MRE - freaking out about prep!!!

[Blackeyes24]

Ok a little background info (probably more than you need): I've had crohn's since 2008 but it has been mostly in remission since around 2010. Last November I started having stomach pain (bad). It didnt feel at all like my Crohn's disease. I didnt have health insurance at the time so I told my doctor to pick one test and I would pay for it. Had a CT done, which showed nothing. We opted to do a round of antibiotics just to see if it would help (thinking maybe H.Pylori or something). Antibiotics did help and we did a second round just to be sure. January I get health insurance and we do my colonoscopy/endoscopy and everything comes back normal. Crohn's is in complete remission still.

Fast forward to June and I start noticing some minor stomach pains again. Wrote them down to track them but wasnt frequent enough to bother doctor. July they become more frequent and I make an appt but they cant get me in till end of the month (my doc is on vacation). This Monday pain gets really bad, fit me in with another doctor at the practice who say he wants to do an MR Enterography. I agree, not realizing it requires oral contrast. I have an obscenely hard time with liquid medication of any kind. Always have. My mother says I even threw up as a baby when she tried to give me meds. I started on pills around 3.

MR Enterography tech informs me today it is 3 bottles of contrast. When I had my CT last November I made it through one and a quarter bottles before the tech took it away because she couldn't stand to watch me anymore as I gagged, choked and cried trying to get the stuff down. I call my doctor's office freaking out because I knew I cant get through 3 bottles. Doctor says its really the best test and I need to try.

I go online and discover there is another test: MR Enteroclysis where they administer the contrast through an NJ Tube in the nose. This sounds great, I relax, I call my doctor thinking everything is going to be ok. Nurse calls me back and informs me no one does the MR Enteroclysis test. Back to crying again.

I'm freaking out and my test isn't even until Tuesday. I know I'm being a baby and its probably all in my head but when I say I would be happier having them shove a tube through my nose down my throat and into my small bowel to administer the contrast, it gives you an idea of how hard liquid medication is for me to take. I'm honestly just considering skipping the test and living with the pain. It hasn't killed me so far.

Does anyone have any advice? Does anyone live in South Florida and know of a location that does MR Enteroclysis? I don't know what to do. :sign0085:

 

[Clash]

My son did his last MRE using an NG(nasogastric) tube. He has drank the contrast in the past but this time opted for the tube. Monday he is having a SBFT and is once again using an NG tube to take in the barium shakes.

 

[Patricia56]

Yeah, I'd ask to take the contrast via NG tube. Be insistent.

 

[Essieluv]

I agree. If you are that concerned about drinking the prep, I would insist on having it administered via NG. If you get your scan done in a hospital setting, there will be someone who can place the tube. But it warrants another call to the doc/ and or the clinic the scan will be at. Just give them a heads-up that you are unable to drink liquid contrast and that you need it administered via NG. Other than that, the scan itself should be the same as a normal MRE.

 

[Blackeyes24]

Thanks everyone. I'm definitely asking for the NG tube. I'm annoyed because I said to the tech jokingly "cant you just knock me out and put a tube down my throat?" His only response was "no we need you awake." He never bothered to say "we can put a tube down your throat while you are awake though." Thankfully my test isn't until Tuesday so I can call and discuss this ahead of time.

 

[Gram214]

Ok..now this is how it goes...you do the very best you can if you wind up having to drink the contrast. If you can't finish it they will do the test with what they have . Don't be scared. I couldn't finish either I was so sick when they did it. I just simply stated ..that's IT !!

 

[Blackeyes24]

Just called and asked about the NG Tube. The guy said he didn't know if it was possiblee since they are an outpatient center. The hospital is right next door though so he is going to look into it and get back to me. Fingerscrossed!.

 

[Blackeyes24]

OK the hospital says they will do it if my doctor sends an order. Waiting for a call back now. Now that I've gone and asked for this how much does it hurt getting the tube put in? I have to assume even if it is extremely painful, that its a momentary pain versus an hour of me trying to choke down the contrast while crying my eyes out. You'd swear I was a child rather than a grown woman of 33.

Anyone here who has had the ng tube inserted who can offer advice?

 

[Clash]

With my son they taught him to swallow as the tube goes down using water but since your having and MRE they may just have you swallow without.

My son puts his tube in every night for enteral nutrition and takes it out each morning. He does this himself, he's 17, and it takes less than a minute. It was uncomfortable the first time when the nurse put one in but nothing he got upset over.

