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Diverticular Disease

Posted , 35 users are following.

elaineypainey
elaineypainey

sad I have now had diverticular disease for the last 12 years and have a flare up every 6 months. I have apparently 6 pouches in my colon. I still do not know what foods to eat and to avoid. I have from my own experience stopped eating certain foods. I do not eat anything with seeds in ie some fruits have seeds so the only fruit I eat is melon pineapples bananars. The doctors say you should have a high fibre diet then they say do not eat seeds. I have just discovered that I should not be eating rice. How about baked beans should I eat these or not? Please could someone tell me as at the moment I am going mad not knowing what I should be doing. sad

4 likes, 56 replies

56 Replies

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  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi Elaine

    I have had diverticular disease since diagnosis in 1999 which was the same year as my husband died of bowel cancer - great timing eh ? I had a large rectal bleed and the usual investigations followed ! In 2005 I had a really acute attack and was told that it was \"SEVERE\". I have coped with it quite well but during the last 14 months it appears to be getting worse. The pain and \"strange\" bowel movements are my biggest worry, pain being almost constant. GP's dont seem to be terribly interested but it can be very hard to live with, as you well know.

    I was given a leaflet on what to eat and what not to eat and yes agree with you - on one hand - increase fibre - on the other - diet is very restrictive.

    If this gets to you - when I receive your reply I will give you the info I had from my consultant.

    Look forward to hearing from a fellow \"div\" sufferer.

    Val sad sad

    • tinamaguire_824
      tinamaguire_824 Guest

      Posted

      Please could you forward the leaflet you were talking about I'm at my wits end with this disease. PLEASE HELP!!!

    • ann27613
      ann27613 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Val new to this forum just reading your post and wondered if you could send me your leaflet that your consultant gave you,haven't been given anything like that.  Going through hell with it at the moment,waiting to see a consultant again.  Ann 😱

    • 52331
      52331 tinamaguire_824

      Posted

      I had diverticulitis for 6 years and been through all the meds and fiber speech. Finally went to surgeon and he told me no surgery. He told me to get some Metamucil and you will be fine.

      Since that meeting I have had not one flare up and pain free. I take it twice per day.

  • elaineypainey
    elaineypainey

    Posted

    sad How val please get in contact with me.

    Best wishes

    Elaine

  • Juliet_Bravo
    Juliet_Bravo

    Posted

    Dear Elaine and Val,

    Please stick to the high fibre diet, it really does help in the long term. Not eating fruit with seeds merely means not eating the seeds, so apples, oranges, pears are all OK, but not strawberries (sorry) or kiwi fruit. I personally eat a bowl of porridge every day for lunch and vary it by adding dried (no added sugar) fruit to vary it. I also sometimes add a sliced banana. This is because the small seeds can get trapped in the diverticular pouches where they become infected. Believe me, you will know about it then!

    If you are suffering from bloating, wearing loose clothing will reduce the pain; try and go to the toilet regularly rather than waiting till it becomes uncomfortable. I sometimes find the signals are not reliable, so I aim to go at roughly the same times each day.

    I hope you find this helpful, but please contact me here if you wish to.

    All the best.

    Juliet

    • 52331
      52331 Juliet_Bravo

      Posted

      I had diverticulitis for 6 years and been through all the meds and fiber speech. Finally went to surgeon and he told me no surgery. He told me to get some Metamucil and you will be fine.

      Since that meeting I have had not one flare up and pain free. I take it twice per day.

  • pat76465
    pat76465

    Posted

    I have just joined this site and Diverticulitis discussion because after suffering the condition for about 12

    years I feel I need some kind of support from other sufferers to give me the strength to continue to cope with the violent pain of the spasms endured.

    I used to get about 3 attacks a year but last year I decided to lose some weight (over 2 stones) and changed my eating habits to a more healthy diet.. Since then I have had one attack in the last year now. But for me that is one painful attack too many.

    Now I want to share other people's views on how they cope with their condition in a bid to control my own.

    All advise will be gratefully received.

    Thank you.

    • DDwithDD
      DDwithDD pat76465

      Posted

      Hi. I'm new to this, am now on my second bout of DD in 12 months. I'm about to start a strict dietary regime and records keeping so I hope I can establish what causes my DD.  I know someone who had one bout 5 years ago and none since (yet!). Let it be me also.  Time will tell.  
    • ann27613
      ann27613 pat76465

      Posted

      Hi Pat new to this forum I'm in so much pain at the moment any advice would be great if you don't mind!!!

      Ann

    • 52331
      52331 pat76465

      Posted

      Pat I had diverticulitis for 6 years and been through all the meds and fiber speech. Finally went to surgeon and he told me no surgery. He told me to get some Metamucil and you will be fine.

      Since that meeting I have had not one flare up and pain free. I take it twice per day.

