Barium issues

[Bandedbut 25]

When I had the barium xray before my surgery, it made me so full and nauseated, I couldn't eat or barely drink for 4 days! Easy way to start the liquid diet I guess. I know my Dr. does fills with fluoro, so am I going to have to drink that stuff again? Forget the iritaion of the fill, I'm worried about the barium!

Michelle

Banded April 19, 2007

[anonemouse 1]

I'd rather have a pelvic exam with a cold speculum than upper GI things with barium. When I had mine, it was all I could do not to puke on them. I kept trying to keep the fizzy stuff down, but every time I'd try to swallow the barium, I'd gag, which them made me burp. The doctor wasn't too happy with me because I couldn't take gulps of the barium (it was all I could do to sip!) and I kept burping, but I didn't care. I was just happy that I didn't throw up all over their nice machine.

[Bandedbut 25]

Ohhh, I forgot about that fizzy stuff! I almost hurled that all over!

[fabfatgrl 10]

You'll have to drink only a few sips, not a whole lot. Be sure to drink lots of Water after, as barium can make you constipated.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

When I had the barium xray before my surgery, it made me so full and nauseated, I couldn't eat or barely drink for 4 days! Easy way to start the liquid diet I guess. I know my Dr. does fills with fluoro, so am I going to have to drink that stuff again? Forget the iritaion of the fill, I'm worried about the barium! :girl_hug:

Michelle

Banded April 19, 2007

Gahhhhh... I am SO over barium! I had a bunch of tests a few weeks ago and 4 different barium swallows in three hours. You know those styrofoam coffee cups? All total I had to drink three full cups.

Ever get that feeling like you forget how to swallow? Your throat just won't cooperate with what your brain says? I'd have that crap in my mouth and try to swallow, I'd try forcing a swallow, it would just sit in the back of my mouth until I was afraid I would start gagging.

Finally my doc laughed and said it appeared I had enough.

Sometimes docs aren't real quick.... I had enough two full cups ago!

[anonemouse 1]

Ever get that feeling like you forget how to swallow? Your throat just won't cooperate with what your brain says? I'd have that crap in my mouth and try to swallow, I'd try forcing a swallow, it would just sit in the back of my mouth until I was afraid I would start gagging.

That's how I felt when I had to get an upper GI done. The doctor and tech kept telling me to just gulp it, but I was having trouble getting the little sips I was taking down. I was having to fight my gag reflex with every sip. I know without a doubt that if I had tried to gulp, it would have ALL come up. I was nearly crying by the end of it.

[faithmd 14]

And for whatever reason the techs seem to think that because its now flavored and they have it refrigerated, that it will taste like a milkshake.

BS!

It's soooo disgusting, and I think I hate the lemon flavoring more than when it was plain!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

And for whatever reason the techs seem to think that because its now flavored and they have it refrigerated, that it will taste like a milkshake.

BS!

It's soooo disgusting, and I think I hate the lemon flavoring more than when it was plain!

With my doc's office Sergio the RN is in with my doc while he's doing the test. Sergio tried telling me he flavored it especially for me, as though it would be good. HA! I explained to him that if it didn't taste as good as he was making it sound, he'd be wearing it.

He came clean, it's absolutely horrible. Sometimes it just takes a teeny tiny little threat and the BS comes to an end. HA!

[losingjusme 12]

You'll have to drink only a few sips, not a whole lot. Be sure to drink lots of Water after, as barium can make you constipated.

i have the exact opposite effect. i had a fill yesterday and have had 'issues' since then ... ick.

[silry 0]

weird! i wonder if there are different kinds of barium... the stuff i had to drink had almost no taste or texture. it was just like thick, pink Water. it wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unpleasant either. :phanvan

[anonemouse 1]

weird! i wonder if there are different kinds of barium... the stuff i had to drink had almost no taste or texture. it was just like thick, pink Water. it wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unpleasant either.

Some people can taste barium and some people can't. It's just a genetic trait. Unfortunately, I seem to be one who can. I would guess that you just can't taste it.

[Hazelbunny 0]

When I had the barium xray before my surgery, it made me so full and nauseated, I couldn't eat or barely drink for 4 days! Easy way to start the liquid diet I guess. I know my Dr. does fills with fluoro, so am I going to have to drink that stuff again? Forget the iritaion of the fill, I'm worried about the barium! :fish:

Michelle

Banded April 19, 2007

I have had several upper GI with the small bowel follow through and I have to take Phenergan beforehand. I am a puker and the texture of that stuff makes me spray vomit like a garden hose.

I was really worried about my first fill but thankfully the barium is really thinned down and a VERY small amount (for me at least) so I didn't have a problem.

Good luck!

[hotpink_bubbles 0]

Im not sure what exactly you all are talking about, or why you had to have Barium for a Fluoro for your Fill. I never had to have any kind of barium for my fluoro. I just layed on a table, and he took pictures, filled me i drank Water that was it. I did have to do a barium swallow the day after my surgery before i was able to go home. The stuff didnt taste too bad at all, and I only had to take 4 little sips of it. I also had to drink some barium stuff for my CT scan i had....Wasnt too bad either and i had to drink a foam glass full of it. Im no sure what kind of barium you all have....maybe you should import it from michigan huh? Doesnt taste too bad here. Good luck to you all.

~Hotpink~

[fabfatgrl 10]

Im not sure what exactly you all are talking about, or why you had to have Barium for a Fluoro for your Fill...

The radiologist can watch the barium go down your esophagus and into your pouch... and then see how slowly it empties out. Let's them see exactly what the fill is like. I don't believe they can see the Water on x-ray. They'll often have you drink Water after, just to make sure you can get it down... but it's not used for calibrating the fill under fluoro. It is used if you get a fill without fluoro, though.

[Daisalana 33]

I thought my experience with barium was odd too. From all the things I read before hand, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to drink it. The day after surgery they took me to the x-ray machine, the guy was getting my 'drink' ready.. said it's going to smell like Mt. Dew (and I was like OOOO lol) and he goes 'but it won't taste like it! It's very tart', and then he walked off for a minute, comes back and goes 'Oh, you have to drink the other stuff'.. and it was a thick chalky white looking stuff-I assume that was the barium. (Guy was talking to me like I was a baby 'This is going to help us look at your insides!' and not telling me what the stuff was.)I stood up in the x-ray machine and took a deep breath and he said 'gulp it', so I was able to gulp about half of the cup- which wasn't a big cup(they wouldn't let me have ANYTHING to drink, and only 2 tiny ice chips since surgery which was about 24 hours before this.. so I was just thankful to get something wet in my mouth)..and no problems. They said 'you can stop drinking' LOL. So I did.. but it wasn't bad at all.. didn't phase me.. well, made me more thirsty and they finally gave me a popsicle. Then the doctor came in and showed me the x-ray pictures, saw the band faintly and saw the barium on top and then 'splashing' into the bottom part of my stomach. Was neat looking.

So, it didn't have a taste and wasn't horrible to drink for me.