Going in for an Upper GI anyone had this?

Yeah, so I know I have had this kind of x-ray in the past, when I was really sick. Quite a few yrs. back.
And i remember I had to drink this really gross chalky white crap!!
And I recall having to drink like 3 or 4 plastic cups of the bleepin' stuff.

My question is why do you have to drink so much of the stuff?
I chucked up most of it cause they make you drink it like super fast....within an hour or so...

I don't know why for the life of me, they don't measure it out as per your body weight.
The guy next to me was twice if not 3 times the size of me and we both had 3 cups of the crap in front of us trying hard to get it down.
How can this be justified???
I am a very small person - why do I have to drink the same amount as a man bigger than me???
And with all the technology they have now - why can't they make it taste better?

I just don't get it!
I am NOT looking forward to this exam!!! Anyone got any good advice for me?
Please wish me the best - I'm going to need it!!!


I'm such a sap!

I've had too many to count and I feel your pain. As far as drinking the same amount, I would guess its because we all have the same length of intestine, well before surgeries, that is.

But the only way I can get the stinking stuff down is to hold my nose while drinking it. If you can't smell it, you can't taste it. It really does help. You may look a bit silly, but who cares. And don't tell any one, but I stick one tic tac in my mouth after I'm done drinking to take the taste out of my mouth. Just one, because I can't take the taste.

An upper GI only takes about 10 minutes, and at the most, you have to drink about 6 oz of barium. You seem to be talking about a small bowel series, where you generally have to drink more barium, and it takes longer. Which test are you actually having? Let me know and I can explain the test to you (I'm an xray tech so I've done all of the tests as a tech and also as a patient).

Sickandlucky...sounds like you had a small bowel entercolysis, which is a horrible test that isn't done too much anymore.

For any of the tests...my advice...don't worry yourself ahead of time, it'll only make the test worse for you. The more you tell yourself that you can do it, it'll be fine. The more you tell yourself it'll be a horrible experience, it will be. You can talk yourself down so bad that you do get sick...and most people get sick not because of the barium, because it actually coats your stomach like pepto bismol and it's heavy, so it usually stays down, but because they convince themselves that barium makes them puke. I'm not saying that people never throw up barium because it makes them nauseous, but usually, as a tech, I could talk someone down from nausea.

Also...drink from a straw-you don't taste as much that way!

The reason for drinking the amount for a small bowel series is not because of your size, or the length of your small intestines. It's because some people's body pushes barium through quickly, and only 2 cups go all the way to the end of your small bowel...other people it takes putting more in your system to make it keep moving. It's not to torture you or anything, but if you drink one cup, sometimes it goes really slowly, and when the radiologist takes pics they can't look around because it's all at one point. If you drink a few cups, over time it's spread in your intestines and the radiologist can see the majority of your bowels when they come in to take pics.

I always ask for a wet washcloth and after everytime I drink a bunch down, I use the washcloth to wipe my mouth to get rid of the residual. Good luck!

I always take someone to talk to while I am drinking the barium. That way it keeps my mind off of the taste. I also ask for a straw. Luckily I am always the first one out because the barium moves through my intestines extremely quickly. I tell myself over and over.... "at least you aren't doing a barium enema."

Elizabeth