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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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By Mayo Clinic staffBefore a barium enema exam, you'll need to clean out (empty) your colon. Any residue in your colon may obscure the X-ray images or be mistaken for an abnormality.
To empty your colon, follow your doctor's instructions carefully. He or she may ask you to:
- Follow a special diet the day before the exam. Typically, you won't be able to eat the day before the exam. Drinks may be limited to clear liquids — such as plain water, tea and coffee without milk or cream, broth, and clear carbonated beverages. You may not be able to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the exam.
- Take a laxative the night before the exam. The laxative may be in pill or liquid form.
- Use an enema kit. In some cases, you may need to use an over-the-counter enema kit — either the night before the exam or a few hours before the exam — to empty your colon.
- Adjust your usual medications. Remind your doctor of your medications at least a week before the exam. You may need to temporarily stop taking certain medications days or hours before the exam.
References
- Barium enema examination. American Society of Radiologic Technologists. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract X-ray (radiography). Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=lowergi. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer. American Cancer Society. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- Levin B, et al. Screening and surveillance for the early detection of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps, 2008: A joint guideline from the American Cancer Society, the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology. Gastroenterology. 2008;134:1570.
- Colon x-ray: Defecography (DEF); barium enema; air contrast study (evacuative portography). In: Fischbach FT, ed. Manual of Laboratory & Diagnostic Tests. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004:732.
- Schilling McCann JA, ed. Diagnostic Tests. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007.