 

[Blackeyes24]

That makes me feel much better. A lot of what was described online was that it was incredibly pain. But just keep thinking that it can't be worse than drinking the contrast. Even of the contrast didn't taste awful I'm not a huge liquids person. I can't imagine getting 48 oz of liquid down in the timeframe they are stating.

 

[Patricia56]

It's unpleasant and if you have a strong gag reflex may require more than one attempt. It's not usually painful exactly.

Ask them to use a smaller tube if they have one - one meant for a child if possible. They may have to go a little slower but it will be much less uncomfortable to insert.

 

[Blackeyes24]

Thanks everyone. Test got moved to tomorrow in order to accommodate my request for the NG tube but everything is set and the insurance approved everything. Hopefully they are actually able to diagnose what is causing my pain this time. Not that I need another diagnosis at this point but if the crohn's is in remission I want to know why I hurt so much.

One last question to anyone who has had the test. The woman who originally scheduled me told me no solid foods for 12 hours before. I assume that means I could have a cup of tea with a little milk and sugar in it tomorrow morning but I forgot to ask? Does anyone know if its truly "no solid foods" or is it supposed to be "clear liquids". I know they told me to drink 16 oz of pineapple juice 4 hours before. Since that's not exactly clear I figure the tea is probably ok.

 

[alyssa519]

You sound eerily similar to me and I am also going in for an MRE tomorrow! Same thing---scopes showed I am still in remission, but I haven been having pain and nausea for about 2 months. The EGD showed I have polyps in my esophagus and inflammation in my stomach....so we're trying to figure things out. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow as we both get this test done! It's my first time as well.

I was told no food 4 hours before but clear liquids are ok. I'm going to stop eating about 6 hours before but I'm going to drink a lot of water, as I know they will be placing an IV and I've had previous difficulty with getting one placed when I am dehydrated. Why did they tell you to drink pineapple juice?!

Hope things go well for you tomorrow!!!!

 

[Blackeyes24]

Wow no food for 4 hours, I was told 12! The explanation for the pineapple juice that I was given, is that it helps the contrast adhere where it needs to. I have no idea but i like pineapple juice so ill drink it (though usually its mixed with rum, lol). My biggest concern is I've had a sore throat for a week now, which ought to make getting the NG tube fun. Still way better than drinking contrast though.

I haven't had nausea but lots of pain particularly after the mid day meal. No idea why that meal in particular. Doesn't seem to matter what I eat.

Good Luck tomorrow! My test is at 2pm but I gotta be there at 12pm.

 

[Essieluv]

Tea counts as a clear liquid, but milk is not. So if you do go with the tea, it would be best to forgo the milk. Good luck and happy testing!

 

[Blackeyes24]

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone. I got through the test with no problem. I'm not going to lie and say the NG tube didnt hurt because it did. Still it was so much better than me trying and failing to drink 1350ml of contrast. They had a little trouble getting the tube in. I think it was too big honestly (she said something about it being a 16 and being the only size she had). But once it was in they administered the contrast in about 20 minutes. It would have taken me the whole 1.5 hours and I still wouldnt have finished. The nurses thought I was crazy when i first came in but when they saw how quickly it went down I think I had at least one of them thinking it wasnt such a bad idea.

The guy who did the scans kept asking if I had a previous abdominal surgery. Apparently they saw something on my right side that looked like a "metal artifact." No abdominal surgeries ever so not quite sure what that is. Seeing the doctor tomorrow. Not sure if he wil have my results since I'm going in first thing in the morning. I just hope they can figure things out.

 

[Gram214]

Oh dear..I'm so glad that's over for you now. I didn't want to scare you about the NG tube being inserted ..but I hated that worse than anything. Maybe not everybody's nasal structure is the same but OMG ! I had to keep mine in for about a week because it was placed because of an illieus . It honestly felt like there was a garden hose in my nose and throat. Anyhow...hope they can find your problem and God bless you..feel better !

 

[Blackeyes24]

Omg I don't think I could handle it for a week. I was so happy to get it out and mine was only in for about 30 minutes. Saw the doctor today. MRE showed NOTHING! Back to square one. Going to check my gall bladder next week and an endoscopy scheduled for the 19th. Meanwhile my stomach hurts like hell andI have a final exam in about an hour.

 

[Clash]

I really think it depends on the size of the ng tube. The one my son inserts every night and removes each morning is 6fr, so the size of a spaghetti noodle.