Did you know that you cant have a PET scan ever again

[DancingUntilImDead]

This was a problem that I didn't know existed.

If you've ever taken WLI's you are never allowed to have a PET scan in the future. I was told this during a consultation today as I have these scans often and not being able to have one in the future would be a massive risk for me. No WLI for me then sighs

Sorry, what aggression are you talking about? All I can see is people robustly critiquing your statement. Which is definitively untrue. I

t is not true that you can never have a PET scan ever again after taking WLIs.

@soupyspoonyes it would be that as well, but there is already a list of things you need to be aware of that WLI may affect which you are told before you are prescribed. Things like oral contraception being possibly affected, not to get pregnant and not to breastfeed whilst on WLI, and so on. If it was known that WLI would cause PET scans to be useless then you’d have to be warned of that up front before being prescribed them.

Oh yes, the stuff on the patient leaflet and the prescriber and patient due diligence without a doubt but also obviously when one is referred for a scan the advice to stop taking it for a while etc

None of this is insurmountable as set out in the OP

No one has said your Dr is talking complete bull

Multiple posters have said it may cause false positives, (the key being may, there is some evidence but also some pointing the other way). But not forever and that is not the same as never being able to have a PET scan. It is also usual if you have unexpected hotspots on a PET Ct to question why, there are other reasons for increased uptake

I think if that's what you take from Info's post it's debatable what your doctor actually said to you

There is absolutely nothing to suggest you will never be able to have a PET scan, or that if you had taken WLI you would have changes to your PET scans for life.

A quick google absolutely does not back up the idea that WLIs exclude PET scans.

As I explained upthread, the point is simply that the people interpreting the scan need to know you’re on WLIs.

It is concerning that you are misinterpreting what you are reading here so drastically. It makes it seem more likely that you also misinterpreted and overextended what a doctor said to you.

If not, you need to go back to the doctor and find out what s/he was on about, because the idea that you can’t have scans because you are on WLIs is simply wrong.

Interestingly you’ve changed your use of language. Your OP talks in absolute terms but this subsequent post, on the face of it backing up your initial assertion, uses th word “potential”, so less absolute. I don’t think anyone here would disagree with that - there is potential for false positives on PET scan when taking WLI, this needs interpreting on a case by case basis. There is also potential for false positives if you’ve had the flu jab recently, or an infection, or even chemotherapy.

Yes I spotted that, the language changes quite a lot. From ever used them can never have, to on them a can’t have them to potential to not have them. Which is making me think the ops first language isn’t English and she doesn’t understand the nuance behind what she is writing.

I suppose one thing is helpful from this thread, despite its false heading, is that I didnt know that a flu jab or infection could affect a scan. I dont think we are asked this when having scans.

So you’re saying that as a mid-20s woman on wegovy, if I got cancer in 40 years they’d not give me a PET scan?

Give over

Just in case anyone is concerned

Weight loss injections (GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic, Mounjaro) can affect PET/CT scans by increasing activity in brown fat, mimicking cancer or inflammation, requiring doctors to note the medication for accurate interpretation, though some studies suggest minimal impact on image quality, with researchers recommending awareness rather than stopping treatment unless told to.
How they interfere

• Increased FDG uptake: GLP-1 drugs activate brown adipose tissue (BAT) and increase glucose (FDG) uptake in muscles, making these areas appear hypermetabolic (bright) on scans, potentially mimicking tumors or infection.
• Diagnostic confusion: This can lead to misdiagnosis, especially in cancer staging (e.g., head and neck cancer), as metabolically active brown fat can look like metastatic disease.

What to do

• Inform your doctor: Always tell your healthcare provider and the imaging team that you are taking a GLP-1 medication (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound) before a PET scan.
• No need to stop (usually): You generally do not need to stop the medication before the scan unless your doctor specifically advises it, as research is ongoing, and early findings suggest awareness is key.
• Context is crucial: Radiologists use this information to correctly interpret the scan, differentiating drug effects from actual pathology.

