Ever hear of a "Gastric Emptying study?"

[emer95]

I have to go eat radioactive scrambled eggs tomorrow morning. Yes, for real! I've been having major tummy issues for a while now. My GI doctor thinks my nausea might be because my stomach doesn't empty fast enough and that's why I always feel full. Then bacteria might be in there. Yucky.
So I am not really sure what to expect tomorrow. Has anyone else gone through this?

 

[lovemygoofy]

I had it done last fall. I would have been happy never having done such a test.

I had a little microwave looking tray with 2 slices of toast and grape jelly with the side of nasty eggs. I don't like eggs on my best day and being sick didn't help matters. I had something like 15 minutes to eat the whole thing including toast with just a few sips of water.

After that they take an xray on the hour for the next 4 hours. The technician assigned to me told me he had never seen someone turn so green before. The first 2 hours I was simply miserable. I sat curled up in a chair trying not to loose all that egg. I'm in Walter Reed with a 2 star general trying to talk to me and all I can think is don't throw up on the generals shoes.

Overall it was a waste of my time. Good luck with your test.

 

[emer95]

4 hours?? Crap! I didn't expect it to take that long. I took a half-day at work and I really thought I would be finished by 11:30 am. My test is at 8am. No one told me it would be that long. I might have to call work and see if my sub can stay a whole day for me. I'm so glad you told me.
Sorry it was so terrible for you. I like eggs so hopefully it won't be as bad for me. Although I'm really not crazy about food in general these days.
I can't wait until it's over.

 

[Sandy51]

I had this done 2 years ago. It only lasted about 90 minutes. The hardest part is lying there on a hard table, trying not to move. Yeah, my GI tract is very slow, but I don't have any problems with it. Good luck!


Sandy

 

[lukenick1]

I've had it done before....it wasnt bad. Let us know how u make out.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Mine was like 3 or 4 hours. I had to be there at 7:30 and didn't leave until almost noon is all I remember and being so stinking sick that afternoon when i tried to eat again but that's more my aversion to eggs than anything.

I got up and walked around to help get the food moving and then they would take a picture every hour.

 

[JCJRSmith]

We had to do this for my son two years ago. The fed him some radioactive oatmeal and he was on the machine for about three hours. He brought his iPod and slept a bit during the test, while I sat nearby and read. Most of all for both of us it was boring.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Wishing you all the best. I think the hardest part was laying on that hard table and having to listen to the horrible music the tech put on. I couldnt ask him to change it since he basically ignored me for the whole time and was never in the room. I only opened my eyes a few times and I saw the camera practically right over my face. Mine showed nothing either. I told the dr. I always kept feeling full after I ate. I guess if he would have paid attention to the huge lump on my neck instead he would have figured out I had cancer and so that test was a total waste of my time. My dr. leaves much to be desired.