  • DDwithDD
    DDwithDD elaineypainey

    Posted

    Hi, I see your post was over a year ago. Have you made any progress? I'm new to this,so am interested in your question. I was diagnosed with DD 10 months ago after an emergency visit to hospital. It went away and normality resumed but I'm now suffering a second bout.  Whereas constipation accompanied my first bout of DD, the opposite condition is a feature of my current pain and suffering! I've been reading stuff on the web. A high fibre diet is my norm, though some foods seem to cause digestive problems I can't yet establish a reliable pattern of cause and effect. I'm including boiled rice, wholemeal bread, cereals and all fruits without seeds, like grapes, apples, bananas, oranges as well as most veggies including beans, squashes and all salads.  I also drink the recommended amounts. Hardly any alcohol or red meat. I'm about to start keeping a record so I can be more sure of what's good and what's bad. I also have a suspicion that medication for a non-related condition might be a culprit. Any advice?
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 DDwithDD

      Posted

      Hello fellow sufferer.There seems to be one or two forums on this sodding

      disease. I spent almost two hours with a paramedic last night.bad

      reaction to an antibiotic   Swollen lip,heart rate of 86 sore tongue.

      This Disease  !!!!! is now taking over my life ,or I should say NO life.

      The amount of genuine interest shown by any of the "" Medicals""

      can be listed in the Out tray

      It would seem that probably breathing  can bring on an attack,and 

      hardly anything can stop it until the rubbish has left your body 

      I now have the task of contacting my doctor ,and give him the good

      news, as suggested by a doctor ,via the paramedic My doctor, and I use the word loosely ,will be annoyed. to have to deal with  me yet

      again.

      I believe we are now given the cheapest , generic medication for 

      any illness, and in consequence have to suffer the side effects. as  

      well as the problem. 

      As a matter of interest what antibiotics are you given, if anyone else

      reads this post, please share your pills and especially if they work.

      and the ones that cause probs

      Will tell you the result of my phone call 

    • DDwithDD
      DDwithDD jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Hi jacqueline01135. Sympathise with you. My antibiotic was co amoxiclav by sandoz. No problems then. But recent attack I have been advised to try and avoid antibiotics as side effects might worsen the condition.  So am restricting diet at moment seems to be working slowly.  Cheers.
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 DDwithDD

      Posted

      You are probably on the common sense road I have more problems with

      products that are supposed to make me better, and IN FACT make me 

      WORSE   It seems that the pouches AKA dustbins seem to be the root 

      cause of flares the sensible way would be to take a mild laxative regularly

      excuse the pun  and stop the rubbish collecting and festering  in the first

      place

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 DDwithDD

      Posted

      Forgot to ask .What do you take for the pain ???

      Good old Paracetamol???

      Is It O.K. to endure the pain for as long as it lasts, or would there be 

      serious consequences by not doing anything ?

      and who cares anywaycheesygrin

    • DDwithDD
      DDwithDD jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Hi again.  Re the pains. I don't take any thing for it and usually suffer by relaxation with radio on headphones.  Easy for me as I am retired and kids left home but sympathise with those who have to soldier on whilst in pain if they work or hsve young family. DDwithDD.
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 DDwithDD

      Posted

      There should be an island in the sun somewhere, preferably in the West

      Indies , where all D.D sufferes are made to go until they get well 

      Looking out of the window at the pouring rain, waiting for a doctor to ring me

      . I WISH  

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Results are as follows   !!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Stop the tab that gave me a fat lip and a galloping heart

      Keep on with the one  that just makes me nauseous and, and, wait 

      for it -------------------- Paracetamol-----------

    • juli11199
      juli11199 DDwithDD

      Posted

      my rheumatologist treating  me with a chemo drug for my arthritis he never gave any consideration to the fact that I told him I have diverticular issues The medicine played havoc with my lower left abdomen as a result I had a very bad week maybe he'll pay attention now any  medicine you take has to pass through there so you must always eat foodwith any meds and let the doctor know who prescribes them just in case he might be knowledgeable about   diverrticular disease  and take that into consideration
    • madge07350
      madge07350 jacqueline01135

      Posted

      I have had a very bad experience with Ciprofloxacine. They had to call the cardiologist when I was being treated with this intravenously in the hospital. I have since done some research into this and found horror stoties of people having their lives totally ruined by this drug. You can get a rupture of the Achilles tendon months after stopping it. I did have some pain in this tendon but the pain in the chest and the pins and needles in the arms were very frightening.
    • madge07350
      madge07350 jacqueline01135

      Posted

      I found a paper on the internet by two colorectal surgeons from Dundee that suggested that both NSAIDs and Paracetomol could contribute to CAUSING attacks! I had my first attack after having to take Paracetomol for 10 days for the pain of bruised ribs after a motorblke accident. Normally I do not take painkillers.

      I had a very bad reaction to the antibiotics they gave me in the hospital -they made me feel worse by far than the symptoms. I have since discovered that Ciprofloxacine can have some very nasty effects on some people including rupture of the Achilles tendon up to 9months later.

      I am lucky in that so far flare ups do not give me very bad pain more like a constant dull ache but with some sharp jabs before needing to have a BM.

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