Barium Sulfate And Diverticulitis

[GlutenFreeManna]

My husband has been having pain on his left side off and on ever since we went gluten free. He is gluten free at home for me, but he still consumes gluten when away from home occasionally. I have noticed he complains of pain more when he has had fast food (usually something with a bun). He went to the doctor and the doctor thinks it is either diverticulitis or a hernia. Today he has to go in for a CT scan. Last night he had to drink that Barium Sulfate stuff. I was careful not to kiss him after he drank it because I didn't know if it was gluten free (plus I looked up barium and it is toxic ). But this morning he kissed me twice before going to work. I immediately got a metallic orange-sherbet like taste in my mouth that won't go away. A few minutes after he kissed me I was running for the bathroom and I have spent all morning feeling nauseas and emptying the contents of my stomach. I tried brushing my teeth and I threw up. I tried eating some breakfast and I threw up. And I still have that metallic orange taste in my mouth even after using mouthwash. I'm sick and I'm also worried about my husband's tests today. I thought I had seen someone here that had diverticulitis as well as celiac so I thought I would ask a few questions (in no particular order):

1. If he has diverticulitis what are the chances it will go away if he becomes more strict with the gluten free diet?

2. Is there a documented connection between diverticulitis and gluten?

3. Does anyone know if the Barium Sulfate stuff is gluten free?

4. Anything else you can tell me about diverticulitis would be greatly appreciated (I have read the basics on Mayoclinic.com so I'm not looking for that type of info, more personal experiences/advice type info).

Thanks!

[Roda]

Question 3. It depends on what brand and flavor. Do you remember the name of it?

Here are some other links to this very topic.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Question 3. It depends on what brand and flavor. Do you remember the name of it?

I just looked at the package in the trash. It's called E-Z CAT DRY. Made by EZ EM out of Cananda. I guess I should contact them to find out if it's gluten free...

[GlutenFreeManna]

Here are some other links to this very topic.

Thanks. The second link had info about the company in question. It was gluten free as of four years ago. Nothing else I can do at this point but wait it out and see if this is a typical gluten reaction or just a reaction to the barium drink.

[Roda]

I just looked at the package in the trash. It's called E-Z CAT DRY. Made by EZ EM out of Cananda. I guess I should contact them to find out if it's gluten free...

I found this but no gluten information

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[ravenwoodglass]

1. If he has diverticulitis what are the chances it will go away if he becomes more strict with the gluten free diet?

Thanks!

I can't be sure of course but I can say with pretty strong certainty that he doesn't have diverticulITIS, he would be very ill if he did. What he may have is diverticulOSIS. If you have read up on that you know that those are outpouchings in the large intestine wall. The itis comes in if for some reason the diverticuli become infected and that is a serious issue. Many people have at least a few diverticuli and have no issues because of it. It used to be thought that folks with diverticulosis should not eat seeds and nuts but that has been shown not to be needed.

My own personal experience with it is that mine resolved to a large extent after I went gluten free and no longer had the extreme cramping and explosive D. There was about 5 years between colonoscopies and with my last one I only had a couple of them left. Prediagnosis with celiac they were throughout my entire large intestine, usually they are only found on the left side.

I don't know if your husbands will resolve if he becomes strictly gluten free. It does sound like he is reacting to gluten when he eats it though so his becoming gluten free might be a good idea.

As to your reaction this morning, if it does not resolve soon call your doctor, get that box out of the trash so if the doctor needs any info off of it you can give it to him.

[Monklady123]

I can't speak to particular brands, but I will say that I just had a CT scan. I had to drink three bottles (gag) of something optimistically called "banana smoothie". I'm positive it was gluten-free because I had no gluten symptoms. My general "yuck" feeling was definitely only from drinking three bottles of it. At least they were pretty small bottles! lol... but, I was fine by the time I got home from the hospital so it wasn't gluten. So I guess my point is that at least some of them are gluten-free. But that doesn't mean that there wasn't something else in there that you were reacting to.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I can't be sure of course but I can say with pretty strong certainty that he doesn't have diverticulITIS, he would be very ill if he did. What he may have is diverticulOSIS. If you have read up on that you know that those are outpouchings in the large intestine wall. The itis comes in if for some reason the diverticuli become infected and that is a serious issue. Many people have at least a few diverticuli and have no issues because of it. It used to be thought that folks with diverticulosis should not eat seeds and nuts but that has been shown not to be needed.

My own personal experience with it is that mine resolved to a large extent after I went gluten free and no longer had the extreme cramping and explosive D. There was about 5 years between colonoscopies and with my last one I only had a couple of them left. Prediagnosis with celiac they were throughout my entire large intestine, usually they are only found on the left side.

I don't know if your husbands will resolve if he becomes strictly gluten free. It does sound like he is reacting to gluten when he eats it though so his becoming gluten free might be a good idea.

As to your reaction this morning, if it does not resolve soon call your doctor, get that box out of the trash so if the doctor needs any info off of it you can give it to him.

Thanks Raven, I didn't realize the difference between the two. I think they are testing him for the itis one. I saw it on the CT scan script the doctor wrote out. The doctor also prescribed two very strong antibiotics for him (Flagyl and Levaquin) and they got him in for the CT within two days of his doctor's appointment. He went to the doctor when the pain had become really bad and he had not had a bowel movement for 4 or 5 days (even with two days of Miralax and Pysillium husk). His doctor's appointment was Wed. When he went to pick up the barium stuff yesterday after work they told him he should have gotten in for the CT scan the same day he saw the doctor (WED). They wanted to take him yesterday when he was there picking up the stuff, but he had eaten too recently to get in before the place closed. So he's going in for his appointment this afternoon. I do hope they find something. I'm driving to pick him up at work and take him so I can be there if he feels sick afterward. He has to drink another cup of barium today before the test.

