# Drinking Barium?



## MaryHill (Jun 13, 2001)

Can anyone who has been through this explain to mewhat is involved when you have an outpatient test where you drink barium and the technician evidently watches to see how you stomach digests it? I just sounds so horrible to me and I don't really want to go through with it. Thanks so much for any advice.


----------



## medietrich (Sep 27, 2000)

I had this procedure done about two months ago and it was a breeze. It's so much easier than any of the probing that takes places in the other tests. The day before I ate light and fasted after 6 p.m. The day of the procedure I had to drink two cups of barium (it was quite a bit -- I think 12-16 ounces each). It's a thick substances (not horrible tasting but not delicious either) -- mine had a strawberry flavor to it and was slightly cold. The tech told me I may want to drink it fairly quick since sipping on it takes to long and you end up not wanting to finish it -- so I imagined it was a milkshake, closed my eyes and guzzled both cups in about three minutes. I did NOT feel like throwing up afterward -- just very full. From there every 20 minutes or so they took an X-ray of it moving through my digestive system. They did that for about 2 hours (it can take longer depending on your mobility rate -- so bring some stuff to read). When I was done -- I went to the bathroom to expell the barium (did NOT have urgency or anything and I could have held it till I got home).You'll do fine. Good luck.


----------

