Upper GI Series Care

• As with all x-ray tests, make sure you let your doctor know if you are pregnant.
• Talk to your doctor about the medicines you are taking, as some may have to be adjusted before the test.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke for at least eight hours before the test.
• You may be given a medicine called glucagon . This will slow down the activity of the stomach and small intestine.
• You may be asked to swallow baking soda crystals. These crystals will bubble and make gas in your stomach, allowing for more detailed x-rays.
• If the doctor wants to look at lower parts of your intestine, you may need to take a laxative the day before your exam. This will clean out your intestine.

You will remove all jewelry and wear a hospital gown. You will drink the barium solution. As you drink the barium, the radiologist will take x-rays of your chest and abdomen. The doctor may also give you bits of food to eat with barium on them. You may have to change positions frequently during the test.

If your doctor wants to look at more of your intestines, a small bowel follow-through may be done. This means that x-ray pictures are taken every 15-30 minutes while the barium travels further down the intestines.

You may eat and drink as usual. Drink plenty of fluid. The barium will slowly pass through your system on its own.

You may have some white-colored stool or constipation after the test.

An upper GI series can take between 30 minutes and two hours. A small bowel follow-through can take 1-4 hours.

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