Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Abdominal Cramping Post Ct Scan With Barium

pondy

By pondy
in Coping with Celiac Disease

 Share

Recommended Posts

pondy Contributor
pondy
Posted

Here's a couple questions for those out there who've had the "pleasure" of having a CT Scan with Barium Sulfate & the Iodine Sol. IV...

Because I'm prone to severe C, I did about 1/2 of a mild enema when I got home. My colon moves slowly, to say the least. No way I wanted a toxic heavy metal (the Barium) just sitting in there...

So, I had a bout of D after the enema - what looked like white paint appeared in the commode. I'm assuming that was (some of) the Barium.

How do I know if it's all gone? Why am I still having abdominal cramping? I had the test yesterday morning. Are the cramps normal? If so, does anyone know how long they last?

Thanks for any & all help!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Did your doctor specify that you needed gluten free solution? If not the doctor should have. I have had the CT with contrast twice, the first time I didn't even make it out of the hospital before I got violent D. The second time the doctor told them I needed the gluten free contrast, the liquid was clear and not heavily chalky like the solution I had before, and I had no ill effects at all.

It sounds like you got the non-gluten free form of contrast and it will likely take you the same amount of time to be symptom free as it would any time you have been glutened.

Roda Rising Star
Roda
Posted

Even with the gluten free contrast diarrhea can be a side effect but there is also a chance what you got wasn't gluten free also. Stay well hydrated. It is not abnormal to have whiteish stools as you pass it. If your symptoms don't ease up after several days you can always consult your doctor.

pondy Contributor
pondy
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the responses!

I'm drinking tons of water, but not passing stool since yesterday afternoons D episode.

I took the Berry Smoothie Redi-Cat 2. Yeah, maybe it wasn't gluten free. Whomever I spoke to in the Imaging scheduling department did tell me "of course it's gluten free" - now that I think about it, she probably had no clue.

I'll wait it out - what else can I do - and yes, if I'm not better by the time the doc calls with my results, I'll discuss it with her.

Thanks again!

tennisman Contributor
tennisman
Posted

I had a Barium meal earlier this year and had terrible stomach pain after drinking the Barium . I drank lots and lots of water and ate extra fruit and vegetables and fibre and the Barium was all gone in about 5 days . I really hated the test lol . You will know when the Barium is all gone when your stool colour is back to your usual stool colour , that's what I was told.

I hope your stomach feels better soon and your results are ok :)

  • 7 years later...
N8ra Newbie
N8ra
Posted

I know that cramping! What I have discovered over the years with contrast, cough medicine and other diagnostic and therapeutic liquids is that the sugar alcohols (like sorbitol) can cause a “laxative like” effect (including the cramping). Many times when I thought I was   glutened i was actually “fake sugared.” It is even worse for me with sucralose. Try to find a cough drop without it.  ;) here’s more about sorbitol: 

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/D-Sorbitol#section=Top

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to wellthatsfun's topic in Gluten-Free Recipes & Cooking Tips
      1

      heaps of hope!

      Your post nails the practical reality of living well with a celiac diagnosis. The shift from feeling restricted to discovering a new world of cooking—whether through a supportive partner making gluten-free spanakopita and gravy, or learning to cook for yourself—is exactly how many people find their footing. It turns a medical necessity into a chance to bui...
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jordan Carlson's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      2

      Fruits & Veggies

      You are experiencing a remarkable recovery by addressing core nutrient deficiencies, yet you've uncovered a deeper, lifelong intolerance to fruits and vegetables that appears to be a distinct issue from celiac disease. Your experience points strongly toward a separate condition, likely Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) or a non-IgE food intolerance, such as salicylate...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to yellowstone's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Cold/flu or gluten poisoning?

      Your satiation is challenging and a common dilemma for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity: distinguishing between a routine viral illness and a reaction to gluten exposure. The overlap in symptoms—fatigue, malaise, body aches, and general inflammation—makes it nearly impossible to tell them apart in the moment, especially with a h...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to hjayne19's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Celiac Screening

      Your situation highlights a difficult but critical crossroads in celiac diagnosis. While your positive blood test (a high TTG-IgA of 66.6) and dramatic improvement on a gluten-free diet strongly point to celiac disease, the gastroenterologist is following the formal protocol which requires an endoscopy/biopsy for official confirmation. This confirmation is...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      2

      New issue

      Your experience of being medically dismissed for decades, despite a clear celiac diagnosis since 1994, is unacceptable. It is a tragic common thread in our community that the systemic failure to understand celiac disease leads to a cascade of other diagnoses—like SIBO, IBS, depression, and now the investigation of MS or meningioma—while the core autoimmune con...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,090
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LVanderbeck12
    Newest Member
    LVanderbeck12
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      heaps of hope!

