A quick question for any doper MDs:
Why do folks keep telling me to avoid such things as sunflower and sesame seeds? Even while I was in the hospital recovering from surgery last year, every (not the strange ones) source online I could find agreed that the seed thing was a myth. I feel it was more my poor diet of mostly fast/junk food at the time. And since I now don’t even have that chunk of my digestive tract anymore, why should I worry about some little seeds?
So: Myth or not?
I’m not a gastroeneterologist but I think the seeds thing is probably a myth. In fact, my understanding was a diet high in fibre was helpful in diverticulitis. Myths in medicine live long lives though. And if you can’t stay away from the seeds, use common sense and nix them if you note recurrence of lower abdominal pain.
Methinks the high fiber diet is meant to absorb more water and soften the stool, making it easier to pass through the intestines with less effort. Less effort=less nastiness to get pushed into the diverticula pockets.
Unless you make an extreme effort, though, to CHEW each individual seed and break it down, the chances are good the seeds will pass right through you unchanged. (case in point: bird alimentary canals are a common way for plants to spread their seeds) Seeds, unless completely contained in the stool, wouldn’t be a problem, but those on the outer surface could theoretically drift into the diverticula and set up an irritation.
Strawberry seeds I don’t see as much of a problem, but blackberry or raspberry seeds are HARD little buggers.
Perhaps pathology reported seeds in the diverticula which had to be surgically removed?
Fascinating topic, but you’re right, definitely TMI!
~VOW
Hi Darth! I have Crohn’s Disease, and a friend of mine was in the hospital with Crohn’s-like symptoms. The doctors did a colonoscopy on him and found the source of the irritation, which was a poppy seed on the side of his intestinal wall. It had somehow caught in there and was causing a pretty good inflammation. They took it out and told him to avoid that kind of food, and he’s been fine ever since. Now me, on the other hand… well, I’m doing much better now. 
Good luck to you as well!
Just reviewing a bit of vocab.
Crohn’s disease is a bowel disease where random parts of the GI tract (from gum to bum, but usually colon) become inflamed. Diverticulosis is a common condition in elderly people where there are outpouchings i the colon (usually in the sigmoid area) which is normaly somewhat pipe shaped. These outpouchings occasionally become infected or inflamed which causes a painful condition called diverticulitis.
I think the seed thing is very rare. I mean, eighty per cent of 70 year olds have diverticulosis, meaning they have the same potention t trap seeds. And no one tells us to restrict sunflower seeds in the elderly. But I’m sure things happen once in a blue moon.
Thanks for the replies. I prolly should have added some more info: I’m only 30, and after the CAT scan confirmed my diagnosis, I had a sigmoid resection, just yanked it all out. I would guess that this was due to my age. The fiber stuff sounds about right-- Maybe this is what happens after 15 years of fast food and ramen, eh?
Darth:
The only way you get enough fiber with fast food is if you EAT the wrappers, too.
Water. Drink LOTS of water!
~VOW
My husband had surgery for diverticulosis about two years ago. He had had 3 attacks of diverticulitis in less than 6 months. His recovery was complicated by a nasty wound infection (he is diabetic) that took 9 months to resolve (had to let the reopened incision heal from the muscle layer up). Sure was fun packing that wound every day.
In answer to your OP though, the seeds and nuts prohibition is not given anymore as a rule. Just keep the fiber up and you should be fine. On the bright side, his latest colonoscopy was over in no time at all. Apparently, the sigmoid slows the procedure down so, if you don’t have one, a colonoscopy can be completed in the blink of an eye.
A horrible wondering whether a seed could get stuck in one of the little pockets/outpouchings and actually put down roots…? No surely not.