CT Barium Sulfate

[CrazySwede]

Does anyone know if Vanilla Silq brand barium is gluten-free? I am newly diagnosed with DH and have felt violently ill since my cancer restaging last week. 

Also, to piggyback on that - what do you do if your facility doesn't have gluten-free barium available? Can you provide your own? (I know my doc can specify gluten-free on the script itself but what if the facility - let me play devil's advocate and say what do I do if NONE of the facilities near me carry it?) 

[trents]

Your best bet would be to contact the imaging center and ask them what product will be used. Then call the manufacturer of the product. It is unlikely the imaging center will know the answer.

[Scott Adams]

If you know the manufacturer you may be able to find your answer here:

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/search.cfm?labeltype=all&query=barium 

[RMJ]

The Vanilla Silq barium sulfate package insert does not include a full listing of ingredients.  It just says emulsifiers and thickening agents. The safety data sheet talks about proprietary blends.  Having worked in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry for several decades, this amazes me! Investigating further, they won a court case saying it should be regulated as a medical device instead of a drug.   The only way to determine if it is gluten free would be to call the manufacturer, but I’m not sure I’d trust what they say because they’re really pushing the boundaries of drug/device regulation. Their phone number is at the end of the package insert.

Vanilla Silq package insert

Vanilla Silq safety data sheet

[RMJ]

Here is an interesting study on gluten in barium sulfate suspensions:

study