How to Prepare for a CT Scan

November 2, 2025 · 3 min read · Light Radiology Team · CT Scans

This guide outlines how to prepare for your CT scan, including what to wear, eating and drinking instructions, and information about contrast dye. Following these steps helps ensure accurate images and a smooth appointment.

New to CT? Read What Is a CT Scan and How Does It Work? for a simple overview before your appointment.

Check your referral

Your referral form or booking confirmation will specify whether your scan requires contrast. Preparation can differ depending on the type of CT ordered by your doctor.

Unsure why CT was requested? See Why Your Doctor Might Refer You for a CT Scan.

General preparation

Bring your referral, Medicare card, and any previous imaging if available.
Arrive 10–15 minutes before your appointment to complete forms.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing without metal zips, belts, or buttons.
Leave jewellery, watches, and piercings at home when possible.
Continue taking your usual medications unless instructed otherwise.

Fasting and hydration

If your scan uses contrast, avoid eating for 2–4 hours before your appointment.
Drink water to stay hydrated; clear fluids are usually fine.
If your scan does not use contrast, you can generally eat and drink normally.

Learn how contrast affects preparation in CT Scan with Contrast vs Without Contrast.

Patients with diabetes or kidney conditions

Tell us if you have diabetes or kidney problems. These conditions can affect how your body handles contrast dye.
If you take metformin, you may need to pause it temporarily after your scan. We will give specific instructions.
Bring a list of current medications with you.

Contrast injection preparation

For contrast scans, a small IV cannula will be placed in your arm.
Let staff know if you have had any reaction to iodine contrast before.
Inform us of asthma, allergies, thyroid disease, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

For more on safety, read Are CT Scans Safe?

Pregnancy and children

If you are or might be pregnant, inform us before your scan. We will assess whether CT is necessary or suggest an alternative such as ultrasound or MRI.
For children, we tailor scanning protocols to keep radiation dose as low as possible.

On the day of your scan

Arrive a few minutes early to complete your questionnaire.
Remove metal items and change into a gown if required.
If contrast is used, you will have a brief consultation before the injection.
Relax and follow the radiographer’s instructions during the scan.

Curious what happens during the scan? Read What to Expect During a CT Scan.

After your scan

If you had contrast, drink extra water through the day to help flush it from your body.
You can eat, drink, and resume normal activities immediately unless told otherwise.
If you notice redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site, contact us or your GP.

Quick checklist

Referral and Medicare card ready
Loose, metal-free clothing
Follow fasting instructions if contrast is used
Drink water before and after
Arrive early to allow time for paperwork

In summary

Most CT scans require little preparation. Following these simple steps helps ensure clear images and a safe, efficient experience. If you are unsure about fasting, medications, or contrast, contact our team before your appointment.

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Propranolol: An Australian Doctor’s Practical Review of a Time-Tested Medication

Disclaimer: This article is educational and does not replace individual medical advice. Propranolol is a prescription-only medicine in Australia. Always speak with your GP or specialist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

Attention: When Your Body Won’t Calm Down

As an Australian doctor, I regularly see people over 30 who feel their body is stuck in overdrive. Maybe your heart pounds before a presentation, your hands shake when you meet new clients, migraines steal your weekends, or your blood pressure keeps creeping up despite your best efforts. Perhaps you have tried breathing exercises, avoided caffeine, or even learned biofeedback techniques—but your body still reacts with a racing heart, sweating, and tremor at the worst possible moments.

If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. The good news is that there is a well-studied medicine that has been helping patients for decades: propranolol.

Interest: What Propranolol Actually Does

Propranolol is a non-selective beta-blocker. In simple terms, it blocks the effects of adrenaline on your heart and blood vessels. This helps slow a racing heart, reduce tremor, lower blood pressure, and prevent many physical symptoms of anxiety. It is also used to prevent migraines, manage essential tremor, treat angina, and reduce portal pressure in certain liver conditions.

In Australia, propranolol is available on prescription under brand names such as Deralin and Inderal. It comes in immediate-release and long-acting forms, so your doctor can match the dosing to your lifestyle and symptoms.

**Common uses of propranolol in Australian practice**
Condition	Typical starting approach	Why it helps
Performance anxiety / situational anxiety	10–40 mg, 30–60 minutes before an event	Reduces racing heart, tremor, sweating, and the physical surge of adrenaline
Migraine prevention	40–80 mg twice daily, titrated	Stabilises blood vessel responses and reduces migraine frequency
Essential tremor	10–40 mg twice daily	Reduces the amplitude of hand and voice tremor
Hypertension / angina	40 mg twice daily, titrated	Lowers cardiac workload and blood pressure
Portal hypertension in cirrhosis	20 mg twice daily, specialist-led	Reduces portal pressure and variceal bleeding risk

Although propranolol is not specifically TGA-approved for generalised anxiety, it is widely used and well accepted for situational or performance anxiety under medical supervision. From my viewpoint, the key is not that propranolol is perfect for everyone—it is that it can be precisely matched to the right patient.

Desire: What This Means for You

Here are the questions Australian patients over 30 ask me most often—and my practical answers.

Propranolol and Reflux: Does It Worsen?

