# Small bowel follow through exam



## 19710 (Dec 7, 2005)

Curious about people who've had this procedure.I've had pretty well every other GI test that they've deemed applicable and nothing remarkable showed up.They didn't want to do this test, but decided to just to cover all the bases. I'm curious as to why they wouldn't have done this test earlier, considering all the pain, spasming,burning and nausea I've been experiencing for the past 3 years.They've done the barium swallow, but not with the Small bowel follow through.Has anyone ever had this test and what showed up on it? How useful is it at finding problems in the small intestine?Thanks in advanceKevin


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well they may have figured the symptoms should be stomach rather than small intestinal. What you talked about could be stomach alone. It allows them to see the anatomy of the small intestine. Not sure if you would have those symptoms from small intestine rather than something just up with the stomach (with the burning did they ever do a endoscope down into the stomach, not sure if that would see gastritis better than just a barium swallow).Usually small intestinal problems tend to blood in the stool, anemia or other issues with nutritional status, problems maintaining weight, more like that than symptoms of Gastritis or Functional Dyspepsia that most of what you described could be explained by. You never know until the test is done, but like I said the symptom set sounds more stomach related than small intestine related. Sometimes when they can't figure anything else out they will do extra tests in the maybe if we throw enough spaghetti on the wall something will stick philosophy.K.


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## 19710 (Dec 7, 2005)

Kathleen,They did do an upper endoscopy, and it showed nothing from normal in the stomach and duodenum.I haven't had problems with blood in the stool, tarry stools, or anything of that nature. I didn't have problems with weight loss either. However, I had a fundoplication surgery a few months ago and lost about 25 lbs after the procedure. Even though I'm eating more now, I still have not really gained any of this back. Maybe a pound or two at the most. I'm not sure why I'm not gaining more weight back now, as I haven't weighed this little since I was a teenager.At times the burning and spasming seems to be in my stomach, but much of it is definately lower down than that. I can actually hear and feel it spasming and churning around my navel or lower and feel very ill at these times. The worse I feel, the more the acrid taste/smell in my mouth as well - it gives me the feeling that when things aren't moving properly that stuff is backing up into my stomach - but of course I really don't know exactly what is going on...Kevin


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## 22128 (Jul 28, 2005)

I had one done a couple months ago and let me warn you, if you have problems with D make sure your close to a bathroom about 1 hour after you drink that baruim stuff.


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

Many years ago I had an upper gi series (barium swallow) w/small bowel follow through. I think the "follow through" is just watching the barium on xray as it goes further down than w/a conventional upper gi barium swallow.I'm not positive but I think this test has been largely replaced by the upper endoscopy.The barium didnt give me D but it did cause lots and lots of gas.


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## 19710 (Dec 7, 2005)

The test was two days ago and ever since then I've had some pretty bad stomach cramps. The barium started coming through last night.You have to drink lots of water for a few days after to move it through or it sits like cement in your intestines and stomach.The test took me about an hour and fifteen. I know some others getting the test done at the same time were done in less than half an hour.Kevin


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## kitkat17 Lady of the Loo (Jul 21, 2005)

I had this test 2 years ago. I thougth no big deal, I was so sick for about 2 days. I had to take off work cause of the stomach ache and the D. Nasty stuff. Feel better soonKat


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## 13364 (Dec 8, 2005)

I had a barium follow through at the very beginning of the investigations. It wasn't unpleasant, apart from the nasty taste of the artificial flavourings (strawberry, as I recall) used to make the barium apparently more palatable. No problems afterwards, either, with the residual effects of the barium.Small bowel transit time was, however, two and a half hours, which my drs attempted to pass off as "normal". However, my medical text book (Kumar & Clark) says 1 hr is normal. I have argued with my dr over this point- what, then is considered "abnormal" ? (My point to the dr was that if 2.5 hrs was also normal, the textbook would say normal = 1 - 2.5 hrs, and not just 1 hr.)


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## 19710 (Dec 7, 2005)

Mekis,In a lot of cases, it seems like almost everything they find is "normal" or within the "normal range". I don't know if they really are all the time, or if sometimes things are just being dismissed. Kevin


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