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post nails the practical reality of living well with a celiac diagnosis. The shift from feeling restricted to discovering a new world of cooking—whether through a supportive partner making gluten-free spanakopita and gravy, or learning to cook for yourself—is exactly how many people find their footing. It turns a medical necessity into a chance to build kitchen skills, eat more whole foods, and actually enjoy the process. Your point that the basics—knife skills, food safety, and experimenting with spices—are all you really need is solid, helpful advice. It’s a good reminder that the diagnosis, while a pain, doesn’t have to stop you from eating well or having fun with food.
    • Scott Adams
      Fruits & Veggies

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      You are experiencing a remarkable recovery by addressing core nutrient deficiencies, yet you've uncovered a deeper, lifelong intolerance to fruits and vegetables that appears to be a distinct issue from celiac disease. Your experience points strongly toward a separate condition, likely Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) or a non-IgE food intolerance, such as salicylate or histamine intolerance. The instant burning, heart palpitations, and anxiety you describe are classic systemic reactions to food chemicals, not typical celiac reactions. It makes perfect sense that your body rejected these foods from birth; the gagging was likely a neurological reflex to a perceived toxin. Now that your gut has healed, you're feeling the inflammatory response internally instead. The path forward involves targeted elimination: try cooking fruits and vegetables (which often breaks down the problematic proteins/chemicals), focus on low-histamine and low-salicylate options (e.g., peeled pears, zucchini), and consider working with an allergist or dietitian specializing in food chemical intolerances. 
    • Scott Adams
      Cold/flu or gluten poisoning?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your satiation is challenging and a common dilemma for those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity: distinguishing between a routine viral illness and a reaction to gluten exposure. The overlap in symptoms—fatigue, malaise, body aches, and general inflammation—makes it nearly impossible to tell them apart in the moment, especially with a hypersensitive system. This ambiguity is a significant source of anxiety. The key differentiator often lies in the symptom pattern and accompanying signs: gluten reactions frequently include distinct digestive upset (bloating, diarrhea), neurological symptoms like "brain fog," or a specific rash (dermatitis herpetiformis), and they persist without the respiratory symptoms (runny nose, sore throat) typical of a cold. Tracking your symptoms meticulously after any exposure and during illnesses can help identify your personal patterns. Ultimately, your experience underscores the reality that for a sensitive body, any immune stressor—be it gluten or a virus—can trigger a severe and similar inflammatory cascade, making vigilant management of your diet all the more critical. Have you had a blood panel done for celiac disease? This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
    • Scott Adams
      Celiac Screening

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your situation highlights a difficult but critical crossroads in celiac diagnosis. While your positive blood test (a high TTG-IgA of 66.6) and dramatic improvement on a gluten-free diet strongly point to celiac disease, the gastroenterologist is following the formal protocol which requires an endoscopy/biopsy for official confirmation. This confirmation is important for your lifelong medical record, can rule out other issues, and is often needed for family screening eligibility. The conflicting advice from your doctors creates understandable anxiety. The challenge, of course, is the "gluten challenge"—reintroducing gluten for 4-6 weeks to make the biopsy accurate. Since your symptoms resolved, this will likely make you feel unwell again. You must weigh the short-term hardship against the long-term certainty of a concrete diagnosis. A key discussion to have with your GI doctor is whether, given your clear serology and clinical response, would be getting a diagnosis without the biopsy.
    • Scott Adams
      New issue

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your experience of being medically dismissed for decades, despite a clear celiac diagnosis since 1994, is unacceptable. It is a tragic common thread in our community that the systemic failure to understand celiac disease leads to a cascade of other diagnoses—like SIBO, IBS, depression, and now the investigation of MS or meningioma—while the core autoimmune condition is neglected. The constant, severe flu-like symptoms and new neurological concerns are absolutely valid and warrant serious investigation for connections to celiac-related autoimmunity or complications like refractory disease. It is enraging that you must fight so hard to be heard. While I don't have a medical answer about MS or meningioma links, your instinct is correct: relentless symptoms require a specialist who understands celiac disease beyond the gut. Regarding the California proclamation, it is a symbolic advocacy effort; reaching out to the women mentioned may provide supportive community, but your advocacy with your local representative is the most direct action. 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.