your treating oncologist or physician before the scan. They will give you specific instructions for your medicines and your situation.
On scan day, bring your list and take only what you were told to take
If anything changed since booking — a new medicine was added, you missed a dose, or you are unwell — tell the scanning staff before the scan begins. They can advise you on how to proceed.
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.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Interventional Radiologist
Dr. Mohammed Imran
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
You do not have to work this out alone
A 45-minute consultation with a specialist who treats this every week.
Why do some medicines need timing changes before a PET-CT scan?
A PET-CT scan uses a radioactive tracer that shows how cells are using energy. Some medicines affect how your body handles glucose or how the tracer distributes through your body. That can change what the scan images show, or make them harder to interpret accurately.
Contrast dye is used in some PET-CT scans. Certain categories of medicine interact with how the body processes contrast. Patients with kidney conditions or diabetes need their treating oncologist to confirm a plan before the scan — the scanning centre cannot make that call alone.
For most people, the guidance from the scanning centre at booking is all that is needed. The patients who need additional input from their treating team are those managing diabetes, those with kidney conditions, and those on medicines the centre flags for clinical confirmation.
Did you know?
Elevated blood glucose at the time of tracer injection — from eating, uncontrolled diabetes, or a medicine interaction — is one of the most common avoidable reasons a FDG-PET scan produces images that are difficult to interpret.
The tracer competes with glucose, so blood sugar level at the moment of injection directly affects image quality. Declaring your medicines at booking is the single step that protects your scan result.
Source: SNMMI / EANM Procedure Guidelines for Tumour Imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT
A whole-body PET-CT at CION is Rs 10,499 — among the lowest published prices in Hyderabad — with a free Rs 950 oncologist consultation to talk through your report. Indicative price, as of September 2026.
Explore 92 more Preparing For and Having Your Scan Safely topics
Preparing for Your Scan
- A Printable PET-CT Preparation Card
- Can I Drink Water Before a PET-CT Scan?
- 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?
- Cold Weather, Shivering and Brown Fat: Why You Are Asked to Stay Warm
- Fasting Before a PET-CT Scan: How Long and Why
- How to Prepare for a PET-CT Scan: The Complete Checklist
- 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
Contrast, Cannula & Procedure Safety
- Can You Have a PET-CT If You Are on Blood Thinners?
- Can You Have a PET-CT Through a Port or PICC Line?
- Contrast Allergy and PET-CT: What to Declare
- Contrast Reaction Symptoms: What to Watch For
- Contrast and Kidney Function: The Creatinine Rule
- Infection Risk and Hygiene at a Scan Centre
- Is Contrast Used in a PET-CT Scan?
- Metformin and Contrast: What Is the Rule?
- Side Effects of a PET-CT Scan
- The Cannula: Bruising, Pain and Difficult Veins
- Tracer Leakage at the Injection Site (Extravasation)
- What If You Feel Unwell During the Scan?
Diabetes & Blood Sugar for PET-CT
- A Diabetic Patient's PET-CT Day Plan
- Best Appointment Time for a Diabetic PET Scan
- Can Diabetics Take Their Tablets Before a PET Scan?
- Does Diabetes Change Your SUV Reading?
- Fasting Safely With Diabetes Before a Scan
- Insulin and PET-CT: Timing Rules
- Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Found Before a Scan
- PET-CT Scan With Diabetes: The Complete Preparation Guide
- PET-CT With Steroid-Induced High Sugars
- What Blood Sugar Level Is Needed for a PET-CT Scan?
- What Happens If Your Sugar Is High on the Day?
- What to Eat the Day Before if You Have Diabetes
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
Scan Day: What Actually Happens
- Can Someone Stay With Me During the Scan?
- Can You Drive Yourself Home After a PET-CT Scan?
- Can You Have Sedation for a PET-CT Scan?
- Can a PET-CT Scan Be Done on the Same Day as Other Tests?
- Contrast in a PET-CT Scan: When It Is Used and Why
- Eating and Drinking After Your PET-CT Scan
- How Long Does a PET-CT Scan Take?
- Is a PET-CT Scan Painful?
- Is a PET-CT Scanner Closed Like an MRI? Claustrophobia Explained
- The Tracer Injection: Does It Hurt?
- What Happens If the Scan Cannot Be Completed?
- What If You Cannot Lie Still or Have Tremors?
- What to Expect Immediately After the Scan
- Why Was My Scan Repeated or Extended on the Day?
- Why You Have to Wait an Hour After the Injection
- Your PET-CT Scan Day: What Happens, Step by Step
Special Populations
- Breastfeeding and PET-CT: How Long to Pause
- PET-CT Scans for Children: A Parent's Guide
- PET-CT With Kidney Disease or on Dialysis
- PET-CT With a Pacemaker, Stent or Metal Implant
- PET-CT for Claustrophobic Patients
- PET-CT for Patients Who Cannot Lie Flat
- PET-CT for Patients With Anxiety or Panic Disorder
- PET-CT for Patients With Dementia or Confusion
- PET-CT for Patients With Incontinence or a Catheter
- PET-CT for Patients With a Stoma
- PET-CT for Patients on Long-Term Steroids
- PET-CT for Very Elderly or Frail Patients
- PET-CT for Very Heavy Patients: Weight and Bore Limits
- PET-CT for Wheelchair and Bedbound Patients
- PET-CT in Pregnancy: Why It Is Avoided
- Sedation and Fasting for a Child's PET Scan
Your next step
Talk to an oncologist about your scan
Your PET-CT report read by a senior oncologist, explained in plain language, with a free 45-minute consultation.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I take my blood pressure, heart, or thyroid medicine on the morning of the scan?
Medicines for blood pressure, heart conditions, and thyroid conditions are generally continued before a PET-CT scan and taken as usual with a small sip of water. Declare them at booking and follow the centre's confirmation rather than a general rule — your specific situation may have a nuance the general guidance does not cover.
I am diabetic. What do I do about my diabetes medicines before a PET-CT scan?
Contact your treating oncologist or physician before the scan — do not rely on the scanning centre alone for this. Diabetes medicines can affect how the scan tracer distributes, and some interact with contrast dye. Your treating team will give you specific instructions for your medicines and your scan type. Do not adjust or stop your diabetes medicines on your own without that guidance.
Do I need to declare ayurvedic or herbal preparations before a PET-CT scan?
Yes. Many families assume that ayurvedic preparations, herbal supplements, and vitamins sit outside what the scanning centre needs to know. They do not. Some contain compounds that affect blood sugar, liver function, or contrast handling. Declare everything — traditional preparations included — when you book, and let the centre confirm your instructions.
I forgot to take my medicine this morning. Should I take it just before the scan?
Tell the scanning staff when you arrive, before anything starts. Do not take a missed dose on your own initiative without asking — particularly if it is a diabetes medicine or a medicine that affects blood pressure or heart rate. The team can tell you how to proceed safely once they know what you are taking and when you last took it.
Will my medicines affect what the scan shows?
Some medicines can affect how the radioactive tracer distributes in your body, which changes what the scan images show. This is the reason for declaring everything at booking — not to stop medicines unnecessarily, but so the radiologist interpreting your scan knows your full medicine history. Most people continue their medicines unchanged. Those who need adjustments are a minority, and the centre will tell you clearly if you are one of them.