Small Bowel XRay question!! - Digestive Disorders Message Board

murray71203 · 09-19-2004, 04:47 PM

Ok so now my doc. wants to do an xray of my small intestine. How is this done? Will I swallow the barium stuff or will they stick a tube down my throat and inject it way down in my tummy? I'm nervous. Please help!!!

PatNJ · 09-19-2004, 06:09 PM

Hi,

I'm 99% sure that an x-ray of the small intestine is taken as part of an upper GI series, which involves swallowing the barium solution. I was dreading having to drink the stuff when I had my one and only, but it wasn't bad at all.

There's really no reason to be nervous about it!

Good luck!

Best,
Pat

LynneJW · 09-20-2004, 12:05 PM

Hi Murray,
I worried myself sick over having to have a small bowel xray, but it was really very easy. If you are only having the small bowel xray, they will give you a large quantity of strawberry (usually) flavoured barium to drink, then they will xray you every so often unitl the barium reaches the beginning of the large intestine. The test can take a long time if your intestinal transit time is slow. Mine only took about 20 minutes or so, but I've heard it can last a few hours. My doc had me take a laxative pill the night before, so that my small bowel would be empty and the test would be faster. If you are having the test in combination with an "Upper GI xray", which mine was, you will first have to drink a much thicker version of barium, have the pictures taken, then drink the thinner stuff for you small intestine. The thinner stuff is A LOT better than the thick stuff. Good luck, it's really not as bad as you are thinking.
Lynne

suzyshop1 · 12-02-2004, 07:35 PM

If your getting a small bowel xray be prepared to drink quite a bit of barium.I had an upper gi and small bowel series done,i had a really difficult time drinking all that barium.I have acid reflux and not being able to eat or drink anything sure didnt help any when i had to drink that stuff down.They gave me a certain amount of time to drink down 2 jugs of the stuff.I tried to drink it down quik but couldnt keep it down.So what i did was take small gulps standing up over a bathroom sink.Only way i got it down.My barium wasnt flavored.Hope you do better.Dont mean to scare you but im one of those kind of ppl who want the unvarnished truth about what tests are like .Good luck

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