Xanax before the Pet Scan

Kent Cass
Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Some time ago there was a thread on this subject, and how the Xanax did more than just calm the nerves- it also did something to fat(?) which helped in reducing false positives. I recently had a check-in with my regular Dr. and threw that past him, and he didn't buy it. All I wanted was one measely Xanax tab! No dice.

So, any info on this, including anything new, with reference to a medical study in support of this, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

kcass

Comments

  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #2
    Xanax
    Kent, if you are a cancer patient (and you are), and you feel Xanax can be helpful to you, then your doc should give you an RX. It's easy for them to monitor use, abuse is a non issue. You shouldn't have to twist arms or cite studies.

    best of luck on that, Hal
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #3
    I didn't remember that
    I didn't remember that thread so I googled it. I think I found it. I never heard anything about Xanax reducing false positives. If it were true wouldn't you think they would have people take it before their scans where that would be a concern like it is for many just having scans after rads?

    This is the thread about the fat I found.


    SWEETS LINK

    (ok John. I'm trying your idiots cheat sheet for making my link. Lol)

    Just in case it doesn't work. Sorry I don't trust you but you know my motto, John. Haha!

    http://csn.cancer.org/node/190702
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
    sweetblood22 said:

    I didn't remember that
    I didn't remember that thread so I googled it. I think I found it. I never heard anything about Xanax reducing false positives. If it were true wouldn't you think they would have people take it before their scans where that would be a concern like it is for many just having scans after rads?

    This is the thread about the fat I found.


    SWEETS LINK

    (ok John. I'm trying your idiots cheat sheet for making my link. Lol)

    Just in case it doesn't work. Sorry I don't trust you but you know my motto, John. Haha!

    http://csn.cancer.org/node/190702

    Ha! Well whaddya know your
    Ha! Well whaddya know your cheat sheet worked for me, John and I made my first fancy link. :)
  • timreichhart
    timreichhart Member Posts: 194
    #5
    sweetblood22 said:

    Ha! Well whaddya know your
    Ha! Well whaddya know your cheat sheet worked for me, John and I made my first fancy link. :)

    about this pill
    I take Xanax before the Pet Scan everytime and it does help you relax alot. I also take xanax for anxiety I never anxiety intill I found out I had cancer and during and after cancer treatments was done. I am still battling anxiety right now as we are speaking and I am currently out of xanax so when I go back to chemo doctor the 2/22 I am going to ask for more xanax which I dont know if he will give me a other RX for it or not but I am going to see. I also wanted to say xanax does help you fell to sleep alot quicker at night and it also make you sleep better at night. Yes I do have problems sleeping at night due to this whole cancer thing.
  • Kimba1505
    Kimba1505 Member Posts: 557
    #6
    timreichhart said:

    about this pill
    I take Xanax before the Pet Scan everytime and it does help you relax alot. I also take xanax for anxiety I never anxiety intill I found out I had cancer and during and after cancer treatments was done. I am still battling anxiety right now as we are speaking and I am currently out of xanax so when I go back to chemo doctor the 2/22 I am going to ask for more xanax which I dont know if he will give me a other RX for it or not but I am going to see. I also wanted to say xanax does help you fell to sleep alot quicker at night and it also make you sleep better at night. Yes I do have problems sleeping at night due to this whole cancer thing.

    Xanax before PET scan results: caregiver.
    When anxiety has the best of you there is medication for it. Yes, doctors are always on the look out for abuse...but really...cancer has got to be one of highest anxiety producing events out there. When Mark and I were waiting for his first PET results, I had to take one in the waiting room...my anxiety was through the roof. For me, there is no shame in a needing a little help when my anxiety is disabling.
    Kim
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #7
    Hi Kent

    I never heard of using Xanax before a PET but that is not to say it doesn’t work. I believe one of the problems is that not all of our doctors are on the same level. I did rad twice and the first doc put me on amifostine before treatment and the second time a different doc told me it does not work and refused to treatment me with it before treatment. I believe the amifostine worked because I still have my saliva glands they only work at 60% but that is better then nothing at all.

