Small bowel follow through test

[mstirling]

Anybody ever had this test done? Small bowel follow through test. What is it like? They want to do this test on me and kinda makes me nervous having to drink barium and it takes 3hours?! Please help!!! :ywow:

 

[AmyIsHere]

I had this test done in September, and it was the easiest for me. The whole process does take awhile, because you have to drink the barium, and then it needs time to get to your small intestine. (I was mostly left alone during this time, so you could take a book or something to occupy you while you wait.) But the actual "test" itself - when they are getting the images, took very little time...maybe 10 minutes? After that, I was sent on my way. I felt a little -- unsettled -- for a day or so, while everything worked it's way out of my system, but otherwise, it was simple (for me).

 

[mstirling]

Thanks for the reply! What does the barium taste like? Awful?

 

[AmyIsHere]

It wasn't great. Or even good. But it wasn't the worst thing ever. Chalky. I really wanted it to be a vanilla milkshake, since that's what it looked like. But alas, it wasn't even close.

 

[mstirling]

Thank you! Oh my I can't wait hahaaa! But good to get it over with! I have it on Feb.3 at 7:45am

 

[DJW]

Bring a book or some music to listen to. It is a pretty easy test . Once the barium is down it's boring.

 

[FrozenGirl]

I had this. As mention Barium is chalky but not horrible and its only about a cup. They will likely ask you to walk and jump around after the barium so you get everything coated. Afterwards drink lots of water to flush it out.

 

[mstirling]

Thank you!

 

[user 80599]

I was in and out within an hour because the barium passed through me quite quickly, lol.

I second drinking LOTS of water after you get home, and you may need to attack your toilet often with a scrubbing brush.

Barium is a great testing material because it doesn't dissolve in water. This means however it will sit in your toilet unless you loosen and flush with regularity.

 

[matty]

For me it made me abit nauseated but then I think I drank it too slow, better to try get it done quickly, and the nausea passed soon after for me, also it made me cold

 

[mstirling]

Thank you for the help!

 

[FrozenGirl]

Let us know how it goes afterwards!

 

[mstirling]

Im kinda worried what they will find. I keep having instances where i vomit kind of randomly. I will let ya know what i find out.

 

[FrozenGirl]

Honestly the best advice I was ever given "what will be will be". Just try not to panic too much and know that if you have a problem not knowing is worse than know because you can do something about it

 

[ChicagoMom]

My daughter had it last year and it wasn't bad at all. She didnt have any trouble with the drink and the testing was a cinch. We mostly sat and watched movies on the iPad and read books.

 

[CrohnsFighter]

It is not one of my favorite tests by any means. Barium runs through some people.... I am not one of them. Drinking through a straw seemed to help. At one point I was asked to drink some while laying down on the table. That was the only real trouble I had, as I quickly sat up to save myself from vomiting lol. Some Miralax and McDonalds post procedure helps move the barium along for me. Good Luck!

 

[Daddysboo7]

I am piggy backing on your thread because I have a question about the small bowel follow thru.

After a colonoscopy & endoscopy, my drs nurse said Dr needed fhjs test to diagnose or rule out crohn's.

So I had it done. For me, it was a horrific experience, I breezed thru the other prep, not this one. I drank a 16 ounce bottle of something & 16 ounces of water at 5 pm, at 8 pm I took 3 ducolax w/ 16 ounces of water. No food or drink afrer 5 pm except what is mentioned.

I was awake most of the night. Bad pain & cramping & constant feeling of needing to go but rarely was there really something. At 8 am, a laxative suppository.

Test at 10:30. 1st thing was drink 24 ounces of very thick chalk like shake. I am 5'2" & weigh 115. Had 10 minutes to drink it.

Drank it & then they did 1 x-ray standing up. 15 minutes later, they did 1 x-ray w/ me laying on my belly. It was completely thru my small bowels at this point, after just 15 minutes. So they got the radiologist & he used a wand thing on my abdominal area to take a moving x-ray I think. 3 minutes later he was done & I was on my way.

I major issues with puking & constipation regardless of how much I drank. I could not work afterwards.

The ONLY reason why my dr ordered this test was to see if a pill camera could make it through my small bowels. Not to have enough information to diagnose me.

Why did your dr order the test for you? Was it also just to see if a tiny pill would go down?

 

[mstirling]

They ordered the test for me cuz i was having vomiting issues. The test came back normal.

 

[user 80599]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with it.

I didn't have to do prep at all, just stopped food the evening before and water on the morning of the test.