Current research

• Researchers are studying these effects to build guidelines, but currently emphasize that knowing about the medication helps interpret results in context.
• Some initial studies suggest Semaglutide might not significantly affect image quality, but more research is needed for broader guidelines.

Very helpful. Its definitely not on the health questionnaire they do at the start of scans.

I’m only talking about a PET scan here and it should be asked about (there’s usually a long questionnaire to go through with a technician before a PET). It isn’t a problem with a standard CT/MRI etc with or without dye.

It does seem a bit concerning that the jabs can actually change the body tissue, I thought they just supressed appetite.

Ok, when I googled it seemed to lump in CT scans as well, there is a long questionnaire for the CT scan but it doesnt ask this. Hopefully the PET scans do as it would be more detailed I think

No they're not an appetite suppressant, they work on your hormones which lowers your appetite but more importantly lowers your desire for particular things, including alcohol for some people. They help the body process food in a different way.

I dont know if that equates to 'changing body tissue'.

As someone set out above, flu jab seems to be the same effect. Are you concerned about that as well?

Ok feeling the need for a bit of an info post because there seems to be some fairly basic lack of understanding of these medications.

Mounjaro works by:
• Increasing insulin release when blood sugar is high
• Reducing glucagon (which lowers sugar production in the liver)
• Slowing how quickly the stomach empties
• Reducing hunger and supporting satiety

Because the medication slows digestion and changes how tissues handle glucose.

Doctors have observed increased glucose uptake in:
• The stomach
• Bowel
• Muscles
• Fat tissue

These findings can make the scan look unusual if the interpreting radiologist isn’t aware you’re taking Mounjaro.

Honestly, thank god you're on this thread @InfoSecInTheCity . The combination of a lack of understanding of how GLP-1s work and poor critical thinking/reading comprehension amongst some is the truly scary thing. Not the actual drugs themselves.

Nothing concerning if you understand how they work.

There is almost daily threads on these drugs from people not on them, posting misinformation. I don’t think there has ever been a medication which so many people not on, are utterly obsessed with.

i knew, we all knew, many people were mentally messed up about weight, but I genuinely didn’t know it was to the extent it is.

from the ridiculous my neighbours last half their body weight in three months thread , to the why are you not on them thread full of misinformation which posters argued shouldn’t be corrected, it’s just dismaying the level of envy, resentment they are causing. And it’s not about the medication, it’s about people getting slim, with what some perceive as little effort.

weight is a hugely contentious subject, and of course no one wants to be fat, and no one likes struggling to maintain a healthy weight, but I for one didn’t see just how badly people not on them, either due to cost, or not eligible would react.

Some of this is from the bog standard person I think, but remember there will be a huge pushback from the food industry and food manufacturers/supermarkets

I dont know how much of that is pushed by them in the press but it certainly feeds in to all this misinformation

It’s actually baffling to me

I joined a new office where there’s very much a “diet” culture. It’s been made clear to me that they don’t consider my weight loss or achievements with my fitness, to “count” because I’m on the jabs.

It's been reported because the title of your post is false.

https://phoenix-health.co.uk/important-update-for-ozempic-and-mounjaro-users-what-to-tell-your-doctor-before-a-scan/

Lol, really? That's your take from all this, that I might not be English?

You do realise that the average reading and comprehension age in the UK is around 12yo.

How's the weather up there?

Probably better OP to say hands up, the title is wrong, perhaps not your fault if you believed the doctor but as I said earlier, a bit of critical thinking or a quick google yourself would have seen your doctor was wrong, or at least what you thought he said to you was wrong

I would put a message to his secretary, I had to correct a HCP some years ago because he was telling me there was no such thing as 'walking pneumonia', he said he'd never heard of it and was quite smug about it. I had literally just been in a visit with a client who had had this himself and I was incredibly ill and may have also had this.

I emailed afterwards to give him the information.

Bit worrying