How Do I Drink All That Contrast?

I have to go back to the hospital (I will find out tomorrow when) to have a CT scan. I have to be hooked up to an IV and drink that nasty contrast. I am gagging just thinking about getting all of that in. The last time I had the scan I didn't even get half the bottle in. Can they just figure out what is wrong with me already! Julie

Julie where is it at that you're having pain? My daughter has been going through some pain since last may and they can't figure it out. It's a stabbing pain in her left side. They scheduled her for the tests last friday . As soon as she started the contrast she puked so she tried again. same thing. You have to drink the whole bottle in 10 minutes or they won't do it. So, the only tests she could have , no she can't have. I am thinking it's irritable bowel syndrom, she has ever sympton. I started her on benefiber and kept her from dairy and anything carbonated and she's feeling a lot better and has an appetite finally. Doctors suck, i have no faith in them at all. I hope you get some answers soon. By the way, it says on the bottle that not everyone can handle the contrast and should be tested first to make sure. Hugs Linda

Left sided abdominal pain that also goes into my entire lower back. I just had surgery on Dec 6. The surgeon found some small adhesions and a benign mass on my small bowel. Unfortunately the surgery did not correct the pain this time so they are doing the scan to see if they missed something. I hope your daughter starts to feel better soon. It sounds like she is having just a miserable time.

Wow, i hope your surgeon can finally figure out what's going on, you've been through a lot. I hope you feel better soon. Hugs Linda

I've had quite a few CT scans lately and it's not that bad. I had to drink 1 bottle (16 oz) 12 hours before and another bottle 2 hours before. I could just sip on these at home. When I got there they gave me another bottle but they didn't make me drink it all (only about 1/2) then they put in the IV. If you have to mix the bottles yourself, use cold sugar free cranberry juice. It hides the taste. At the hospital they used warm, regular cranberry juice (without telling me) and I dumped big time the rest of the day! Sometimes they mix it with regular pop too. Ask before you drink. Good luck to you.

I'm very allergic to anything sugar free. Also, the last time I had this done they did not let me mix the contrast with anything. (and I asked) I had to drink it straight like it was and in one shot (there was no time gap between bottles). They put the massive jug infront of me and said have fun we will be back when you finish the entire bottle. Um, not going to happen, lol. I love when I get doctors who know nothing about our surgery and try to tell me that I can get that big bottle down. No, it's not a just a food restrictive procedure doc, it means I can't chug a lug beverages anymore either. Duh, lol. Thanks for the info. Julie

First I hope that you are feeling better very soon!!! My dr. told me that if i ever needed any testing done like drinking contrast to make sure they knew i had bariatric surgery---because you only need to drink a smaller amount due to stomach smaller----don't know if this will help but maybe you won't have to drink to much that way!! Gods blessing and wishing you a speedy recovery marie

Marie is right! In our classes they told us to never try to drink all that. It was not possible. We also had to have an upper GI the day after our surgery and the stuff they gave us was in a little cough syrup cup. I drank 2 of those and that was it. Maybe you should call your WLS surgeon and ask their opinion on the contrast. Stacey B

Thanks everyone. My surgeon is right there with me. He knows I cannot drink all of that stuff. He said that I shouldn't have to. However, the place I am going to obviously doesn't get it. I immediately told the nurse when they were scheduling the test (which is today at noon, I have to go in at 10 to start drinking) that I am a post-op GB patient and it's physically impossible for me to drink the entire amount of contrast. It's like they don't care or they think that if I just try that I can get it all in. I don't know how many different ways I can tell these people it's just not going to happen, lol. Maybe if I start puking all over the nurse she will get it, you think? I hope that doesn't happen because that means I would have to start over. My other issue is that I am allergic to iodine. So instead of having IV iodine I had to prep starting last night by taking prednisone. Prednisone for some reason has never been kind on my body. If I can describe what it does to me, I would say that it makes my body feel like I am having one simulateous groing pain or I have pulled all of my muscles at once. I don't know why this happens when I take it, but it was either deal with this pain or risk breaking out in massive hives from the iodine. At this point I don't know what would have been worse. Anyway....that's enough of my complaining. I'm sorry to have to complain like this, but I know that you all understand exactly what I am going through and are not sitting here judging me as if I am crazy and there is nothing wrong with me. I will keep you updated. Thanks Julie