I thought I would post my experience of having a defacating proctogram... As I had no feed back from my question about it.. I thought I would share what happened to me and reassure anyone who has to have one that its not as bad as it sounds!
I was not aloud to eat or drink for 6 hrs prior, and 2 hrs before I had to drink a chalky barium drink (which was a struggle to get down as it was YUK!)
The jist of the proctogram is to have a barium substance ... It was the consistency of thick hand cream....inserted into the rectum, you then sit on a commode that has X-ray machines around it, and are asked to hold... Strain.... Bare down and then try to evacuate your bowels.
Well.... Not that I am particular about the way I have to open my bowels.. ... But I bought my Vaseline and insisted on coating the syringes of barium with it... And my butt..... Then I said I usually have a stool, I need to raise my knees.... So they got me one... It wasn't high enough so they got me a pillow on top.... And as I was making my toileting demands I decided to go the whole hog and ask if I could apply some support to my pelvic floor with my hand and some tissue. They said yes that was fine, it wouldn't interfere with the X-ray.
The doctor, nurse and radiologist were sat looking at the monitors behind a screen, so it was as private as you could get... No one was directly looking at me.
I must say that my bowels did get a bit of stage fright and I couldn't properly open them, but they said that was very common as its such an unnatural thing to do. They still managed to see what they needed to though, so that's a relief.
The good news is I don't have any prolapse where stools can gather, but he did say it was all very tight down there....... I KNOW!!!
So there you go..... A defacating proctogram in a nut shell. If you find yourself needing one don't worry, they are not as bad as they sound.
Just hope I can pass out the barium I drank earlier with as little trouble as poss.... It says it can cause constipation
OMB x

OMB,
Thanks for sharing as I was curious about it. Barium DOES cause constipation. I had my stomach x-rayed 3 times and I've also had a barium enema. Be prepared for constipation and take precautions!!!!

Lo and behold I had not clue what a proctogram is or was, thanks for the very interesting experience you have, please tell what is all that for beside inducing a bowl movement while sitting on an x machine.

Thank you for sharing your experience, and with so much humor too!
Having had to swallow barium too many times than I care to remember, make sure you drink tons of water and if you use something like Movicol/Miralax, take extra just to be safe. Since you didn't have to swallow it, hopefully it won't cause any problems. Even with all my problems with diarrhea, one of my encounters with barium gave me a bowel obstruction. It had turned like cement in there. Big lesson learned for next time around when I had to do it again.
I'm really glad you insisted on your toileting needs. The last thing you would have needed was to come out even worse than hen you went in. I'm also glad to hear they didn't find anything terribly wrong! Progress!

Yes, jr2, I did have to swallow it...... And I have suffered the consequences for it today.... Very painful bm!
I did drink loads and up my dose of lactulose, but I guess it's just one of those things... It's undigestable rock!!
OMB x

Thanks for sharing OMB- I saw someone have one of those on Embarrassing Bodies on TV- it's when I realised that I was not alone in having difficulty pooping. I had a Barium meal when I was younger and it was absolutely disgusting!! You are a complete trooper! Big Hug x

I was afraid that BM would be bad for you--that was the start of a thrombosed hemroid for me (after I had my barium enema several years ago.) Same substance I presume was used on both of us! Hopefully, you will get back on track very soon!!

omb
oh geez, so sorry I misunderstood that, and more sorry that you've had a hard time with the barium.
It is such nasty stuff in every way. I hope the pain eases for you soon.

I used to be a x-ray technician, and I have never heard of this. I can't even fathom this.

So glad it wasnt a terrible thing except for the barium. and the bm... Sorry you have to go through all this. You are still in my prayers OMB! One day at a time! :D