Living With Crohns Disease

As tests go, the Upper GI isn’t all that bad. It’s an x-ray examination that will allow the doctors to see the function and condition of your digestive tract from the mouth and esophagus through the stomach and to the first portion of the small bowel, the duodenum.

For certain versions of the exam you may be asked to begin drinking barium before you arrive, but most often the only preparation taken by the patient is that nothing can be eaten after midnight on the night before the test.

Upon arrival at the testing site, you will be given a gown to wear and asked to remove your exterior clothing and all objects except for usually your socks and undergarments. There is a mild risk of exposure to radiation, but these levels are very low, and unless you are pregnant they are considered to be acceptable for the average human being.

When you begin the test, you may first be asked to swallow a small mouthful of granules that are mixed with water just before they’re given to you. As the water is added, they begin to fizz like an Alka-seltzer tablet, and when swallowed will make you feel as if you have to belch. The technician will ask you to hold it in, because this concoction is filling your stomach with gas that will stretch it out and allow it to be more easily viewed by x-ray.

Next comes the fun part.

Barium is a radioactive element used in radiological testing because it coats the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and makes your insides easier to see. In this form, it’s called contrast and makes your digestive system look white on the x-ray machine.

Barium contrast is a thick, white liquid. Some describe it as “milky,” but I’ll tell you it’s more like drinking liquid chalk, as if you ground up a bunch of sidewalk chalk and added a little water to it. It does have the consistency of a very smooth, thick milkshake, but it definitely tastes nothing like milk. Sometimes they flavor it with a hint of artificial berry or a similar essence to make it more bearable. It doesn’t taste bad, but it doesn’t taste good either.

I’ve had to drink it so many times I’m used to it by now; I can chug it because I know what to expect and I realize that the quicker it goes down the quicker the test is over with. Usually they ask you to drink two big cups of it, one slightly thicker than the other.

As you start drinking, the doctor will take some pictures of your esophageal function, and then more when it gets to the stomach and again as the stomach says “what the heck is this stuff?!” and starts letting it out into the small intestine. Once you have it all down, the test for you is basically over, unless you are also having a small bowel follow-through.