How to kill my taste buds? re:Barium

[sidney88]

So it's time for another upper GI, and I have to say drinking two dixie cups of Barium was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do...it was a fight every sip to keep it down.

What can I use to kill my taste buds? I remember I used to suck on Sucrets which would partially take care of it but surely there has to be a better way...

I know about bypass the tounge with a straw, hold nose etc, but i'm looking for something I can actually put on my tounge to temporarily dull the taste buds (assuming this would help). So far the leading contenders seem like: really hot hot sauce and whiskey. One guy mentioned chewing an aspirin but i'm doubtful. What have you used?


Oh and also if you guys know any brand of barium that's earlier to get down then others just let me know.

 

[D Bergy]

I know how bad that stuff is. I have no suggestions for the taste, other than greasing your tongue with butter. It is even worse going into the other end, even though you do not taste it.

Dan

 

[saidinstouch]

2 dixie cups is nothing, I've had to drink 2 bottles of the stuff before! On a more serious note though I don't have any suggestions unfortunately. Maybe chloraseptic(sp?) spray that you use to numb your throat when you get a nasty cold would work some?

 

[mommy1st]

Ask if they can mix it with chocolate or strawberry syrup. The one place where I had it done they did that for me and it really didn't taste that bad at all, but from experience I would say drink it as quick as possible, it might taste bad but at least it will be over quickly.

 

[danman]

I found that if you just chugg it down, it's not so bad.

The last one I had, the nurse left me to it, I went looking for her straight away, as I'd drank it. She was shocked that it was all gone so quickly.

 

[katiesue1506]

Dixie cups? I had 3 large "smoothies" tasted like popourri since it was "berry" flavored... but I had to drink like 40 0z or more of the crap

 

[Agent X20]

I find the really hard part is getting it through my plumbing system at home once it's worked its way through!

 

[sidney88]

OK so i found the secret everyone...figured it out when I was at the store looking at chloraseptic.

Use something with 20% Benzocaine on your tongue just before drinking. Oral-B, Ambasol (sp?), etc. It's usually used for numbing your gums or a toothache.

Makes it MUCH easier

 

[Kirby]

Before I had a my CT scan they had me drink 2 litres of barium. Didn't find it that bad though. I know, some people tolerate it better than others.

 

[sidney88]

There are two different types:

1) Straight up Barium - White, chalky, VERY heavy - You take this before a small bowl. I really doubt you drank 2 liters of this stuff

2) Lighter, easier to drink stuff (think its called contrast) you have before a CT scan.

 

[Agent X20]

I'd sooner drink it than have shoved in the other end... that really wasn't fun!

 

[Kirby]

My bad, didn't realize there were two kinds. But come to think of it I have had the "Straight up Barium" too and it wasn't that bad. What to do you mean by "heavy"? Do you mean thick? Or- Dude, that is some heavy barium, whoa. What do you mean "before a small bowl"?

 

[mommy1st]

by heavy I think they mean thick although they can thin it out, this is given before an UGI test, most people with Crohns have an UGI with small bowel follow through where they watch the barium travel through your entire small bowel.

 

[jamie2462]

I know yer supposed to mix it in that orange juice but I just got my nurses to give me the OJ separate and i shot the barium and then washed it down quickly with the OJ...My tests results were fine and my doc could see everything he needed to...

The flavoured stuff sounds like that stuff I had to have as a prep before my colonoscopy- drink this HUGE container worth of that stuff they say...and I'm sorry, but I like it better room temperature then when its cold and trying too hard to be some sort of fruity drink...call it like it is...Its supposed to clean me out...don't pretend to taste good.
Bahahaha