I’m sure some of you are familiar with it. Anyone care to share their thoughts? I’m particularly interested in hearing from those of you afflicted with this hideous illness and how you manage it.
I landed in the ER last weekend after a couple days* of acute gastro-intestinal distress, had a CAT scan and was given a diagnosis of Diverticulitis and a handful of prescriptions. A follow-up appointment with my PCP was disappointing, as I received very little guidance as to how to manage this. Similarly, the internet is full of contradictions with regard to diet and ongoing management of this problem I now have.
It seems like it’s an acute, flare-up kind of an illness and once it settles back down again I may feel like my old self again, but certain foods may (or may not) trigger another bout. What I can tell you right now is that on Day 9 of antibiotics, my belly feels WAY better than it did a week ago, but still by no means do I feel back to normal.
*In retrospect, I believe this has been brewing for 6-9 months, and just became acute. I had several health markers that should have indicated to me there was something amiss but I misinterpreted or ignored them.
Timely thread. Today, I am going to an appointment with a surgeon to have my Diverticulitis fixed with a Laproscopic Sigmoid Colectomy. I was diagnosed more than 10 years ago, but until recently, I was able to gut the infection out (pun intended) and control the pain with ibuprofen. I am now suffering from the worst episode yet, and it’s not going to get any better in time.
Antibiotics haven’t worked very well, especially the usual Ciprofloxacin/Metronidazole/Augmentin. The Moxifloxacin I am taking now seems to be helping, but I’ve been taking that for the last 5 days and I’m still hurting.
It used to be that I would feel a lot better between flareups, but now I can feel some pain all the time.
Find yourself a a surgeon that can perform this laproscopically. The recovery will be somewhat faster than the traditional surgery.
Gotta run now. I’ll know when the surgery will take place this afternoon.
I was diagnosed with it in 2007. Most of the time I’m fine, but “rough” roughage can set off abdominal pains – so I avoid salads with iceberg lettuce and celery. I can eat one apple one day, and maybe another the next, but the 3rd or 4th will set things off too.
If it gets very bad, I go back to the diet I was on while taking antibiotics back in 2007 – no raw fruit or veg, lots of soft multi-grain, high-fiber bread – for a couple of weeks.
A friend of mine had been complaining about stomach pains for a day or two, before he was finally rushed to the ER. Turns out, he had diverticulitis, resulting in surgery.
He’s currently on a colostomy bag (for up to 6 months) before he goes back in to surgery to “reconnect the plumbing,” as he calls it.
He seems to be in good spirits and we don’t really discuss it much. I know that a week after he was released from the hospital, he was meeting us for brunch and was able to go about life in a fairly usual fashion. We could tell he didn’t quite have his stamina back to 100%, but that’s a given.
You’ll be fine between flare-ups. You can limit them by watching your diet. I severely limit my intake of nuts, seeds, popcorn, stuff like that. Fruit doesn’t affect me, nor do veggies. Everybody’s different; you’ll have to learn to recognize the feeling and say, “Whoops, better not eat that anymore!”
As mentioned above, when you do have an attack, your diet should be low residue. And you should get to the doctor right away, as it won’t get better on its own for some time. Extremely bad cases can have surgery. Both my mother and my sister have had pieces of their colons snipped out.
Ugh. I was diagnosed with it about 16 - 17 years ago during a bad belly ache. It was confirmed by barium enema shortly after that first episode, and I’ve had several bouts of diverticulitis since. The worst one, which occurred right after my mother passed away, resulted in 4 days’ hospitalization on IV fluids, antibiotics and morphine. Fortunately I avoided surgery.
I have periodic episodes of diverticular pain that worry me - based on what I’ve read about diverticulosis, most people are symptom free unless and until the diverticula become infected. I get these bouts of pretty severe pain that eventually resolves after several hours or a day without antibiotics, and I can’t figure out what’s causing it. All the literature I’ve found indicates that pain = infection, but I don’t get feverish and it eventually goes away by itself. Maybe there IS infection and I’m somehow clearing it myself without antibiotics, but that seems a stretch. I wish I knew what that shit’s all about.
