Barium sulfate is a metallic compound that shows up on X-rays and is used to help see abnormalities in the esophagus and stomach. Although, many people dread getting into a patient gown, going into a cold room, laying down or standing up patiently waiting for their x-ray to be finished. Most people find the whole experience unpleasant, especially receiving the small up of barium to drink before your x-ray. The taste, texture, and amount of barium a person has to drink is what gets most people. Although many preparations have been made to try to make drinking barium a little easier to tolerate, it is still an unpleasant substance to drink. Barium is normally stored at room temperature and comes in lots of different flavors like vanilla, banana, pineapple, lemon, and cherry. Aside the fact that the favors are artificial, people still complain about the consistency of the drink. Some people have described the texture as a very thick glass of milk, or a thin