Advice on barium enema prep? (new) - Bowel Disorders Message Board

simplykatie · 08-06-2007, 11:00 AM

I have a barium enema (with air) schedule for 10 a.m. this Weds (8/8). Do you all have any tips about how best to prepare? Were you fine being alone or did you need someone with you?

I've been having terrible bloating for a little over a year along with some bowel changes as well as having a decreased appetite (get full quickly). I had 2 surgeries in 06-one was a simple back surgery, and the other was to remove a benign bone tumor from my foot). There is a strong family hx of cancer. I had a sigmoidoscopy a couple weeks ago that showed nothing but hemmorroids. I had a CT scan which showed some sort of abnormality near my cervix (had hysterectomy in 2001) but my ob-gyn thought it was fine. I'll also have an ultrasound on thursday.

Any tips, suggestions, or other tests I should request?

Thanks-

lodgen · 08-06-2007, 02:58 PM

i had a barium enema done, the colonoscopy is the gold standard in my
opinion for inspecting your entire bowel system 100% it can remove small polyps or any tumor related issues and can examine everything more closely,i think the barium enema is more cost effective for the medical side but less justified for the consumer side.you will have barium solution injected from your rectum to coat your bowels and then an photo is taken.be for warned that the baruim can become hard if not fully removed form body, make sure you drink a lot of water before going and a lot after ,i took moms just before
and about three hours after that barium it can cause really hard stool or become impacted also,i heard a lot of this form the nurse who helps do it.i
will never have this done again i will insist on a colonoscopy ,if you can get one i would instead the prep is the same, but results are better for you. i had
three of them and its painless.by the way the tube they insert if large and if
you have hemmroids or fissures it way to painfully you will be fully awake and
the pressure of it is not pleasant.