# anyone had barium swallow?



## rizello (Mar 12, 2003)

Hello:I'm scheduled for a barium swallow next week, and was wondering if anyone had experienced one. How long did the process take? What did they find out? Do they make you lie on your stomach?I just had a hysterectomy 5 weeks ago, and am not sure whether I should delay for a while or go through with it, so I wanted to check to see what the experience had been like for others.Thanks!


----------



## Stedwell (Jan 5, 2003)

Hi I had a barium swallow. i can't remember lying on my stomach but i do remember them taking a series of xrays while they pushed a ball down hard on my tummy to flatten out the intestines to get a better view. It wasn't in the least painful but then i hadn't just had a hysterectomy. it might be worth you checking. I think mine was what they called a follow through.


----------



## LaurieJ (Sep 3, 2002)

I had a barium swallow about 2 months after abdominal surgery (cut from xiphoid to pubic area). Needless to say I was tender at the time, but the procedure, even with the "ping-pong" paddle squishing your tummy wasn't that painful as I remember. The whole procedure was relatively easy. If you do the follow through, you will have to stay a little longer to let the barium make it to your intestines so they can x ray that. If you just do the swallow part, they will just x ray you while you swallow the liquid sitting up (I think) and that is it.


----------



## Engine23 (Nov 19, 2002)

I didnt have any problems with the swallow one....It was actually pretty cool they press on your tummy in different spots and roll your insides around so they can see different angles and you can watch on a TV screen....Now the one going up the out pipe is one I will never ever ever allow again and I am a big macho type!


----------



## *Luna* (Nov 19, 2001)

I had an upper GI about 10 years ago and I was a teenager so they did it at the children's hospital. My barium had flavoring in it, but it still was plenty nasty. My understanding from my dr was that the flavored barium was the only difference between kid's and adult's hospital versions.I had to swallow a bunch of crystals which fizzed up in my stomach, so it expanded. I remember having a lot of gas the rest of the day, because of that. I was on a table that moved around and they moved me around so they could see the barium coating different parts of my stomach. I don't remember pressing on my stomach, but it was some time ago. My main memory is all the gas! I encourage you to talk to your doctor about how your recent hysterectomy might affect things. It will probably be OK, but if there is any conflict it is better to know now so you can reschedule


----------



## Guest (Jul 14, 2003)

This is a week late - but - I've had lots and lots of Upper GI barium series with Small Bowel Follow Thrus. My last one, just a month or two ago. MOST of the films were taken with me lying on my stomach!I don't remember ever having to lay on my stomach for this series before. Have never had this radiologist before either. The next most frequent films were taken of me partially on my back but tilted up so I was also partially on my left side. They were concentrating on the terminal ileum/ileocecal valve area but since that is the most common area for Crohn's to occur that is to be expected.I wonder if this is the new "thing" in barium swallow procedure?


----------