    All the best my friend
    Hondo
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #8
    Kimba1505 said:

    Xanax before PET scan results: caregiver.
    When anxiety has the best of you there is medication for it. Yes, doctors are always on the look out for abuse...but really...cancer has got to be one of highest anxiety producing events out there. When Mark and I were waiting for his first PET results, I had to take one in the waiting room...my anxiety was through the roof. For me, there is no shame in a needing a little help when my anxiety is disabling.
    Kim

    Wish I had me some today
    3 hours of sitting in the waiting room at the hospital while Doug got his dissection done. 3 hours of consciously trying to slow my breathing and my heart rate. I suspect Xanax would have done a better job, but Doug never needed it during treatment (should have told him to ask for it).

    Anyway, the doctor showed up smiling the "I'm not hiding anything" smile. He reported that he did not think any of the lymph nodes he harvested looked suspicious - the node that we knew had cancer and another one right near it looked as dead as could be to him.

    That's almost as good as Xanax. I can even drink my coffee now.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #9
    DrMary said:

    Wish I had me some today
    3 hours of sitting in the waiting room at the hospital while Doug got his dissection done. 3 hours of consciously trying to slow my breathing and my heart rate. I suspect Xanax would have done a better job, but Doug never needed it during treatment (should have told him to ask for it).

    Anyway, the doctor showed up smiling the "I'm not hiding anything" smile. He reported that he did not think any of the lymph nodes he harvested looked suspicious - the node that we knew had cancer and another one right near it looked as dead as could be to him.

    That's almost as good as Xanax. I can even drink my coffee now.

    As dead as can be
    Well that is good to hear, Dr. Mary.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #10
    sweetblood22 said:

    Ha! Well whaddya know your
    Ha! Well whaddya know your cheat sheet worked for me, John and I made my first fancy link. :)

    You Go Girl ~ Dawn
    LOL, TNO....< you're motto.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #11
    Skiffin16 said:

    You Go Girl ~ Dawn
    LOL, TNO....< you're motto.

    You didn't need to edit.
    Lol it took me a second, but then I got it. :)
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #12
    Hondo said:

    Hi Kent

    I never heard of using Xanax before a PET but that is not to say it doesn’t work. I believe one of the problems is that not all of our doctors are on the same level. I did rad twice and the first doc put me on amifostine before treatment and the second time a different doc told me it does not work and refused to treatment me with it before treatment. I believe the amifostine worked because I still have my saliva glands they only work at 60% but that is better then nothing at all.

    All the best my friend
    Hondo

    Sweet
    That be it, Sweet. And, I thank you. Will try to investigate further. Next PS/CT is April 4th, and I got it in my mind to prep for it w/Bitter Gourd, if I can find it- so far I've only found Bitter Melon, and possibly a tab of Xanax, if my Dr. will oblige. Thank you, Sweet.

    kcass
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #13
    Kent Cass said:

    Sweet
    That be it, Sweet. And, I thank you. Will try to investigate further. Next PS/CT is April 4th, and I got it in my mind to prep for it w/Bitter Gourd, if I can find it- so far I've only found Bitter Melon, and possibly a tab of Xanax, if my Dr. will oblige. Thank you, Sweet.

    kcass

    Your welcome, Kent. For
    Your welcome, Kent. For some reason I have seen bitter gourd a couple times in the last week on the Food Network. I think it was in one of the baskets in Chopped. I think I have it in my head that bitter melon and bitter gourd are the same thing. Hang on a sec.

    Yeah. I think it is:


    Bitter gourd or melon

    I have never had it. The other place I ran across it was in a juicing recipe this week. I've never seen it in the stores here. Guess I will read up on it.
    I can tell you I won't try it though because I really dislike bitter flavors. Also sour flavors. Yuckaroo. :)
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #14
    sweetblood22 said:

    Your welcome, Kent. For
    Your welcome, Kent. For some reason I have seen bitter gourd a couple times in the last week on the Food Network. I think it was in one of the baskets in Chopped. I think I have it in my head that bitter melon and bitter gourd are the same thing. Hang on a sec.

