MRE- do I need to drink gross stuff?

[BoFin1]

I am having my first MRE soon for Crohns disease. Do I have to drink gross stuff
before the test? I really hope not. I hate drinking gross tasting stuff.

Linda

DX Crohns 2000

 

[JMC]

Do you mean a MRI scan? If so, you may have to drink a small quantity of liquid (sweet lemon flavoured when I had it recently), but it is not a large quantity and nowhere near as bad as a barium meal.

 

[Keona]

yep- you do... but it isn't that bad. You will likely have to drink 4 large glasses of orange flavoured metamucil. This is to expand your intestines to get a good image. Ask them to make it really very cold and for a lid on the cup. The lid helps with the smell (which isnt that bad) and ask for a straw (so it can bypass your taste buds.) It isnt that bad really - have had 4. They will give you an IV and buscopan to slow down your bowels. The test itself is really very safe as it is a large magnet vs. radiation.. They will inject dye into your IV and it will make you feel like you just peed everywhere (really warm sensation goes throughout your body).

Drink the stuff as fast as you can because the longer you take, the thicker it becomes and the harder it is to swallow. I learned by the third one to have someone time me on each cup...trying to beat my last time.

If you are claustrophobic, they will offer you a sedative (ask BEFORE the day of the test as your GI has to order it) - I am a little claustrophobic and managed to get through all 4 without. Just do a lot of self talk. I found the hardest part was the amount of time they asked for me to hold my breath and the sheer amount of metamucil they wanted me to drink.

Good luck. I didnt find the test to be that difficult.

 

[lmk1226]

When I had an MRE I had to drink some contrast. I think it was barium but clear and grape flavored not the white chalky stuff. It wasn't that bad especially compared to colonoscopy prep. They also did IV contrast and an injection of something to restrict bowel movement. The worst part I remember was having to hold my breath, but the whole test wasn't too bad.

 

[deedee]

I had to drink the clear-ish "grape flavored" (yeah right) Barium stuff before my MRE. I actually thought it tasted pretty bad, and it kind of felt like it was expanding in my stomach or something, I had a hard time getting it down. Not trying to scare you, just letting you know it might not be super easy! I thought it was gonna be fine and was NOT prepared for how much of that stuff I would have to drink. They also gave me IV contrast. The worst part, thought, was having to lie in the MRI for what felt like FOREVER because I had to pee soooo bad from drinking all that stuff. I ended up having to get up in the middle because I was about to pee my pants. It was embarrassing, lol. oh well, such is life with Crohn's! Good luck.

 

[HeatherMN]

Same as the last two posters, drank a bunch of contrast but it was not the chalky thick white crap. It was some sort of flavor but I don't recall what. Ask for a straw, it goes down easier. They should have it cold, places that do these regularly have that figured out, at least.
It gave me really bad D though, like they had to come get me from the bathroom to get started on the study...
Good luck!

 

[My Butt Hurts]

Mine tasted just like Crystal Light lemonade. It wasn't bad at all, except that I don't like diet drinks so much.

 

[ThanksP]

It's not nearly as bad as some "drinks". I too had to pee REALLY bad but thankfully the tech could see my bladder explanding (thats exploding + expanding) and stopped so I could pee. I also had the contrast and something to stop my bowels before I left. That gave me just enough time to get home and then blow up the bathroom. Whatever it is that you have to drink goes through the GI tract quite quickly...fair warning. But when all was said and done, the MRE was one of the easier tests in my opinion.

 

[soretum]

oh yes the lovely contrast, kind of a thickish bubblegummy/grapey flavour, I had to drink about a litre and a half of it and then another 500mls or so of water....the taste wasn't the greatest but not that bad, the volume of it was probably the hardest...they then give you IV buscopan which slows the gut so they can get a better look and IV contrast as well ....and it definitly has a laxative effect! Thankfully it didn't hit me till I got home thoughoo: