My Upper GI Results

So, I've been unsuccessful for over 3 years in the Seattle area at finding a new bariatric doctor. It wasn't until all of my recent hospital stays that I finally got a surgeon willing to take me on as a patient. However, before seeing me, he wanted me to complete an Upper GI so he could see what was going on in there.

Yesterday was my appointment. They said after drinking the gross barium drink, for some people it can go quickly or for others, up to 6 hours before they see the barium reach the colon. They first did an x-ray of some sort before giving me the gross drink. I was on the x-ray table laying face down for 10 min max before getting up. They had me come to the back to see the results for myself.

Apparently, the barium drink had reached my colon before I sat up, so less than 10 minutes. It cruised through my stomach and both intestines. They said it was the fastest they had ever seen and asked if I typically need to use the bathroom as soon as I eat (I don't.) They said that I may not be absorbing many nutrients since they don't have a chance to stick around. I was surprised by this. I also wondered if all the supplements and medications even have a chance to work since they aren't staying in my stomach at all to break down or even in my intestines. This is a scary thought for me since I take quite a few medications.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? My appointment with the new bariatric dr. isn't until July 21st, so I don't really have anyone to refer to for questions or answers. Even though I do eat normally, I am pretty underweight at 5'10" and weigh 132 lbs. I have recently gained about 7 lbs, so at least I don't look quite as gaunt as I did. I do suffer from extreme hypoglycemia also - as I mentioned in another post.

Any idea what this might mean for me?

How's your hunger? Seem like the food not staying in you stomach any amount of time would mean your hunger is out of control, in addition to the nutrient issue.

how have your labs been? (Assuming you've been getting them drawn)

My hunger comes and goes. I'm on a medication that causes weight gain so lately I feel obsessed with food at times. I try to limit it and keep it to frequent smaller meals but I often crave food even when I'm not actually hungry. I have been giving in to food cravings because I needed to gain weight but now I'm trying to slow it down. It's such weird information to know. Now I have so much anxiety about nutrients and medication. During my hospital stays they tested me for pretty much everything. The only thing that came up was a slight dip in my potassium. That's another reason why this new info is so strange. Maybe I shouldn't think too much into it?