Barium sulfate and Vomiting: What Users Say

• Gig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2019

For Computed Tomography "I had the oral and IV contrast and was told I could go to work after the CT scan. I asked about side effects but was told about the major ones, not the vomiting and diarrhea. I went to work and got very sick. It was so embarrassing. I had to rush home and almost kicked my house door down getting to the bathroom. The nausea, diarrhea, weakness, tingling in my body was so scary. I was in the bathroom every 5 minutes. That was on Tuesday, now here it is Thursday, and I am still nauseous and can taste the medication in my mouth. My stomach still bubbles up when I eat anything. This is a weight loss plan I didn't sign up for. This experience made me feel worse than what I originally went in for. Never again will I do something like that without doing my research first."

• Suz...
• December 20, 2021

For Computed Tomography "I anticipated being ill after drinking the barium sulfate for my cat scan. My mistake was reading people's reviews. I was nervous for days that I would be either vomiting or have diarrhea. BUT I HAD HARDLY ANY PROBLEM. Here is what I did. I refrigerated the drinks, ate lightly and blandly throughout the day. I did not eat for 2 hours before taking the drink at night. I had the vanilla drink (any other flavor would have been overwhelming). At 10 pm, while standing, I drank slowly. It took about 15 mins. I then sat straight up for an hour. I went to bed, thinking that at some point perhaps I would feel sick. Turns out, I slept perfectly for 7 hours. Then, one hour before my morning exam, I drank the 2nd bottle, again standing up, slowly drinking for 15 mins. Finally, a little cramping and a minor bout of diarrhea. I left for the cat scan, worried that I was going to have more diarrhea, but I did not. If you had no problem, please comment too so others won't worry!"

• AAV...
• January 13, 2018

Barium sulfate for Computed Tomography "I had the banana flavor, and it was a big improvement from the old days of just drinking chalk! However, it was thick and, at times, unpleasant. I had to gag down two large servings, plus they administered an iodine IV during the CT scan. About 45 minutes after the procedure, it all hit, and I was in the bathroom for the next several hours. Not sure if it was the barium or iodine, but this was one of the common side effects and worth it to find out what's going on inside me or for prevention!"

• Spe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2020

For Computed Tomography "I had to drink one bottle of the Berry smoothie. It wasn't as bad as what my coworkers told me it would taste like. Had a hard time getting it down because it made me feel full very quickly. Almost made me vomit. The rest of the day went okay, other than a major headache. The next day I couldn't stop going to the bathroom, but the nurse did say if I hadn't had a bowel movement in 48 hours to call my GP. Needless to say, I haven't had to call her."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2025

For Computed Tomography "After reading these reviews, I was extremely nervous about drinking 2 450 mL bottles of barium sulfate. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I did not have a negative experience. The drink itself isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The creamy vanilla smoothie flavor is a little chalky but mainly just has a milk consistency. I used a straw, and it was easy to get through. I did not experience any nausea or vomiting while consuming both bottles. I also did not experience any diarrhea or constipation. I was able to have clear liquids prior to my exam, so I consumed as much water as I could, which I’m sure definitely helped avoid any negative side effects."