IVP test and not sure about it?

Has anyone ever done te test IVP for the bladder? I have to buy the kit and do the enemas and take dye pills.. Is it a serious test?

I've done tons of them... on my patients. I work as a radiographer, & have done IVPs for over a decade. The routines vary from hospital to hospital & with different radiologists' preferences, but they are pretty basic. The worst part about them would probably be that they take a while. The average on a test like this is 45 minutes to an hour. This is to allow the contrast, or "dye" as it's commonly called, to have time to work its way through your kidneys, ureters, & bladder. I should point out the pills you are taking contain no "dye", as they will inject that in you during the test so they can take pictures as it highlights the kidneys. The pills are probably laxatives to help with the enemas to clean out your colon. It's important that you are lucid enough to follow all their directions. It's also a good idea to get plenty of fluids in your system until they tell you not to eat or drink anything else, which is usually around midnight the night before the test. This way, you aren't as dehydrated from the enemas & laxatives, & it should be a little easier for them to start an IV on you for injection of the contrast media.
Other than the time which the test takes, the contrast is the other major area of concern. It is iodinated, meaning it contains iodine. Therefore, if you are allergic to iodine, tell them prior to injection. Shellfish tends to contain a high iodine content, so also mention if you are allergic to this. They may also need to know if you're diabetic, or if you've ever had a kidney removed. Finally, they may need to draw some blood to test your BUN & creatinine prior to the tests. If these lab values are too high, especially your creatinine, you could have an allergic reaction. Mostof these reactions are mild, & include nausea, vomiting, hives, & fever. I don't think I've ever seen anyone have a reaction in the years I've done this, so don't worry too much about that. More commonly, people will get other normal reactions during injection. These include, but aren't limited to, a warm flushed feeling like a low-grade fever which lasts a few seconds, a metalic taste in the mouth which passes quickly, & even a warm feeling running down the insides of the thighs which feels as though you're wetting your pants.
I recommend you ask to go to the bathroom immediately before you get on the table if they don't ask you to do so. If kidney stones are a concern, which they often are when you have an IVP, they may require you to urinate through a strainer, & tell them if you catch any stones. Once this is done, the test should be a little easier, because most generally, the contrast fills the bladder in 20-30 minutes after injection. Also, the less urine is in the bladder, the better the contrast can work.
Another final note you may need to know if you're having this for stones: you may experience some discomfort during the test. If a stone is lodged in the ureter, the contrast will attempt to push it out of the way. When a stone moves, that is what causes the pain patients feel. Also, the contrast is thicker than urine, roughly the consistency of corn syrup, so it can't pass around the stones as easily as urine.
I hope I've answered your question. I view any radiographical test as a serious test, because they are meant to collect important data. However, if you follow the radiographer's instructions, it will hopefully go very smoothly. They will need to take around a dozen or so pictures on average, & some of them, called tomograms, may even require the x-ray tube to move over you during the exposure, so expect to be there a while, & try not to have any other plans for the day, in case it takes longer than average for the contrast to reach your bladder. I hope everything goes well, & that this information has been helpful. Best of luck on your upcoming IVP.

No problem at all. I'm glad I could help. Thanks for the 10 points! Report It

nay intrvenous pyelography (ivp) is an extremely simple procedure....
the dye is injected into ur vein like any other medicine, and its filtered thru the kidney and excreted across the ureter and into the bladder and urine. thus outlining the entire pathway for the urine....

3 x ray film are taken at 5, 10 and 15 min to show for the presence of stones or obstruction

the enema is to clear the bowel gas which may obscure the x ray

It is EMBARRASSING test they insert a Foley Catheter in your bladder and use dye to enlarge your bladder then they ask you to Void or Pee on X-Ray table to see if the urine backs up. I had one done my bladder looked as big as a soccer ball when it was full you are AWAKE WHEN IT IS DONE IT DOESN'T HURT.