A sitz marker test uses tiny radio-opaque ‘markers’ to test how fast food is moving through the intestines. It is most often used with patients who are suffering from chronic constipation.
- You will need to come to the Shands Endoscopy Center GI Motility Lab to pick up a capsule which contains 24 Sitz markers to swallow. This capsule contains small markers which will show up on x-rays and let the doctors track their progress through your intestines.
- You will need to schedule for an abdominal X-ray in 5 days. X-rays will be taken of your abdomen to see if any of the markers are left in your colon or whether they have all been expelled from the body. The more markers you have left in your body, the slower your colon motility. In general, if you are found to have very slow bowel motility (ie: most of the sitz markers have remained in your body) then you may have slow transit constipation.
- Please bring or have the X-ray report sent to the Motility Lab.
- DO NOT TAKE laxatives, enemas, or suppositories during the week this test is in progress.