Quick note for anyone having small bowel MRI

[THEMANWHO]

Hi all

Just wanting to share my experience in case anyone is planning on having a small bowel MRI like me.

I had one scheduled for Monday and all that my letter from the NHS hospital told me was that I should fast for 6 hours beforehand. Upon arrival I had to drink a liquid of some type that is meant to sit in the small bowel and make the scans come up a lot clearer. However, just a note - this passes through your back passage and gave me horrible diarrhea - similar to colon prep (not quite as bad but not far off).

Unfortunately as I was not aware of this until the day, I had an important away day sales meeting the next day. I had bad diarrhea for the rest of Monday but then after breakfast was OK on Tuesday I thougth I would be OK. But I started having completely liquid diarrhea again after lunch on Tuesday, and I'm still not 100% right on Wednesday (2 days after).

So just letting everyone know to be prepared to book a couple of days off work at least!

 

[GlasgowGirl86]

I'm waiting on an appointment for a small bowel MRI so thank you for the heads up!

Kerry

 

[24601]

I've always been told by the nurses (though only after the scan!) that the contrast might give me diarrhea but I've never experienced that. It actually tends to constipate me! Just another way in which us Crohnies can all respond differently!

Hope it all resolves quickly for you THEMANWHO

 

[lgpcarter]

For the 3 MRIs I have had, I was injected with contrast, didn't have to drink it. It didn't bother me at all. For CT scans have had to drink the contrast, but no ill effects from that either.

Definitely a good warning, though!

 

[DustyKat]

I think THEMANWHO is referring to an MRE. Some of the oral contrasts they use for this particular type of MRI can cause awful diarrhoea for some folk.

Our local radiology place has now moved to using milk as the fluid used to expand the small bowel and reduce absorption time.

 

[InstantCoffee]

I've decided to refuse barium tests because I react badly to them, my bowel motility slows down immensely, it causes me a lot of distress, and that seems like recipe for false positives if I'm force feeding myself trigger foods before a test.

 

[THEMANWHO]

Hi all

Sorry for the confusion (I'm new to this as you may have guessed and as yet undiagnosed - though I suspect Crohns will be the outcome). As DustyKat said it was a small bowel MRE, in which I had a slightly sickly tasting drink that was passed out the back way!

Good luck to all who are having it.

 

[DEmberton]

A CT Scan is what I had, and had the horrible liquid to try to drink. They warned me not to leave straight away as the diaorrhea would come, but after about half an hour I felt fine so walked home. I think I had a little bit later on, but nothing significant.

BTW thinking you can walk home after not eating since the day before on top of being generally ill is a big mistake.:ywow: I did enjoy the four bacon sarnies I had when I got home though.