I'm feeling a little better now. I managed to keep a banana down, but my stomach is rumbling something fierce. Going to wait an hour and try a rice cake with peanut butter.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I can't speak to particular brands, but I will say that I just had a CT scan. I had to drink three bottles (gag) of something optimistically called "banana smoothie". I'm positive it was gluten-free because I had no gluten symptoms. My general "yuck" feeling was definitely only from drinking three bottles of it. At least they were pretty small bottles! lol... but, I was fine by the time I got home from the hospital so it wasn't gluten. So I guess my point is that at least some of them are gluten-free. But that doesn't mean that there wasn't something else in there that you were reacting to.

This is a good point. I have always been very, very sensitive to drugs and medicines. One Benedryl will knock me out for a day and if I take a sleep aid like Tylenol PM I have to plan to sleep for 10+ hours and be groggy the whole next day. I'm not skinny either, so this is not a matter of my weight being so low I need children's doses or anything like that. I have just always been really sensitive to things like that.

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks Raven, I didn't realize the difference between the two. I think they are testing him for the itis one. I saw it on the CT scan script the doctor wrote out. The doctor also prescribed two very strong antibiotics for him (Flagyl and Levaquin) and they got him in for the CT within two days of his doctor's appointment. He went to the doctor when the pain had become really bad and he had not had a bowel movement for 4 or 5 days (even with two days of Miralax and Pysillium husk). His doctor's appointment was Wed. When he went to pick up the barium stuff yesterday after work they told him he should have gotten in for the CT scan the same day he saw the doctor (WED). They wanted to take him yesterday when he was there picking up the stuff, but he had eaten too recently to get in before the place closed. So he's going in for his appointment this afternoon. I do hope they find something. I'm driving to pick him up at work and take him so I can be there if he feels sick afterward. He has to drink another cup of barium today before the test.

I'm feeling a little better now. I managed to keep a banana down, but my stomach is rumbling something fierce. Going to wait an hour and try a rice cake with peanut butter.

I hope the scan goes well for him. It does sound like they suspect the itis from what you are saying. I also am surprised that they didn't get him in sooner. Keep us posted on how you both are doing.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Well we just got back from the CT-scan. The scan itself took 15 minutes, but they made him wait an hour and a half for the doctor to read the results. They wouldn't even let me go get food for him. He had breakfast at 4:30 AM this morning and had to go until 4 PM without food just because the doctor at the place and our doctor were playing phone tag. After all that, The results are "underwhelming" in the doctors words-- they found nothing and will probably schedule an endoscopy/colonoscopy. At least it is a relief to know that he doesn't have a blockage or something requiring emergency surgery. But I was hoping they would find something conclusive. In fact, when we were waiting so long and they wouldn't let him eat, I was thinking there must be something wrong and they are going to admit him to the hospital or something. But no, the results are "underwhelming".

[ravenwoodglass]

Well we just got back from the CT-scan. The scan itself took 15 minutes, but they made him wait an hour and a half for the doctor to read the results. They wouldn't even let me go get food for him. He had breakfast at 4:30 AM this morning and had to go until 4 PM without food just because the doctor at the place and our doctor were playing phone tag. After all that, The results are "underwhelming" in the doctors words-- they found nothing and will probably schedule an endoscopy/colonoscopy. At least it is a relief to know that he doesn't have a blockage or something requiring emergency surgery. But I was hoping they would find something conclusive. In fact, when we were waiting so long and they wouldn't let him eat, I was thinking there must be something wrong and they are going to admit him to the hospital or something. But no, the results are "underwhelming".

I am glad that there were no serious issues. I think your right about them not wanting him to eat until the results were read 'just in case'. I wonder if he needs to be totally gluten free and in effect his occasional gluten meals are basically gluten challenges? Anyway I am glad that they didn't find anything serious in the Cat Scan. Is the doctor having him continue on the antibiotics? If they are if he can eat some yogurt a couple times a day while he is on them it might help prevent the D that often comes with antibiotic effects. Make certain he doesn't drink even a little bit of alcohol while taking them. It will make him very sick.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I am glad that there were no serious issues. I think your right about them not wanting him to eat until the results were read 'just in case'. I wonder if he needs to be totally gluten free and in effect his occasional gluten meals are basically gluten challenges? Anyway I am glad that they didn't find anything serious in the Cat Scan. Is the doctor having him continue on the antibiotics? If they are if he can eat some yogurt a couple times a day while he is on them it might help prevent the D that often comes with antibiotic effects. Make certain he doesn't drink even a little bit of alcohol while taking them. It will make him very sick.

Funny, I had a good conversation with him on the way home about possibly going gluten free completely. He asked me if they did an endoscopy if they could test for celiac. I was able to tell him all I know about the endoscopy tests from reading here. I think he is seriously considering going gluten free for good, but he wants to do the testing first. One good thing, is that this is a new doctor for us and I think I like her. When he told her his diet was mostly gluten free due to his wife who self-diagnosed via elimination diet she said many of her celiac patients were diagnosed the same way. SO I think she gets it. Once we get my husband's health issues figured out I'm going to make an appointment to have my vitamin levels checked. I feel good most of the time, but I do still have low energy days sometimes and I worry I'm missing something vital in my diet. BTW, I'm fully recovered from my morning nausea/D so I don't think I was glutened, just shocked the system with that taste of barium. I told my husband I'm not kissing him until sometime next week (or maybe I will give him a peck on the lips tomorrow afternoon).

Oh and he is going to continue the antibiotics just to be safe and we don't drink alcohol at all so that is not a concern, but thanks for mentioning it.