Barium x ray

[Jen3535]

Has anyone had one, and why, did it show anything

[Matt_H]

Oh god, not to worry you but it can be a pretty miserable test. I've had one, and it didn't end up finding anything. (Ended up getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease later on via an Endoscopy.)

If you have AOL Messenger/AIM I would not mind at all discussing it more in detail for you.

-Matt

[kaialian]

I've had one done too for ulcers. You just drink some stuff, doesn't taste awful, but it doesn't taste good either. Once you actually drink the stuff, the x-ray doesn't take very long.

[Jen3535]

(Ended up getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease later on via an Endoscopy.)

What where you symptoms to having the Barium x-ray?

Jen
x

[Matt_H]

Nausea, stomach pain, a bunch of stuff. They were just throwing tests around to rule out stuff. The Barium does taste like ass. It's really thick and chalky, hard to go down. The test for me took like 6 hours. Barium took its time moving through my upper and lower bowel, so they had me walk around the hospital to let gravity do its trick.

This is what I remember:

1. You go in, and swallow essentially pop-rocks (you know, the candy?). They make you swallow these pop-rocks so that they produce gas in your intestine. Your intestine bloats, and its easier to see on the x-ray. It can be uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. Alot of gas is produced, and they ask you not to burp it up or anything.

2. They put you on the x-ray bed and have you start drinking the barium shake. They poke you with different objects. (One's like a balloon that you lay on, and then they inflate it, causing pressure on whatever section you happen to be laying on.) They use a variety of different objects to manipulate different parts of your intestine. Couldn't tell you the exact medical reason, just giving you an idea what to expect.

3. Once their done initially messing with you, they have you go in a waiting room and drink some more of the lovely barium. You go in periodically for x-rays until it has passed completely through your system. In my case, I remember it taking hours.

The worst part is the barium shake. and maybe swallowing the pop-rocks. It's painless, except in the figurative sense, then its just a pain in the ass. The probing is also painless, they just poke your stomach with different things.

Good Luck, tell us how it goes!

[kaialian]

Goodness Matt, your experience is much different than mine!

I drank the stuff and then just sat/laid down while they took x-rays. I did feel a little sick to my stomache, but that did pass. It did take awhile for the barium to get through my system. It makes your stool a bit white looking.

I did not have to go back for any other xrays, just the one day. After the xrays were done, I went home.

[Matt_H]

Goodness Matt, your experience is much different than mine!

I drank the stuff and then just sat/laid down while they took x-rays. I did feel a little sick to my stomache, but that did pass. It did take awhile for the barium to get through my system. It makes your stool a bit white looking.

I did not have to go back for any other xrays, just the one day. After the xrays were done, I went home.

Oops. Sorry to scare the original poster! I wish mine went that smooth, and I hope the OP's experience is better.