Small Bowel Series/Barium Questions

[CrohnsChicago]

I had my first small bowel follow through today. The barium itself was not nearly as bad as I have read from folks on here. It was apple flavored and very light/watery.

I did have a few questions about the test, I have yet to hear from my GI.

I was expecting to be there for at least a few hours, but it only took 1 hour for the barium to move through me. Immediately after the drink the stuff was documented as moving along fast. Also I was warned of/read about constipation from barium...the thing is after the 1st hour I was ready to go to the bathroom and have been "peeing [barium] from the other end" since along with experiencing mild cramping and moderate to heavy gassiness. I highly doubt constipation will be the situation here...is this normal or something of a warning sign?

I'm assuming my small intestine is fine though because I felt no discomfort until just before the last x-ray in the usual area (terminal ileum, ascending/descending colon). that's when the tech told me it had completely moved through my system.

There was one other thing I noticed after the x-rays and that was my right pelvic/hip bone now has this sharp pain that comes and goes, it stops me in my tracks if I am walking. That was not a problem before this test...not sure what to think about that. It has happened suddenly 4 times since I left the hospital.

***I got copies of my x-rays for myself and tried briefly to play "doctor" by comparing my x-rays to ones online to pass the time. My doc seriously needs to call me already...hahaha!

 

[D Bergy]

I would be a little concerned about that right hip pain. It may be from a partial obstruction somewhere in the ileum area. Pain is not always felt at the point of origin. I would bring it up to the doctor so he will take a real good look at the images.

I had one of these tests, when I had a stricture. I do not know if the test is flawed or the interpretation of it was flawed, but it never revealed the stricture.

Let us know how this turns out.

Dan

 

[D Bergy]

The Barium enema with an X-Ray is the bad one. I would rather be waterboarded than do that one again.

Dan

 

[CrohnsChicago]

never had that...the colonoscopy earlier this year very clearly showed my terminal ileum and colon aer COVERED with granuloma pockets and some ulcers. We were just trying to rule out any crohn's activity in my small intestines.

 

[kh216]

I don't see the point of going through barium enemas. Doctors can see the colon much better through colonscopies and they can also detect and remove polyps that way. Doctors can also take biopsies and test them to determine if people have either Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

 

[D Bergy]

You are right about the scope being much easier, but they cannot get to all of the intestinal tract with a scope. My stricture was not in an area they could get to with a scope. A CT with contrast did finally show it.

Dan