I have to go for a Barium enema next week?

No it shouldn't be painful at all. It will be uncomfortable but not painful. The most uncomfortable part is usually when they have you under/in the machine taking scans and sometimes moving into odd positions to do so. If it does hurt when you have it done you need to tell the nurse or someone on duty with you and they will make sure you are ok. My cousin works in the radiology department and does this as part of her job and says that it shouldn't hurt really at all.

Hope this helps calm your nerves about it some!

The preparing for the enema is probably the worst part. To get a good picture, they want your bowels to be empty of stools, and you will generally be given drinks and pills to produce diarrhea a day or 2 before hand. Do buy some gentle baby wipes (wet cloths) because you might end up with a sore bottom during the prep.

It depends on your pain tolerance. Some with low levels of pain tolerance may say it is painful, where most would describe it as uncomfortable. If you have ever taken a bag enema, you have experienced a similar full feeling, bloating and cramping. Basically it is uncomfortable and perhaps a bit embarrassing as while retaining the solution you will be asked to change positions while they take the x-rays.

No, it's not painful, just "feels weird"...I went when I was 10, so as a 10 year old, you could imagine how I felt. Don't know how old you are, but you should be fine...

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Barium-Enema.htm