Many people worry that propranolol will upset their stomach or make acid reflux worse. In my experience, propranolol is not a major cause of acid reflux. It can cause mild nausea or stomach discomfort when first started, but it does not reliably relax the lower oesophageal sphincter the way some other medicines can. If you already have gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, take propranolol with food, avoid lying down shortly after the dose, and tell your GP if heartburn worsens. For most patients, reflux symptoms remain manageable and are not a reason to avoid propranolol.

Propranolol and Biofeedback for Anxiety

Propranolol and biofeedback can work beautifully together. Propranolol reduces the physical symptoms of anxiety—racing heart, shaking, sweating—while biofeedback trains you to consciously lower your heart rate and muscle tension using breathing and monitoring. Many of my patients use propranolol as a bridge while they learn biofeedback, then reduce or stop the medication over time. For a big presentation or high-stakes meeting, propranolol can stop the adrenaline surge from derailing you, while biofeedback builds long-term confidence and control.

Propranolol and Diabetes: Effects on Blood Sugar

Because propranolol is non-selective, it can blunt some of the warning signs of low blood sugar, particularly palpitations and tremor. Sweating may still occur. It can also slow the body’s recovery from hypoglycaemia. This does not mean people with diabetes cannot use propranolol, but it does mean closer glucose monitoring is needed, especially in the first weeks or if you take insulin or sulfonylureas such as gliclazide. Always discuss this with your doctor.

Propranolol in Elderly: Risk of Falls

For Australians over 65, the main concern is postural hypotension and dizziness, which can increase fall risk. I usually start elderly patients on a low dose, such as 10 mg once or twice daily, and check lying and standing blood pressure. If there is marked bradycardia, heart block, or severe orthostatic hypotension, propranolol may not be suitable. However, when used carefully, it can improve quality of life for tremor, migraine, and arrhythmia without causing falls.

Propranolol vs Nadolol: Comparison

**Propranolol and nadolol compared**
Feature	Propranolol	Nadolol
Beta selectivity	Non-selective	Non-selective
Half-life	3–6 hours immediate-release; long-acting forms available	20–24 hours
Dosing frequency	2–3 times daily or once-daily long-acting	Once daily
Lipid solubility	High; crosses the blood-brain barrier	Low; fewer central side effects
Common uses	Performance anxiety, essential tremor, migraine, hypertension, angina, portal hypertension	Hypertension, angina, migraine, portal hypertension
Metabolism / elimination	Liver	Kidneys
Practical advantage	Fast onset for situational anxiety; central action helps tremor and migraine	Once-daily convenience; may cause fewer vivid dreams

If you need fast, short-term control before a stressful event, propranolol is often preferred. If you want a simple once-daily beta-blocker for blood pressure or migraine prevention, nadolol may suit, but propranolol remains the more versatile option for symptom relief.

Does Propranolol Interact with Other Medications?

Yes. Propranolol is metabolised mainly by liver enzymes, so several common medicines can change its levels or add to its effects. Always give your GP and pharmacist a current medication list.

**Common propranolol interactions**
Medication / class	Example	Potential effect
SSRI antidepressants	Fluoxetine, paroxetine	Increase propranolol levels; risk of slow heart rate
Calcium channel blockers	Verapamil, diltiazem	Additive bradycardia or heart block
Insulin / sulfonylureas	Insulin, gliclazide	Mask or prolong hypoglycaemia
NSAIDs	Ibuprofen, naproxen	May reduce blood pressure-lowering effect
CYP450 inducers	Rifampicin	May lower propranolol levels
CYP450 inhibitors	Cimetidine	May raise propranolol levels
Clonidine	Clonidine	Potential rebound hypertension if clonidine is stopped abruptly

Propranolol and Brugada Syndrome: Avoid

Important: Brugada syndrome is a rare inherited heart rhythm disorder. Propranolol can worsen the characteristic ECG changes and increase arrhythmia risk because, at higher doses, it has sodium-channel blocking effects. If you have Brugada syndrome, a family history of unexplained sudden cardiac death, or a suspicious ECG, propranolol should generally be avoided unless a cardiologist or electrophysiologist specifically advises otherwise.

Propranolol and Cirrhosis: Dosing Considerations

In patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension, propranolol is a cornerstone for preventing variceal bleeding. However, liver metabolism is reduced, so the same dose can produce higher blood levels. Dosing must be individualised.

Starting dose: often 20 mg twice daily, titrated under specialist guidance.
Target: resting heart rate reduced by about 25% or to 55–60 beats per minute, if tolerated.
Caution: in decompensated cirrhosis with refractory ascites, low blood pressure, or hepatorenal syndrome, beta-blockers may do more harm than good.
Never stop suddenly: abrupt discontinuation in cirrhosis can cause rebound portal hypertension and increase bleeding risk.

Action: Take the Next Step

If you are tired of living with a racing heart, shaking hands, frequent migraines, or blood pressure that keeps creeping up, propranolol may be worth a conversation with your GP. It is a low-cost, extensively studied medicine that has helped millions of people across Australia and worldwide.

Book an appointment, ask for a cardiovascular review, discuss the possible interactions and safety issues covered here, and if it is appropriate, get a prescription and collect it from your local community pharmacy. In Australia, your GP can advise whether your indication attracts a PBS subsidy. Many patients tell me they wish they had asked about propranolol years earlier.

Your next step: see your GP, ask whether propranolol is suitable for your symptoms, and take back control of your body’s stress response.

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