<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Hi Folks-- the consensus on Barium is that none of the
premixed solutions are GF.  I got 7 responses, including
my own  :)

(3) of us drank the stuff without confirming GF status.
'...when I had my most recent endoscopy, they called all over
and couldn't find a GF barium soln.  My doctor told me to go
ahead and drink it!'
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'...about 1 year ago I had to have a CT scan and had to drink 3 pints...
I had a terrible reaction.'  (same person had a CT with alternative--
see below)
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I myself called Layfayette Pharm. and they could not guarantee
GF status of their product as I previously mentioned.  I was running

short on time to do anything else, so I too, ended up downing about

30 ozs.  I had no apparent reaction (usually I have one within an hour)
to the first dose, but over the next 2 days after the test, I had
diarrhea 7 times... not painful like a reaction, but dehydrating &
inconvenient; I don't  know what from.  (Mindy)
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(5) people used alternate methods of testing:


' I called and talked to someone at the place where I was supposed
to do the CT scan... They read the ingredients and the vanilla was
suspect to me... They said if I brought in some colored Gatorade, they
had a clear medium they could put in the Gatorade and it would also work.'
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'I had this problems several times... My doctor ok'd the xrays without
barium. They were able to see what they wanted. No way was
I going to take something with gluten in it and suffer afterwards. I had
enough of that... I could have ordered barium without gluten from a
company, but the radiologist said it would be like drinking nothing so I
opted for NOTHING...'
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'I went throught the same quest recently when I needed a barium swallow
test.

After MUCH RESEARCH, I concluded that all of the premixed commercial
bariums available ...have flavorings in them which the companies cannot
"guarantee" are GF, because the flavor houses are not required to
divulge the ingredients.'
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'To avoid the gluten, I had the hospital order plain barium from Stokes
Pharmacy (number available via listserv archives). They just need to know
the amount, strength, and thickness (your doctor can provide this info).
Don't let the radiology dept. convince you that the products they have
"on hand" are safe. They aren't.
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'I have to have a UGI and small bowel series in June...  my HMO uses EZM
products; they make 3 different types of "imaging solutions"...  The
ingredients in one of them sounded gf to me...  they don't add any
gluten, but the ingredients called "flavors" are purchased from other
companies and they can't guarantee gf status.  They also said that all of
the companies that make this stuff have the same problem.  They
recommended pure barium sulfate which is expensive and tastes really
bad.'
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There you have it-- good luck to any others who need a barium x-ray.


I Survived the IV Contrast!

Mindy from tacoma