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Exercise and PET scan
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Exercise and PET scan

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Exercise and PET scan

  • Post
    • January 1, 2021 at 5:14 pm
    ThinkingPositive
    Participant
      Hello- My instructions for PET scan are to eliminate strenuous exercise the day before the test. What constitutes strenuous?

      Cindy

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        • January 1, 2021 at 6:47 pm
        poppymac
        Participant
          hi,anything you find strenuous like running or lifting  if muscle or nerves are inflamed they might show uptake on pet scan,i was told i had melanoma in bowel and appendix it turned out to be false alarm

           

           

            • January 2, 2021 at 11:19 am
            ThinkingPositive
            Participant
              Thanks Poppymac,

              I want to avoid the false positives too! Below, I found a 2014 article with more recommended restrictions https://tech.snmjournals.org/content/42/1/5:

              “…exercises such as jogging, cycling, weightlifting, strenuous housework, yard work, and sexual activity be avoided for a minimum of 24 h (ideally 48 h) before the scan to minimize uptake of radiotracer in skeletal muscles. Patients are also advised not to chew gum for 24 h before the study to avoid activation of masticatory muscles.”

              The article also gave recommendations on staying warm prior to the scan. It caused me to rethink walking from the parking garage to the hospital in winter weather. I will plan on taking the visitor shuttle bus.

              Have a nice day! Cindy

              • January 2, 2021 at 10:06 pm
              Edwin
              Participant
                Can you social distance on the visitor shuttle?   I walked 10 to 12 minutes to my cancer center for my PET scans in North Dakota winters.    I wore warm clothes.  My cancer center recommended eating a high protein, low carbohydrate meal the evening before my PET scans.  I avoided strenuous exercise for 36 hours before a PET scan;  I did walk to work.
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