# I got Diverticulitis **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 3, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140 "2019-01-03T12:32:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/1 "2019-01-03T12:32:51Z")
[Diverticulitis.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diverticulitis) I was hospitalized with it in 2016. I hate this. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/2 "2019-01-03T12:46:01Z")
I’m so sorry. I hope that this is a mild bout. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/3 "2019-01-03T13:09:48Z")
My sympathy. It was one of the worst experiences of my life and things never went back to baseline. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/4 "2019-01-03T14:51:00Z")
Having had several bouts of this I sympathize. Not sure what your doctor is recommending but I found after the antibiotics were done I used [Bio-K+](https://www.biokplus.com/en_ca) and it helped immensely along with more yoghurt in my diet. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/5 "2019-01-03T15:07:00Z")
Don’t eat anything with seeds. Including tomatoes. Goodluck. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/6 "2019-01-03T16:19:41Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Don’t eat anything with seeds. Including tomatoes. > Goodluck. The link the OP provided says this is no longer recommended: _Avoiding nuts and seeds as a preventive measure is no longer recommended since there is no evidence these play a role in initiating inflammation in diverticula._ ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/7 "2019-01-03T16:37:03Z")
My MiL got it while we were on vacation in OBX a few years back. Spent about a week in the hospital there. They gave us all t-shirts that read, “I spent my vacation at OBX Hospital.” ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/8 "2019-01-03T18:40:37Z")
Increase the fiber in your diet. It won’t cure anything, but it helps move things through which might otherwise get caught in your polyps. Yes, I know this from personal experience, plus my docs said so. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/9 "2019-01-03T19:10:13Z")
Just got over a bout myself. Makes ya feel real old, real quick. Fortunately, the first round of antibiotics took care of it; once in the past the first antibiotic didn’t do the trick and I had to go back to the doctor again. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/10 "2019-01-03T19:15:22Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > The link the OP provided says this is no longer recommended: > _Avoiding nuts and seeds as a preventive measure is no longer recommended since there is no evidence these play a role in initiating inflammation in diverticula._ I didn’t believe a word if it. Anecdotally I know better. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/11 "2019-01-03T20:13:47Z")
I came down with what my ex called “old man colon” in my mid 30’s, when I called my Ex who worked in health care asking (should I go see a doctor because my lower left side hurts) and she told me to go to the ER. Increase in exercise, prioritizing using the restroom and avoiding foods that cause “urgency” is what helped me the most. Pay attention to your own body more than the direct recommendations on diet, I over compensated and had to quit eating some “high fiber foods” that my body didn’t react to well. To give you hope, after a little learning curve and changing habits I haven’t had any issue for over a decade now, but I do exercise a lot. Mostly walking the dog for miles and using a bike for errands, taking the stairs etc… Good luck and welcome to the “old person colon” club. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/12 "2019-01-03T22:24:12Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > [Diverticulitis.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diverticulitis) > > I was hospitalized with it in 2016. > > I hate this. I hated it, too. I had to get part of my colon cut out because of it. Thankfully, the surgery was “minimally invasive.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/13 "2019-01-03T22:44:10Z")
Soup for dinner, daily, helps. As do Prunes. As do the 2 antibiotics. We shall see. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/14 "2019-01-03T23:05:57Z")
I hate pay walls, but here is a “skin” based study that shows how exercise improves skin elasticity, which is similar in [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acel.12341](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acel.12341) And if you want to pay for it. [https://www.nature.com/articles/ajg2009121](https://www.nature.com/articles/ajg2009121) > [@](#): > > CONCLUSIONS: > Data from this large prospective cohort suggest that physical activity lowers the risk of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding. Vigorous activity appears to account for this association. As I care for my fellow dopers and fellow sufferers of diverticulitis, exercise is a critical part of mitigating the diverticulitis. Please make sure to make time for some \*vigorous \*cardo. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/15 "2019-01-04T21:03:31Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > I hate pay walls, but here is a “skin” based study that shows how exercise improves skin elasticity, which is similar in > > [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acel.12341](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/acel.12341) > > And if you want to pay for it. > > [https://www.nature.com/articles/ajg2009121](https://www.nature.com/articles/ajg2009121) > > As I care for my fellow dopers and fellow sufferers of diverticulitis, exercise is a critical part of mitigating the diverticulitis. Please make sure to make time for some \*vigorous \*cardo. I also got Asthma. So, that ain’t happening. Also, exercise don’r cure Asthma, either. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/16 "2019-01-06T14:26:01Z")
FWIW, I came across [in the NY Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/well/live/can-i-ever-recover-from-diverticulitis.html). It may be too basic to be of help, but thought I’d draw your attention to it just in case. BTW - asthma shouldn’t necessarily preclude all exercise for you. (I’ve got severe asthma and run regularly.) Have you discussed solutions with your doctor? Back to lurking! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/17 "2019-01-06T15:42:12Z")
I have suffered with this on and off a good part of my life. I learned something new this year about our gut. 90% of the serotonin we produce is used by the stomach and gut. Serotonin is primarily produced as an emotional response to something or a living situation certain food aid in its production. Find out what changes you can make in your life style that will help your serotonin production. In my case it meant I had to quit obsessing over things, make fewer commitments and socialize more. I am doing 80% better because I haven’t totally got my issues worked out. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/18 "2019-01-06T20:47:19Z")
I’ve had a mild batch, but nothing too severe. But I know enough people that I know how bad it can get. I hope you just have a mild batch. ---
**Author:** ![bb49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bb49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb49)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/19 "2019-01-06T23:38:02Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > The link the OP provided says this is no longer recommended: > _Avoiding nuts and seeds as a preventive measure is no longer recommended since there is no evidence these play a role in initiating inflammation in diverticula._ ^ Correct advice. I talked to three doctors about this. The first was my family Dr., then the specialist she sent me to and finally the Dr. in the ER when I was hit a second time in three months. Every one of them said to simply eat a healthy diet, which includes nuts and seeds. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140/20 "2019-01-06T23:45:50Z")
My 85-year-old father had 17 inches of his colon removed last year because of this. He’s still recovering, although a lot of that has to do with his age. He was hospitalized a couple years previously for the same thing, although he didn’t have surgery that time. He was told to avoid nuts and seeds, so at least for now, he does. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-diverticulitis/827140.md?page=2)