    Yeah. I think it is:


    Bitter gourd or melon

    I have never had it. The other place I ran across it was in a juicing recipe this week. I've never seen it in the stores here. Guess I will read up on it.
    I can tell you I won't try it though because I really dislike bitter flavors. Also sour flavors. Yuckaroo. :)

    Sweet, Kent
    Yes bitter gourd and bitter melon are one and the same. Supposedly it is good herbal remedy for calming anxiety, among other things. It is commonly eaten in Se Asia as a vegetable. The name is quite apropos as it is rather bitter. I've been told numerous times that it is really good if it is cooked correctly. Apparently no one I know has learned how. Let's just say I will never try to eat it again. My wife makes a soup with it. I eat something else, anything else. Cheers

    Jimbo
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #15
    Jimbo55 said:

    Sweet, Kent
    Yes bitter gourd and bitter melon are one and the same. Supposedly it is good herbal remedy for calming anxiety, among other things. It is commonly eaten in Se Asia as a vegetable. The name is quite apropos as it is rather bitter. I've been told numerous times that it is really good if it is cooked correctly. Apparently no one I know has learned how. Let's just say I will never try to eat it again. My wife makes a soup with it. I eat something else, anything else. Cheers

    Jimbo

    Jimbo
    "...I've been told numerous times that it is really good if it is cooked correctly. Apparently no one I know has learned how. Let's just say I will never try to eat it again. My wife makes a soup with it. I eat something else, anything else. Cheers..."

    That's too funny. Thanks. I am definitely thinking that's something I will have to pass on trying. Lol
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #16
    sweetblood22 said:

    Jimbo
    "...I've been told numerous times that it is really good if it is cooked correctly. Apparently no one I know has learned how. Let's just say I will never try to eat it again. My wife makes a soup with it. I eat something else, anything else. Cheers..."

    That's too funny. Thanks. I am definitely thinking that's something I will have to pass on trying. Lol

    Jimbo and Sweet
    The reason for the Bitter Gourd/Melon is what it does to Sugar- reduces glucose in the blood. As we all know, Sugar is the key player in the PS/CT, and by reducing the amount that gets spread around the body in the weeks before the test- one is also reducing the chances of a false-positive in the tests. That's the principle of it.

    Must advise that I was tipped on the BG/M some time ago by a Brother to us all, and there may be cautions that come into play with the BG/M, and what it actually does, so that if one does try it- do so in moderation, and ease into it. Might be a problem for the Diabetics, or anyone with a similar problem.

    Scam, with your being the resident Dr. to us all in regards to the Far East and diet- any info you can provide us on Bitter Gourd/Melon will be greatly appreciated. Might even be cool if you start a thread about it, especially if it really can be beneficial to the PS/CT. Hmmmm...Think Hondo might know something about it, too. Hmmmmm...

    kcass
  • samtheman
    samtheman Member Posts: 5
    #17
    timreichhart said:

    about this pill
    I take Xanax before the Pet Scan everytime and it does help you relax alot. I also take xanax for anxiety I never anxiety intill I found out I had cancer and during and after cancer treatments was done. I am still battling anxiety right now as we are speaking and I am currently out of xanax so when I go back to chemo doctor the 2/22 I am going to ask for more xanax which I dont know if he will give me a other RX for it or not but I am going to see. I also wanted to say xanax does help you fell to sleep alot quicker at night and it also make you sleep better at night. Yes I do have problems sleeping at night due to this whole cancer thing.

    Ask Primary Care Dr
    Husband would not have made it this far without "Vitamin X" as we call it. I have not heard that it helps PET/CT results just anxiety and help sleeping. No cancer patient should have to beg for this prescription, try your primary care doctor. Good Luck!

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