How bad does Barium taste??? Truly????

 I am a big baby.. and i have a weak stomach... AND I have a wicked gag reflex...

I went for the upper GI and I had the minty stuff... it was not all that bad... what was the hard(ish) part was they gave me this stuff to drink before it ws like alka seltzer and started bloating my stomach then I had to drink the barium right afterward so that my now bloated stomach was boated.. and yes i had to do the rolling and flipping and it felt like they were going to ask me to stand on my head next but I made it through vomit free.

what made me not a happy camper was the bloating.. and you cant burp.. that was the hardest part and once the test was over and i could burp i did vomit a little but that was from holding in all that gas for so long and my weak gag reflex. (there are somedays where its a battle to brush my teeth I have to do the molars is stages cause its so bad).. the vomit was not bile and a very little I could have used a cup instead of heading for the garbage. 

Hi Dee - geez, I didn't know that we had to drink that other stuff & that your stomach got all bloated - this gets worse, the more I hear! Yeah, I fully admit to being a real baby when it comes to having to drink nasty stuff. Oh well, as long as I have a place handy if it decides to come up, but I'll just keep telling myself that I have to do this & I can't throw up! Thanks for being honest Dee - that's what I need to know.

Deb

I just had it done a few weeks in ER and I was pretty sick. I had the dry heaves and real bad stomach pains.  Even with the way I was feeling I was able to get the stuff down. It is not that bad. You can do it. If I could do when ice chips was making me feel sick you can do it. good luck

Hi there!  You're right - if you did it feeling as bad as you did, then I should be able to choke it down & keep it down too! Thanks for the good luck wishes!

Deb

They have flavoured stuff?? I was not offered that. I always liken barium to a chalky steely taste. They make it super cold which is good. I hold my nose and just do it. I have never even gagged never mind thrown up. (Have had barium at least 5 times). I think part of it is about what you're thinking when drinking it - don't - just do it and you'll be fine!
Edited to add - one thing I was not aware of ahead of time the last ttime I drank barium was the gas bubbles that I had to drink first. It was the first time I have ever had to drink them and that was difficult but it was with an RNY pouch. Hard to keep them down, not burp or just gag. If I was prepared I think everything would have been easier.

Hi Jennifer!

Well, at least if it's really cold, it might not seem as bad, right? Can you tell that I'm trying to be positive about this? LOL!  I'll make it a point to think about something pleasant when I'm doing it. As I mentioned to someone else, I had no idea that I'd have to drink some kind of "gas bubbles" - I'm glad that I know about that before I go there.  Thanks for taking the time to post, Jennifer!

Deb

I have a very strong gag reflex and I had a VERY hard time getting that nasty vile stuff down.  I had a cup of plain white crap in one hand and a puke pot in the other.  I gagged the whole time I was trying to choke it down.  The technician was ready to give up as I was unable to drink it down fast enough for her to get the pictures of it going down my esophagus.  

Bottom line is you HAVE to get it down and I knew that it was a requirement for me to have this done in order to have surgery so I sucked it up and chugged that %##$# crap down and somehow managed to keep it down!  LOL

Hi Yasmeen! I'm really afraid that my experience is going to be just like yours, although I hope not! Bottom line though is just what you said - I have to do it if I want the surgery, so I'll be hoping for strength while I'm chugging it down! Thanks for being honest about it, Yasmeen - I sure hope that it goes quickly! LOL!

Deb

I totally forgot about the alka seltzer type stuff you have to drink first.  (that's what the taste reminded me of anyway).  It wasn't too bad. 

and wow.. they have MINT?  That would have been wonderful.  Only flavour they had at the hospital I went to was strawberry.  :(  Would have much preferred to try mint than the flavourless stuff!

I had to drink it once and it is by FAR the most horrible stuff to drink on the planet. I gagged and really felt my stomach jumping around wanting to RALF it up lol.