Should i be concerned ? Post-Small bowel follow through

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Hello!
I had my SBFT this morning šŸ˜£ Gagged my way through 20 ounces of barium ( I couldn't drink the last 4).
They told me that the barium is moving really really slow through my system and actually had me eat mid-test to try to move it along.
I am deeply concerned that if I don't take a laxative I am not going to get this barium out of my system quick enough to not cause problems.I called my doctor to see if I could take one.
I am terrified to wait 24 hours to see what will happen.
I am already experiencing abdomen pains, a feeling of pins and needles and burning in my abdomen. I am also having chills ( I write this from under 3 blankets). Is this normal? Should I be concerned?

Also on a lighter and happier note the xray tech told me that if you think about food during the test it makes the barium move a little quicker. It helped me a bit.
 
My daughter had problems with the barium going through too. It was very slow. It's not uncommon.

Her GI told us to give her extra Miralax for several days, so that the Barium did not cause too much constipation.

The first time she had a SBFT we didn't give Miralax and she was miserable for a week. With the next 2 SBFTs, we have given 2-3 capfuls per night for a couple nights, and she has been fine.

I would just check with your GI tomorrow and see if it's necessary to take a laxative. Our GI recommends it.

If the pain is severe or you have a fever, then you might want to call the on-call doctor. But I wouldn't be worried if the pain isn't bad - you have a lot of Barium sitting in your belly! My daughter always gets a stomach ache after any tests involving drinking a lot of contrast.

Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
 
Thanks everyone for your advice! I got in touch with my doctor and he told me to take a laxative and see how I feel tomorrow. I took one at around 3 and it led to a pretty miserable afternoon spent in the bathroom but my pain has decreased. I am drinking water and Gatorade.
 
Update: only had 1 BM today that looked like white clay. I don't really have any pain, I just feel off. No fever though which is good. I don't know how to describe other than I feel like I have the flu... I just don't feel good. My Mom told me if I still don't feel good tomorrow she wants to go to the ER.
Any advice?
I feel like since I don't have any serious pain they are going to treat me like I am crazy.
 
I would talk to your doctor instead of going to the ER. See what he/she says first.
My daughter had white BMs for several days. Once all the barium was out, she felt better.

The flu-like feeling could just be active Crohn's and could be unrelated to the SBFT. What medications are you on for your Crohn's?
 
I would talk to your doctor instead of going to the ER. See what he/she says first.
My daughter had white BMs for several days. Once all the barium was out, she felt better.

The flu-like feeling could just be active Crohn's and could be unrelated to the SBFT. What medications are you on for your Crohn's?

That's a good idea, I can try him first.
Only budesonide. I haven't noticed any improvement on it. Maybe it takes longer to work.. i have been on it for two weeks
 
Budesonide can take some time to work, but I'd expect you to feel at least a little better in two weeks. It is a steroid, but it's weaker than something like Prednisone.

I would give your doc a call and tell him that you're not feeling good and you haven't noticed an improvement with Budesonide. It may be that you need a higher dose of it or a different, stronger steroid like Prednisone or Medrol.

For comparison, my daughter, who is about your age, generally feels better within a week of Entocort. With her current flare, it didn't really work and she didn't feel better, and so her GI switched her to Prednisone, which worked like magic.
 
Did she get the side effects of prednisone? The weight gain, facial swelling and mood swings? I am really concerned about those.
 
Yes - all the above! But honestly, sometimes Prednisone is necessary. She was very sick - had been to the ER twice for dehydration and was having 15-20 BMs a day. We had to get it under control quickly or she was going to be hospitalized.

We do try to avoid Prednisone because of the side effects and the effect of bone density, but it's sometimes a necessary evil.

The thing to remember is that the side effects are temporary. She hates having a "puffy steroid face" but it will go away once she's tapered off Pred. She has gained a few pounds but always loses them after getting off pred. She's also been on Prednisone MANY times without gaining weight at all.

She only has mood swings at high doses - 40 mg. At lower doses, she's fine.

The other annoying side effect is insomnia - she takes it in the morning so that she can sleep better at night. It does keep her up though.

We always say we have a love-hate relationship with Prednisone - we love that it works so well, but hate the side effects.

But sometimes, it is essential to get the disease under control quickly and Pred is best for that.
 
You are right. Necessary evil to feel better. I am calling him tomorrow .
I don't have the 15-20 bms per day, I go 3-4 days without one and then when I do it always leads to severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. I have missed college lectures and tests just in the last two weeks. And I am going to the beach in a week and I am so excited, I just don't want to feel horrible the whole week.
I have been diagnosed for 17 days. I am a bit overwhelmed to say the least. My doctor is nice but super cautious to the point of everything being "wait and see". I am not sure if that is good or bad yet. He tells me after that my colonoscopy that my terminal ileum was horrible inflamed to the point he almost couldn't get the scope in, yet I have to wait 3 weeks for another appointment. I feel like maybe we should be attacking this more aggressively because I have already had cdiff once just over 2 months ago in March.
 
I'm confused - you have Crohn's, right? The CDiff was treated and is gone now?

Unfortunately things do move VERY slowly in the GI world. Prednisone is probably one of the very few medications that would make you feel better quickly. But generally a steroid will be started with a maintenance medication, because those will take at least a few months to kick in.

Unfortunately, you will just have to be patient about feeling better :(. It just takes time.

I would guess that your GI is waiting for your SBFT results to come back before choosing a maintenance medication. He will probably want to put you on an immunomodulator (like 6MP or Methotrexate) or a biologic (like Remicade or Humira) or possibly both.

Immunomodulators take slightly longer to kick. 6MP and Imuran can take 3-4 months to work. Methotrexate is slightly faster - usually 2-3 months.

Biologics can work faster. Remicade works faster than Humira - it is infused and often people will feel better within 6 weeks or so. Humira is slower and can take 3 months or so. Of course, it varies with every person - some people feel better immediately with biologics and others take months.

I would suggest doing some research on treatment options so you are familiar with all these medications, while you are waiting to see your GI.

You could also look into getting a second opinion, if you are not comfortable with your GI or even if you just want a second set of eyes to take a look at you. Getting a second opinion doesn't mean you have to switch doctors.

3 weeks is quite fast for an appt. with a GI...I know it feels like forever since you feel awful.

You could ask about Prednisone if you want to feel good on your trip - but know that you may be dealing with Pred side effects on the trip then (insomnia, mood swings, being very hungry, crankiness etc.)

Good luck!
 


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