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Patient Prep for an Upper GI Series You should not eat, drink or smoke after midnight until the X-ray is completed. If you have had a barium X-ray of any kind within four days before this upper GI series, you will need to take a laxative to get rid of the old barium. The stomach and small bowel must be empty to get clear pictures. What is an upper GI series and what does it show? An upper GI series is an X-ray of your esophagus (swallowing tube) and your stomach. These parts of your body cannot be seen well on regular X-rays What will happen in the X-ray room? You will be asked to put on a hospital gown and remove any necklaces. You will be helped onto a special X-ray table. The X-ray staff and doctor will explain more about your Upper GI series. They can answer any questions. If you are able, the first X-rays will be taken while you stand. You will be given a cup of barium to drink while the pictures are taken. The barium is flavored and chalky. You will be asked to move into different positions. For some pictures, the X-ray table will be moved so you are lying down. When each X-ray is taken, you will be asked to hold your breath and remain as still as possible. Sometimes part of the X-ray machine may press on your abdomen to get better pictures. Tell someone if this is uncomfortable. We want to make you as comfortable as possible. The doctor may need to look at your small intestine (small bowel). This is called a small bowel series. You will be given two to three more cups of barium to drink. Pictures will be taken every 30 minutes until the entire small bowel (about 20 feet) is filled with barium. You will wait and sip barium in the waiting area between picture taking. What do I do after my upper GI series? For the first one to two days after the X-ray, your bowel movements may appear white and chalky. This is normal. Ask your doctor if you should take a laxative and drink extra liquids to help clean out the barium and prevent constipation. |
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without the use of an liquid such as flavored barium or an iodine water-based solution. This liquid coats the esophagus and stomach as you drink it, so these body parts can be seen on X-ray. 
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