Diarrhea Following Upper GI Series? Anyone?

Hi all,

I hope this is the right section for this, and in any case, I know it's not the most pleasant of subjects! Unfortunately, I'm really nervous and that gets the better of me as far as just accepting that things are okay. So, I thought I'd ask if anyone else had heard of this happening.

Long story short, my GI specialist is 99% sure that I have IBS, but he naturally sent me to do some lab work in addition to an Upper GI Series (I believe that's what I had). They took x-rays after I first chugged a sour fizzy drink, then again after I drank a thick and chalky drink, and then they gave me a thinner version to drink from a straw while I was laying down. Had to move about to ensure I was positioned for each test, but the test itself was otherwise a breeze.

What spooked me is that everyone said I needed to be prepared for the constipation, but I had exactly the opposite effect as soon as I got home. I hadn't really eaten anything since the night before (it's 2am now, I had this done yesterday at around 10am), so I know that doesn't exactly help to form a BM, but I've been passing nothing but what looks like the chalky white drink in a few short bouts of diarrhea since. What happened to the constipation I had prepared my anxiety so well for? :o

I did call me GI specialist and he said this was common, that it would eventually go back to normal -- probably knowing my fear was that the worsened upset stomach would be permanent, since that's what I've been wrestling with lately. I'm not in any pain but for some brief stomach cramps when standing, though, and I haven't been able to see anything in the bowl except cloudy white water just like the barium stuff.

My doctor said I actually had three tests during this procedure, not just a gulp of barium, so I don't exactly know what it was. Just wondering if anyone has heard of this, or if I should be as freaked as I feel about it. Heh. 2am the following day and I've only just had the nerve to eat my first bit of food, a slice of bread. Being very cautious.

The one silver lining is that the test allowed him to eliminate Crohn's Disease, and he'd already eliminated Ulcerative Colitis, so that knocks down two of my big possibly-not-IBS fears. We also discovered that I have pretty severe reflux, even though I don't feel it, and I have to start taking a pill in the morning for that.

Thanks for your thoughts, everyone, and sorry again for the gross subject matter!

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