Had a barium swallow omg that was horrible

If you didn't hurl you did great!

Oh yes, if you didnt hurl...you are good. They are nasty!

I have my pre op on Wednesday and have to do an upper Gi with the barium. How much of it do u have to drink?

I don't no but they had me keep drinking and lm about to puke.

For Upper GI before surgery they use barium. It's thick and chalky. Basically tolerable. If you do it as they tell you to they won't make you drink the whole thing. It's really not that bad.

When they do upper GI after surgery they do not use Barium. #1 it could harm the stomach and it is too thick and it could harden and and cause constipation. They use something called gastrique.

This stuff makes Barium taste like skittles and yummy goodness IMO.

It's more of a clear liquid and the taste is so horrendously vile and the girl that had surgery before me barfed it up. I got through it and my entire face, neck and chest turned a bright red and got blotchy. I was nauseated the rest of the day. To me, that is probably the worst thing I dealt with the entire time I was in the hospital and I even had a drain that became infected lol.

It's so interesting how different everyone's tolerance of different elements of this surgery are. I myself didn't find the "gastrique" that bad. Sure, it wasn't my favourite liquid. If i never have it again, it will be too soon.

But it did not make me naseous or vomit. And I was so interested in seeing it "travel" through my esophageous, stomach and intestines that I watched it and was totally distracted by that, rather than the taste in my mouth.

I am 5 weeks post-op and I have had the VERY good fortune of NEVER vomiting yet (hopefully I haven't jinxed myself now!).

In any case, it's just another part of the journey that we have to go through. And at least with this one, you get instant feedback. Most of the time (hopefully it's close to 100% of the time for all patients) we find out everything is "hunky dory" and no leaks!

That's what I am going to school for, in a ugi you'll have a cup of fizzies which is like pop rocks, a thick barium which is the worst part buy I don't think it taste too bad, then a thin barium which taste better, and each Dr is different some only need to see a little go through some want to see it all. Good luck to you!

Thanks!!!