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Diarrhea from Barium during Small Bowel Series--is this normal????

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 4/18/2011 2:40 AM (GMT 0)
As I said in a previous thread, I'm undergoing testing for Crohn's. I had a small bowel series Friday, and the doctor said I'd probably experience constipation afterward and to drink plenty of fluids. However, I've been having bad diarrhea and abdominal pain since the procedure. It started about 20 min. after the small bowel series was over. Is this normal? What does it mean (if anything) if I have diarrhea and not constipation?

The radiologist did find what he said looked like inflammation in the last part of my small intestine. Also, that area looked markedly different on the screen, and the barium didn't flow through it properly. The radiologist said he couldn't make any firm pronouncement until after he studied the pics in greater detail.

Posted 4/18/2011 6:51 AM (GMT 0)
There have been more than a few here who have said the barium went straight thru them. Most of us tend the other way as your doctor said but one never knows w/this disease.
Posted 4/18/2011 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Any type of contrast, for SB series or CT, and I will be running to the bathroom for days and in agony. The stuff is really rough on our systems and for some people it can set up like cement but for others it aggravates and causes the body to want to expel it. I usually bring an old towel to put on my car seat for the ride home, just in case.

I hope you feel better soon.
Posted 4/18/2011 1:33 PM (GMT 0)
Oh yeah I get it too. I usually have it even before I have finished drinking the dang barium. Be sure to drink lots of water afterwards to flush that gunk out of you. Hugs!
Posted 4/18/2011 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
It happened to me this last time. It's listed as a possible side effect on the procedure papers too. First time around I got C instead.
Posted 4/18/2011 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
Same thing happened to me when I had this. Immediately after they finished I had to the bathroom, and it wasn't all out of me for days. Horrible experience, worse than the colonscopy prep was, to me anyways.
Posted 4/18/2011 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for your input. Glad to hear I'm not alone. I definitely think the small bowel series is much more painful than the doctors let on. I was really surprised about that. josh2415, I also found it worse than the colonoscopy. NEVER expected that to happen!

Luckily, the diarrhea is slowing now, and the barium seems to be gone from my system. Thank goodness.
Posted 4/18/2011 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
My reaction to the test was the same. It was one of the clues for me I was allergic to carageenan cutting it out has improved my life immensely. Might want to google it a bit. :)
Posted 5/6/2012 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
 

 I had the Small Bowel series yesterday. I had to drink 3 glasses of the Barium as it just would not move through my system. lots of walks, lying on my side, etc. The whole thing took 4 hours. I started with abdominal pain and lots of diarrhea shortly after I got home. I still feel pretty lousy today and have a nasty stomach ache tonight. Hopefully I will feel better by the time I have to go to work on Monday.

Posted 5/6/2012 12:59 AM (GMT 0)
I remember when I used to go to the ER with extreme tummy pain(for one reason or another) & since I'm always constipated(scar tissue/a lot of inflammation), I get excited to drink the barium because it goes straight through me! (=
Posted 5/10/2012 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
The last time I had that test I started running to the bathroom after drinking the first glass. I had been 8 times before they even did the test on me. It was miserable.
Posted 5/12/2012 9:53 PM (GMT 0)
I don't get much pain afterwards, but I definitely spew out quarts of cloudy white stuff for the next 24 hours. Kind of bizarre and entertaining, for those of us who spend half our lives on the toilet anyway. :)
Posted 5/30/2012 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
they told me I would be constipated and so I went to work. I thaught"that will be a change lol". I went to the BR 4 in 15 mins. Last time didn't make it on time...pooped my pants. Had to call my hubby to come and get me. Had to turn away students that needed my help (hated that... was a nursing prof just gave up my job).
Wish they had a disclamer about results may vary....
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