OP, I feel perfectly fine and completely normal between flare ups.
I was diagnosed about 15 years ago and have managed it with a high fiber diet (~35 grams a day) and making sure I get plenty of fluids. I have had a handful of flare ups over the years, maybe 4 or 5, none of which were bad enough to get back on antibiotics. By flare ups I am referring to what Dr. Woo mentioned: an episode of diverticular pain, usually not severe, that I associate with inflammation but not infection. I don’t actually know what this is, but I assume it is diverticulitis. I find that I can make them go away if I drink a ton of water and eat bland food for a couple of days. I find that too much spicy food can trigger these flare ups (which is really sad because I love spicy food), so I am careful with this. I also find that taking antibiotics can have an effect; twice I have had a life threatening infection (cellulitis / necrotizing fasciitis and pneumonia) in the last 15 years where taking the antibiotics was followed by a diverticulitis flare up. I do not have problems with fruits or vegetables.
I am sure that some day I will have surgery, but I would rather not if I can avoid it. My father and two of my uncles have had a colectomy because of diverticulitis. They all came down with the condition in their forties and fifties and had the surgery after 5 years or so with the condition. I was diagnosed at 30 years old and I really hope to manage it until my late fifties if at all possible. So far, so good.
I’ve been diagnosed with diverticulitis and the doctor recommended a high fiber diet and plenty of fluids. I’ve found I get more frequent attacks when I eat a lot of fried food or don’t get my veggies. I’ve had no issues with nuts and seeds (which was apparently thought to cause it at one time but has been debunked. cite ). I haven’t had any issues with spicy food and during mild flare ups I have found taking naproxen (Aleve) tends to take the edge off and minimize the inflammation.
Do the doctors discuss with you the potential adverse reactions to Ciprofloxacin and Moxifloxacin or any of the other -floxacins (a.k.a. fluoroquinolones)? These are serious industrial-strength antibiotics that are known for sometimes causing ghastly neurological damage, both peripheral (neuropathies) and central (outright brain damage), that can be anywhere from mild to downright debilitating; can sometimes occur after a single dose and can be permanent and irreversible.
Hmm…no, he didn’t mention that. Thankfully, I have taken quite a lot of Cipro during the last year, and I am now on day 6 for the Moxi with no complications.
Thanks for the info, though. This just helps to confirm my decision to have surgery to put this firmly behind me.
Most people over 50 have diverticulosis, which are small, to not so small divots in the bowel. When these divots get full of crap, yeah, literally, they become enflamed. It can take a few months for it to really get roaring. Newest research shows that avoiding things like nuts and seeds doesn’t really do anything. Eating a healthy diet with a moderate amount of fiber may keep new flares at bay, but there are no guarantees.
I’m more in the “osis” and “itis” side of things but keeping up on the fiber and away from things with seeds or things like nuts has kept me fairly problem free. I “ripped a pouch” once after a cashew binge and lets just say the amount of blood and pain that resulted was enough, even without serious infection, to make me take it for real.
I’m already there (taking it for real). Bowel resection doesn’t sound like fun, and if I can avoid it by cutting nuts, bacon and beer from my life I will do so happily.
I’m OK between flareups. I think I had a years-long delusion another organ down there was the culprit. However, recuperation after a bout of thoughtless eating is slower than it used to be.
bacon and beer? I thought it was just nuts and popcorn (although my doctor says they are beginning to doubt the connection between diet and flareups) Why can’t I have bacon?
Agree about the info. My best advice, for what its worth, is to trust to “your mileage may vary” and try to isolate your particular triggers. I’m OK on bacon and beer but small seeds like tomato and smaller and most nuts leave me in agony. See what works (or doesn’t) for you and adjust your diet as needed.